As the Trump administration continues its push to secure critical minerals like lithium, the U.S. government and private corporations have ignored Indigenous peoples’ rights in Nevada. That’s according to a report released today by Amnesty International, which is calling for the suspension of federal permits for all lithium mines in the state. 

The Silver State has emerged as a key source of lithium, the main component in electric vehicle and other batteries. About 85 percent of the country’s known reserves are in Nevada, and several Indigenous nations and organizations, alongside environmentalists, have been fighting for years against its extraction and the environmental risks that creates, including water contamination and biodiversity loss. “This is our land,” said Fermina Stevens, a member of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone and the executive director of the Western Shoshone Defense Project. “We should have a say in what happens. But I know that they don’t want us there because Nevada is so rich in all of these minerals.” 

The three projects Amnesty International highlights in its report are Thacker Pass Lithium Mine, Nevada North Lithium Project, and Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project. Each is located primarily on public land that the Western Shoshone and Paiute people consider unceded territory. Thacker Pass is under construction and Rhyolite Ridge is slated to begin construction this year, while Nevada North is in the exploratory phase. 

Amnesty International’s report says all three are violating Indigenous peoples’ right to free, prior, and informed consent. That principle, known as FPIC, is an international standard that affirms Indigenous peoples’ right to approve or deny projects that impact their land and communities. Although the projects were approved by federal agencies, Amnesty International argues the review processes fell short of FPIC and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, or UNDRIP.

“They’ve got to come down on the right side,” Mark Dummett, the organization’s head of business and human rights, said of the mining companies. “They’ve got to come down on the side of human rights, rather than getting the minerals at all costs.” He added that, regardless of domestic laws in the countries in which they operate, these firms must follow international human rights standards. The report also highlights the impact of the Trump administration’s push for deregulation, including fast-tracked permits and limited environmental review, which reduces the ability of Indigenous peoples to offer full consent. 

In a statement, a spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Interior said, “The climate crazed activists behind this report are notorious for making baseless claims, repeatedly rejected by courts, as part of their pathetic rage against energy production that is not only bipartisan, but proven to benefit the American people.” They also said that a review of lithium projects in Nevada by the federal Bureau of Land Management included extensive environmental review and opportunity for tribal engagement.

Nevada is experiencing a lithium boom that has seen more than 20,000 claims filed. The report also comes amid global resistance by Indigenous peoples to “green transition” mining that they say comes at the expense of their land and rights. Given the increasing demand for minerals like lithium, cobalt, and copper, Dummett said that mining companies around the world are taking advantage of gaps in regulation and human rights enforcement. “The way that this mining has always taken place has been incredibly damaging to the environment and people,” Dummett said. “We don’t want to see the mistakes of the past repeated.”

Stevens said that although her people have experienced a long history of land theft and abuse by the U.S. government and corporations, consultation has grown even more perfunctory amid the worldwide drive for lithium, which has surged since the war in Iran. “War and the military complex is all that they can see,” she said. “And so they’re blinded to the things that are sacred, that are more important for human survival. And I just don’t think that they care about those things.”

Lithium Americas, the owner of the Thacker Pass mine, disputed many of the report’s claims in a response submitted to Amnesty International, including inadequate consultation, environmental risks, and violation of Indigenous rights. Its reply also noted that UNDRIP is not binding in the United States, but argued that the project complies with it anyway. “The Thacker Pass Project has the potential to significantly advance America’s electrification efforts, reduce carbon emissions, and strengthen domestic supply chains for critical minerals — strengthening America’s energy future. LAC has made stakeholder engagement, including with Tribes, an important part of the development of the Project,” its response reads.  

A spokesperson for Ioneer, the owner of the Rhyolite Ridge project, said the company “respectfully but firmly disagrees with the findings released by Amnesty International,” and highlighted the company’s engagement with tribes. “We take great pride in our compliance with all U.S. legal requirements and remain committed to a transparent process that respects tribal sovereignty while delivering a reliable and secure domestic supply of critical minerals,” the spokesperson said.

Surge and Evolution, the owners of the Nevada North Lithium Project, did not respond to a request for comment, but in a response to Amnesty International, Evolution said, “We take all reasonable efforts to conduct proactive and ongoing engagement with Indigenous peoples.”

Indigenous leaders said they do not expect the mining companies to change, but will continue the fight to protect their land. “We can survive without technology, but we can’t survive without water,” Stevens said. “We can’t save the Earth through the energy transition while we’re simultaneously destroying biodiversity.”

The fourth time proved to be the charm for the Sky Pointe boys volleyball team.

After losing in the Class 4A state semifinals each of the last three seasons, the Eagles have made it to the final game for the first time as a member of the 4A classification.

