The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) rescinded the approval of a permit to reroute the Magellan Pipeline near Pipestone National Monument. Following backlash from Tribes and Native organizers, the Minnesota PUC has ordered “cultural and archeological” surveys to be conducted in consultation with local Tribes on two potential routes to ensure they do not impact lands that hold cultural value. The following statement is from Judith LeBlanc (Caddo), executive director of Native Organizers Alliance and NOA Action Fund:

“We applaud the decision by the Minnesota PUC to rescind its original decision to permit the Magellan Pipeline and ensure that Tribal sovereignty is honored. It is critical that sovereign nations with treaty rights to the land of the Pipestone Quarry have a say about developments that impact their sacred ceremonial grounds.

Too often mining and resource extraction developments are permitted and proceed without the consent or input of the sovereign nations who are impacted, and whose ancestral homelands are at risk.

Native Organizers Alliance has been honored to support in the grassroots efforts that led to this decision. We helped compile more than 20,000 petition letters in support of the on-the-ground efforts from partner Tribes and traditional community groups like the Yankton Sioux Tribe and Brave Heart Society.

We hope this is an example of things to come. Over recent years, we have seen more effort to incorporate Tribal knowledge, cultures, and perspectives into land management. It is the inherent right of sovereign nations to make decisions about their sacred and ancestral homelands.

Thankfully, through the commitment of Native peoples, Tribes, and grassroots organizers, we have seen an improvement in the management and stewardship of federal lands. Hundreds of Tribal Nations have signed co-stewardship agreements with the federal government. These federal-Tribal partnerships have strengthened protections of land and sacred places for the benefit of everyone. These partnerships are also pathways toward sustainable practices, which can mitigate the impact of climate change, prevent profit-driven development, and end the domination of fossil fuels.”