One of the things Kavoka Jackson, cultural resources director for the Hualapai Nation, appreciates most about Hakamwe is its peacefulness. Located on a former ranch in western Arizona, this hot springs is surrounded by rolling desert hills. Occasional trucks drive along the dirt roads nearby, but it’s mostly quiet. That tranquility is an important part of Hualapai cultural practices that have been practiced here for thousands of years, from foraging plants to holding rituals.
“When we visit and look out at a landscape, it is the same landscape that our ancestors saw and lived in, so we have a deep connection to the integrity of that landscape. ,” Jackson said.
But peace seems hard to come by these days, with Hakamwe under threat from lithium exploration by Australian-based company Arizona Lithium (AZL) amid a green energy boom. Mining companies have already drilled about 50 exploratory wells near the springs, interfering with tribal cultural practices and threatening aquifers. From 2021 onwards, high altitude news The first story on the threat this drilling poses to Hualapai religious practicesthe Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved further drilling near Hakamwe. In July of this year, the BLM approved AZL’s plan to drill approximately 130 additional wells near the springs, reaching depths of more than 300 feet and surrounding the springs on three sides. AZL plans to construct drill pad sites, roads and other supporting infrastructure while further exploring the area for potential open-pit lithium mines.
On August 8th, the Hualapai tribe sued BLM and the Department of the Interior. According to the complaint, authorities violated multiple laws in approving this new phase of exploration, including the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act. AZL has been under a temporary restraining order since September to prevent further drilling.
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A district judge in Phoenix is currently deciding whether to grant a preliminary injunction halting further lithium exploration for the duration of the lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa heard the preliminary motion on September 16. The temporary restraining order will continue until her decision is made. At the time of writing, no decision has been made yet.
If the judge does not grant the injunction, Jackson said, “it would disrupt our ability to hold ceremonies and just experience our place as Hualapai people on the land.” spoke. what we want is [drilling] A ban would allow them to continue their lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management without fear of further damage to the property. ”
Without a preliminary injunction, exploratory drilling could be completed before litigation begins, said Laura Berglan, an Earthjustice attorney who represents the Hualapai tribe in court. “So what remedies does the tribe have in that case?” she said. “There’s really nothing you can do about it. It’s just a victory on paper.”
Hakamwe is a protected cultural resource under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). One of the main complaints in the tribe’s lawsuit is that when the BLM approved additional drilling in July, springs were not removed from the area where it studied potential impacts, despite a letter from the Hualapai asking for Ha to be included. The law was violated simply by excluding it. Kamwe’ said in the NHPA assessment. BLM also ignored a letter from the Federal Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation warning that AZL’s exploration drilling could threaten Hakamwe cultural practices with noise, vibration, and other disturbances and violate the NHPA.
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John Welch, vice president of preservation and collaboration at the nonprofit Archeology Southwest, said the BLM has “excluded authentic historic and heritage properties to limit the scope of potential impacts.” This is exactly what you shouldn’t do.” He said the BLM should have considered the impact of drilling near the springs on the cultural practices taking place there.
The BLM also did not consider compromises, such as moving the range further away from Hakamwe or reducing the number of approved ranges, which tribes argue violates the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). are.
Another key issue is whether the BLM adequately studied the potential impacts of the drilling on spring flow, as required by NEPA. The agency relied on a 24-year-old hydrological study conducted for another project at a nearby location. The BLM concluded that the aquifer that supplies water to Ha Kamwe is too deep to drill.
“BLM has refused to take a hard look at water and hydrology,” Jackson said. “We wanted them to do the field research. Show us that there’s no impact on the water. Don’t just rely on old studies that say there’s no impact.” The tribe’s own hydrological studies , it was found that groundwater can be easily disturbed by prospecting, and that excavation is likely to destroy Hakamwe. The tribe shared its concerns with the BLM in March, but officials stuck to the conclusion that the water that feeds the springs was too deep to have any impact.
In an unusual move, Arizona Attorney General Christine Mays jumped in to support a preliminary injunction that a judge is expected to rule on soon, citing concerns about the area’s water supply. According to Maze’s preparation bookBLM used “old data” when approving continued lithium exploration near Ha Kamwe. However, recent hydrological studies by the tribe indicate that drilling could damage the hot springs and perhaps even “dehydrate” Hakamwe. Mays also concluded that it’s not really clear how mining companies will plug the boreholes that drill into the aquifer at this point. In fact, she claims the company has already failed to “properly cap and abandon” previously drilled holes near Ha. “Kamwe”.
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“If the tribes are correct, issuing a preliminary injunction now is the only way to avoid irreversible and catastrophic harm,” the attorney general wrote.
The tribe has already reported changes. Hakamwe’s water levels have risen over the past month, with an increasing number of bubbles rising into the water. Equally concerning are cracks in the ground nearby. Although Hualapai cannot link these changes to mineral exploration without further research, the fact that they occurred so close to recent exploration drilling is alarming.
In response to the tribe’s request for a preliminary injunction.AZL argued that the old hydrologic report referenced by BLM was correct and that the drilling did not threaten Ha Kamwe. AZL also pointed out that so far none of the drilling has reached water.
As of this writing, BLM has not responded to repeated requests for comment from High Country News. Regarding provisional disposition. HCN also contacted the law firms representing Arizona Lithium, Thorpe Schwar PC and Arizona Lithium’s Paul Lloyd, without success.
For now, a temporary encampment has sprung up in Hakamwe, pending a judge’s ruling. The Hualapai people and their supporters are watching and praying. Even if the preliminary injunction is not granted, Jackson said the tribe will continue to fight to protect Hakamwe.
Jackson said the Hualapai tribe is not opposed to green energy. But she pointed out that green energy projects usually come at the expense of tribal and rural communities.
“We’re trying to stand up for ourselves and say, ‘You’re impacting us.’ You’re impacting our connection to this region. You. They are destroying our history, we are the indigenous people of this land, and this is one of the few places we have left that we are trying to protect,” she said. said. “We can’t just keep coming and destroying us and robbing us, especially when it’s coming from a foreign company like Arizona Lithium. We’re not going to sit there and let it happen. there is no.”
