Gail Small, a Northern Cheyenne activist and attorney, criticized the Bush administration for pushing to drill for coalbed methane in the Powder River Basin in Montana and Wyoming.

Small said drilling has harmed the Tongue River along the Northern Cheyenne Reservation and has affected sacred sites, wildlife and hunting grounds. She said the Bureau of Land Management, in its push to open more sites to drilling, failed to consult the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.

The tribe has been engaged in lawsuits to stop drilling. After winning an injunction, BLM agreed to consult on cultural issues and an energy company agreed to pay for studies.

Get the Story:
Tribal Leader: Methane Wastewater Threatens the Cheyenne's Land (The New West 4/4)

Relevant Links:
Northern Cheyenne Tribe - http://www.ncheyenne.net

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