PRESS RELEASE

January 4, 2023

Reno-Sparks Indian Colony
Contacts:
Bethany Sam, Media Relations
Will Falk, Attorney for Reno-Sparks Indian Colony & Summit Lake Paiute Tribe
Max Wilbert, Protect Thacker Pass

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thacker Pass Protectors to March and Rally Outside Federal Court on Thursday, January 5th!

Tribal Chairman: “It’s Our Responsibility to Protect Sacred Sites”

Media photo, video and interview opportunity:
WHO: Reno-Sparks Indian Colony Chairman, Arlan D. Melendez; Other Plaintiffs & Tribal Members participating in Peaceful March.
WHAT: Peaceful March grounded in Native American Spiritual Prayer while final oral arguments will be heard regarding the Thacker Pass Litigation Case (see attached for flyer)
WHEN: TOMORROW, Thursday, January 5, 2023
March starts at 8am, Smokeshop 1 (901 Golden Lane). Peaceful March will start with a Prayer by a Tribal Elder, Remarks by Chairman Melendez, and Organizers will rally the marchers before the march.
Arrive Federal Building at 10am (400 South Virginia Street);
Rally & Invited Speakers 10am-3pm at Federal Building.
WHERE: 10am-3pm at Bruce R. Thompson Courthouse, 400 South Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89502

RENO, NV — The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony and other opponents of the planned Thacker Pass lithium mine plan to march to the Bruce R. Thompson Courthouse on Thursday and rally outside.

Inside the building, a federal judge will hear arguments from attorneys representing tribes, environmental groups, and a local rancher who have all sued to halt the mine, as well as from Lithium Nevada—the company behind the mine—and the Bureau of Land Management, which permitted the project.

The “final oral arguments” scheduled for tomorrow represent the culmination of a two-year legal battle, but Judge Miranda Du isn’t expected to make a decision on the case until at least the following week.

Mine opponents plan to meet at 8am at the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony Smoke Shop 2 (901 Golden Lane) and march 1.6 miles to the courthouse at 400 S. Virginia Street, and rally outside from 10am-3pm. Hot drinks will be available and speakers, including visitors from indigenous communities threatened by mining projects in Arizona, will address the crowd.

Thacker Pass, known as Peehee Mu’huh in Paiute, is a sacred site to regional tribes whose ancestors lived in the area for thousands of years, and were massacred there on at least two occasions.

Lithium Nevada claims that its lithium mine will be essential to producing batteries for combating global warming, and the Biden administration has previously indicated some support for Thacker Pass. Opponents of the project have called this “greenwashing,” arguing that the project would harm important wildlife habitat and create significant pollution. They say that electric cars are still harmful to the planet.

Huge thank you to City of Reno, Reno Police Department, Patagonia, Great Basin Resource Watch, PLAN Nevada, People of Red Mountain, RSIC Tribal Police Dept., RSIC Emergency Services, Washoe County CERT, RSIC CERT, RSIC Public Works Dept., RSIC UNITY Youth Council for helping us plan a safe and peaceful march. Also, everyone who has donated time, energy and money to support Protect PeeHee Mu’Huh / Protect Thacker Pass.