PROTECTING
OUR WATER, LAND, AND PEOPLE FROM NICKEL MINING
What is Water Over Nickel?
Water Over Nickel is an initiative by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and allied organizations to protect Minnesota’s people, natural resources, and cultural sites from the negative impact of nickel mining.
Our efforts are grounded in our commitment to preserve Minnesota’s natural environment and water resources for generations to come.
We partner with like-minded organizations to raise collective awareness of the risks associated with the Tamarack Mine, a nickel mine proposed by Talon Metals Corp. just 1.3 miles from Round Lake and the homes of tribal members, and in close proximity to cultural sites, including Rice Lake and Sandy Lake.
The proposed mine is located within the ceded territory of the Treaty of 1855. Several reservations were established by our ancestors in that treaty, including the Mille Lacs Reservation and a reservation at Sandy Lake, and those reservations were so located because of their access to sacred lakes and waters that provided food and resources. Those same lakes still provide resources to our people today, and they must be protected.
There has never been a clean nickel mine.
Nickel mining presents a significant threat to the environment. The practice has a consistent track record of impairing water quality in water-rich environments, like the area surrounding the proposed Tamarack Mine site.
The impacts of the proposed mine threaten the natural environment, Manoomin (wild rice), medicinal plants, and cultural resources that are already struggling to survive and adapt to the rapidly changing climate.
The watershed surrounding the proposed Tamarack Mine flows into the Mississippi River and St. Croix watersheds, which also puts critical habitats and drinking water sources at risk.
Protecting these waters is a Minnesota issue, a human issue and a national issue.
We believe that we can advance a green economy without relying on practices that threaten one of our world’s most precious resources: water.
Quick Statistics
97%
of nickel deposits in the U.S. are located within 35 miles of Native American reservations.
SOURCE: MSCI.COM
TOXIC
The EPA identifies metal mining, like nickel mining, as the most toxic industry in America.
SOURCE: EARTHWORKS.ORG
90%
Recycling a ton of nickel produces 90% fewer emissions than mining.
SOURCE: MGG-RECYCLING.COM
The proposed Tamarack Mine poses significant risks to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
We call on Minnesota officials to prioritize clean water over nickel mining to protect our community's water, land, fish, people, and Manoomin.