Sky Pointe, the Sky League’s No. 1 seed, swept Desert League champion Mojave in three sets 25-22, 25-15, 25-19 Monday night at Sky Pointe in a 4A state semifinal.

“This is a team that everybody kind of underestimated. Physically we’re undersized, not a ton of our players play for big club (teams), but at the end of the day, we’re a brotherhood,” Sky Pointe coach Emma Sproule said. “This is a solid (group) of 14 (players) who work really hard day in and day out.”

Sky Pointe (21-13) will play Desert Oasis — a 27-25, 25-22, 25-16 winner over Liberty in the other state semifinal Monday — at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Sunrise Mountain High School for the 4A title.

“It feels fantastic because the last three years we made it to the semifinals. Every time, we lost in the semifinals,” Sky Pointe junior middle blocker Brad Rappleye said. “But now we finally broke the curse and made it through.”

Sky Pointe won the 2018 3A title and was the 3A runner-up in 2019. The Eagles lost in five sets last year to eventual state champion Basic in the semifinals.

On Monday, things were shaping up to be another tightly contested contest between the two league champions during a back-and-forth first set. The Eagles pulled through for the opening set win behind three consecutive kills from Tucker Jenkins to secure the set win.

Sproule said she saw the confidence of winning the first set radiate toward the rest of the match for her players.

“We told them (at the start of the year), ‘We just need you guys to be sponges and absorb all that we’re going to give you,” Sproule said. “It’s going to be a lot of information and there’s going to be a time when you need to apply it and tonight was the time to apply it.

“I’m really proud of the team that showed up tonight. The team that won was well deserved.”

Sky Pointe went on a 7-1 run in the middle of the second set to build its lead and roll to the set win. In the third set, Mojave didn’t go away, but the Eagles capitalized on several Mojave (28-10) service errors and completed the sweep in front of a packed home gym.

“We played as a team,” junior starting libero Dallas Hashimoto said. “We rarely have games where we’re all really in sync like that. It just felt really good it played out like that.”

Jenkins had 10 kills for Sky Pointe and Rappleye, who was named the 4A Sky League player of the year, added eight kills and three blocks. Kaleb Law led Mojave with 10 kills.

Sky Pointe defeated Mojave in five sets in the regular season on March 9, and the Rattlers had a two-set win in a tournament on March 28.

No. 1M Desert Oasis 3, No. 1L Liberty 0: At Desert Oasis, Jacob Wienke racked up 11 kills, eight digs and four blocks as the Diamondbacks (22-9) rolled to a 27-25, 25-22, 25-16 semifinal victory over the Patriots (20-11) after prevailing in an extended opening set.

Jaiden Alarcon added 14 assists and seven digs for Desert Oasis, and teammate Carson Lampkin had 15 digs. Desert Oasis won the 2022 4A title in its only apperance in a boys volleyball title game.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X. Review-Journal reporter Jeff Wollard contributed to this report.

Hikers in Northern Nevada may encounter rattlesnakes, though the snakes typically avoid people. Of the five venomous rattlesnake species found in Nevada, only one is commonly found in Northern Nevada.

However, rattlesnake encounters do still happen and hikers should know how to react if they come across the venomous snakes when on the trail.

Here’s a guide to what snakes are venomous throughout Nevada, how to spot them and what to do if you are bitten.

How do I spot a rattlesnake?

Rattlesnakes in North America typically have thick bodies, arrow-shaped heads and a rattle at the end of their tails that they shake when threatened. Five kinds of rattlesnakes are found in Nevada, mostly in the southern and central areas of the state. However, one species ranges across the Silver State — and it’s the one Northern Nevadans are most likely to encounter on a hike.

Great Basin rattlesnake

The Great Basin rattlesnake is the most common venomous snake in Northern Nevada and is found statewide. These snakes typically live in grassy, shrubby and rocky areas.

They are typically light brown with darker spots running down the center of their back. Their spots can come in shades of brown, gray, olive and yellow, according to the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

Sidewinder

Sidewinders are typically found in sandy terrain within areas of dense vegetation, where animal burrows provide shelter. They are also sometimes found in areas with sparse vegetation, like sandy washes. Sidewinders are found in Southern and Central Nevada in parts of Clark, Esmeralda, Nye and Lincoln counties.

You can identify a sidewinder by the raised scales above its eyes, which resemble small horns on its triangular head. It is a heavy-bodied pit viper with a light brown body and darker markings that help it blend into the sandy desert habitat. Sidewinders move with a distinctive side-to-side, S-shaped motion and have a rattle at the end of their tails.

Mohave green rattlesnake

Similar to sidewinders, these snakes prefer southern and central Nevada. They’re typically found in Nye, Esmeralda, Lincoln and Clark counties. Mojave greens are desert dwellers and favor areas with sparse vegetation.