"The framing of the mining controversy by mainstream media as an issue of jobs vs. environmental protection gives short shrift to the issue of cultural survival for the Bad River Chippewa tribe.

Tribal chairman Mike Wiggins Jr. has testified that the sulfide minerals in the waste rock from the largest open pit taconite mine in the world would pose a threat to the tribe's sacred wild rice beds on the Bad River reservation.

Sulfates would destroy their wild rice while increased mercury loadings would result in fish consumption advisories in an environment already at risk from mercury contamination from past and present iron and copper mining. These are threats that go far beyond environmental tradeoffs."

Get the Story:
Al Gedicks: Wrong to ignore Bad River Tribe in mining negotiations (The Wisconsin State Journal 2/10)

Related Stories:
WPR: Wisconsin tribes united in opposition to GOP mining bill (2/7)
WPR: Bad River Band blasts state lawmakers over mining bill (2/6)
FSRN: Bad River Band at hearing on controversial mine plan (01/24)
Bad River Band continues battle against big mine by reservation (01/09)