Guest: Brandi Morin, French/Cree/Iroquois journalist from Treaty 6 in Alberta

Indigenous people have been on the frontlines of fighting to protect and sustain the land and environment for years. They warn that the west’s supposedly eco-friendly climate strategy is also a repeat of history. Resources needed for sustainable alternate energy such as mineral mining continues the practise of extracting from the earth, threatening Indigenous lands and people. One of these new frontlines is Nevada’s remote Thacker Pass where a battle is playing out in Paiute and Shoshone territories between the local Indigenous tribes and a Canadian mining company that is mining the lithium beneath their land.A recently released short documentary “Thacker Pass: Mining the Sacred” by award-winning journalist Brandi Morin and Geordie Day took us to the heart of it. It's part of a cross-border project between Ricochet Media, IndigiNews and The Real News Network in the United States.

According to the Real News Network, in 2022, the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe signed a Community Benefits Agreement with Lithium Americas. At roughly 64 kms away, the reservation is the closest – and poorest – in the region.The company said in a statement to Real News Network: '"We are pleased to have the support of the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe as we advance Thacker Pass and look forward to generations of future collaboration."'

Audio sources: Ricochet media, IndigiNews, The Real News Network

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Saba Eitizaz.