Federal Court Halts Lithium Mining Near Sacred Hualapai Site, Temporarily Protecting Cultural Heritage

A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order, siding with the Hualapai Tribe in their efforts to halt a lithium exploration project in Arizona’s Big Sandy River watershed. The order, granted in response to the tribe’s lawsuit against the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), prohibits any ground disturbance or construction related to the Big Sandy Valley Lithium Exploration Project for the next 14 days.

Hualapai Chairman Duane Clarke expressed cautious optimism, stating, “Today, our people celebrate the granting of the temporary restraining order, but understand our fight is not over. We will continue to bring awareness to the protection of our water.”

The legal action comes after years of the Hualapai Tribe raising concerns about the project, which would permit a mining company to drill and test over 100 sites around culturally significant areas, including Ha’Kamwe’, a medicinal spring integral to the tribe’s heritage. Ha’Kamwe’ plays a key role in tribal folklore and is vital for traditional uses, linking the tribe intimately to their ancestral lands.

Despite numerous objections from the tribe, including public comments and consultations with the BLM, the project received federal approval on June 6, 2023. Big Sandy, Inc., a subsidiary of Arizona Lithium, is the driving force behind the lithium exploration effort, which seeks to investigate the potential for full-scale mining operations.

Although Arizona Lithium is not directly named in the lawsuit, the company successfully filed a motion to intervene in the case. Judge Diane Humetewa granted the intervention earlier this week, allowing the company to defend against the tribe’s legal challenges.

The BLM’s green light permits drilling and testing across 21 acres of public land to evaluate the viability of lithium extraction. The project area nearly encroaches on the Hualapai Tribe’s Cholla Canyon Ranch, with only a small portion of tribal land remaining unaffected by the drilling operations.

Earthjustice is representing the Hualapai Tribe in the legal proceedings. Attorney Laura Berglan remarked, “Like other Tribal Nations who have for centuries stewarded the lands across this country, the Hualapai people are under siege by mining interests trying to profit off destroying their cultural heritage.” She underscored the tribe’s ongoing fight for protection of their rights.

In addition to the temporary restraining order, the tribe is pursuing a preliminary injunction to extend the hold on drilling throughout the duration of the legal battle, with a hearing on this motion set for September 17.