FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 30, 2026
Rapid City, SD – Today at Pe’ Sla, community members are taking direct action, putting their bodies on the line by holding ceremony at two drill pads. Multiple drill pads are now actively operating, some within the 2-mile buffer zone protected by a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. Forest Service and Lakota Tribes.
A livestream of the action can be viewed here.
In 2016, parts of Pe’ Sla that had been purchased by tribes were placed in federal trust for protection and cultural use. At least ten drill pads are within a 2-mile buffer zone agreed upon by tribes and the U.S. Forest Service.
Drilling has started despite widespread public opposition, no environmental review, and an active lawsuit against the project filed by NDN Collective, Black Hills Clean Water Alliance, and Earthworks on April 2. The lawsuit cites violations of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and threats to lands long recognized for their religious and cultural importance.
Earlier this week, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit also filed motions for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to stop the drilling before more irreversible damage is done to the land.
“Pe’ Sla is our sacred land, and we are doing everything we can to protect it,” said Dr. Valeriah Big Eagle, Director of He Sapa Initiatives at NDN Collective. “We will not cease our ceremony in the face of destruction, disrespect, and illegal drilling.”
“The damage done at Pe’ Sla is irreparable,” said Wizipan Garriott, president of NDN Collective. “The U.S. Forest Service’s decision to move forward so audaciously breaks their own commitments, protocols, and laws — which should ring alarm bells across the country. We’re not going anywhere.”