Six northern Wisconsin tribes have written a letter to President Barack Obama asking the federal government to stop mining activity.
The August 28 letter to Obama asks to have the Department of the Interior prepare legal action to protect the ceded territory of northern Wisconsin. It cites the treaties of 1837, 1842 and 1854 allowing the tribes to hunt, fish, and gather, and argues that the proposed open pit iron ore mine would destroy streams, wetlands, fisheries, and wildlife that tribal members need to survive.
Specifically, the tribes say new iron ore mining legislation passed this year takes away environmental protections and strips the Department of Natural Resources of its ability to prevent pollution it says a mine would cause. The letter alleges that iron ore mining would release arsenic, lead and mercury into the water and that runoff from mining waste would contain sulfides.
Directly referring to the new legislation, the tribal leaders from Bad River, Red Cliff, Lac Courte Oreilles, St. Croix, Sokaogon and Lac du Flambeau say the state is trying to “legislate away the Tribes’ treaty rights.” The tribes say the threat to tribal rights and land is immediate, and ask to meet with Obama as soon as possible.
