How The Mineral Mining Boom Endangers Indigenous Communities
Ask students: Who are the people being affected negatively by mineral mining on their lands? What is mineral mining?
Minerals extracted from the earth help power many of our devices, from computers to car batteries. But what about the communities whose land is at the center of acquiring these minerals? Ali Rogin reports on the fight between companies seeking minerals from these lands and the Indigenous tribes fighting to preserve them.
View the transcript of the story.
Highlighted Text
- lithium — a lightweight metal that's commonly used to make batteries
- uranium — a heavy metal used for nuclear fuels and weapons
- regressive — used to describe ideas or systems that are old-fashioned and do not encourage change or development
Discussion Questions
- Who are the people being affected negatively by mineral mining on their lands?
- What is mineral mining?
- Where is the "lithium triangle" located?
- When did the U.S. adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples?
- According to Rick Tallman, how can the U.S. avoid producing new mines?
Focus Questions
Rick Tallman says we've run into a dilemma: "Across the world, Indigenous people are going to be the most impacted by sourcing these critical minerals that all of us need for a successful energy transition. But if we don't mind those minerals, they'll also be the most impacted by climate change if we fail."
Why is it important for the United States and other countries to work together with Indigenous communities on solutions for critical issues such as mineral mining? Explain your response.
Media literacy: Have you learned about any other environmental issues affecting people worldwide?
More Resources: Indigenous Peoples and Native Americans
Share My Lesson is your go-to resource for indigenous peoples and Native American lesson plans with this free PreK-12 collection of resources.
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS NewsHour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of NewsHour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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