Mont. tribes lose mining auction

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2001

The Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Sioux tribes on the Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana were outbid on Tuesday by a California businessman for 71 mining claims.

The tribes had made a final offer of $130,000 for the claims, which are located on about 1,000 acres of land considered sacred. Lucas Ployhar outbid them with an offer of $135,000.

The leases were auctioned off as part of bankruptcy proceedings for the Pegasus Gold Corp. The company declared bankruptcy after the tribes won a $37 million pollution judgment.

Get the Story:
Californian outbids tribes for mines (The Billings Gazette 9/5)