Ties to a Nevada lithium mine are causing investors in one of the nation’s top auto manufacturers to push for shareholder action on what they see as violations of Native American rights.

That includes Sister Susan Francois, a Catholic nun and assistant congregation leader at the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace in New Jersey, who is calling for General Motors to issue a report on its operational conflicts with Indigenous sovereignty.

“It’s injury upon injury,” Francois said in a Thursday interview about the Thacker Pass mine near the Nevada-Oregon border. “It limits their ability to collect their traditional medicine, to have access to the hunting grounds, to have ceremonies. That is just something that breaks my heart.”

Detroit-based General Motors, which is behind brands such as Chevrolet, Buick and GMC, is the joint partner of Lithium Americas, the Canadian company building the mine.

In 2024, it committed $625 million to obtain a 38 percent stake in the mine. For the first 20 years of the mine’s life, the automaker will obtain 100 percent of the lithium produced in the first phase to manufacture electric vehicle batteries.

Requesting an analysis

Francois’ church, with at least $25,000 invested in General Motors shares, proposed the shareholders adopt a resolution that the company will discuss at a Tuesday meeting.

In it, they ask the company to publish a report evaluating the effectiveness of its policies in recognizing the U.N.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which contends Native Americans should be given the opportunity to provide or revoke consent for extractive projects that impact their homelands.

The declaration is not binding in the United States, though President Barack Obama signed on in 2010 and federal agencies contend its often limited outreach is sufficient according to the country’s interpretation.

The resolution cites separate Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch reports that reached similar conclusions that Native Americans were not properly consulted before the Bureau of Land Management issued federal permits allowing construction of Thacker Pass to begin.

In response, the company’s board recommended the resolution’s denial, affirming that international human rights standards for Native American consent are already incorporated into its human rights framework. A company spokesman referred the Las Vegas Review-Journal back to that reply when asked for comment.

Francois pointed to a previous effort to compel Citibank to issue a similar report. While successful, Francois said she was disappointed that they did not consult Native Americans sufficiently in the creation of it.

“They have statements that they respect Indigenous peoples’ rights through their supply chains, but this Thacker Pass scenario shows that, obviously, it’s broken,” Francois said.

‘Simply being a voice’

Building a lithium mine in the so-called McDermitt Caldera region has stirred controversy among Northern Paiute and Western Shoshone tribal members, who remain divided on what is worth sacrificing to bring economic development.

Several tribes unsuccessfully sued the Bureau of Land Management over its approval of the mine, contending that the mine would be built on the site of a 19th century U.S. Cavalry massacre. A federal judge did not side with the tribes, but did acknowledge their “broader equitable and historical arguments.”

Lithium Americas spokesman Tim Crowley said evidence shows the massacre occurred miles away from the project site, and that the court found the company complied with all consultation standards set by law.

Chanda Callao, who co-founded the People of Red Mountain group that still protests the mine’s construction, said in a brief interview that her organization isn’t expressing its support for the resolution yet. Rather, Callao and other tribal members are taking the opportunity to, again, spotlight what they feel is injustice.

Reports from human rights organizations have been validating to the group’s mission, she said.

“We are just simply being a voice in telling GM that they’re violating human rights,” Callao said.

Francois said at the very least, she is proud that the church is prompting conversations. She said Catholics have a moral obligation to advocate against the harms of yesterday, particularly following Pope Francis’ public statements that American colonialism perpetuated grave sins against Native people.

Going forward, it is also about protecting investments, which could be jeopardized by permitting delays should General Motors not straighten out its policies, Francois said.

“I’m a woman of faith, so I pray that hearts are moved and that we realize that not only is this the moral thing to do, it’s also good business,” Francois said.

Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — More than 20 dogs rescued from an RV hoarding case in Mesquite, Nevada, have been taken to Utah, where 10 have already found their forever homes.

The Humane Society of Utah took in 21 of the more than 100 neglected dogs recovered after a monthlong animal welfare investigation.

On Sunday, 13 of the dogs were made available for adoption. All but three found new families. The dogs ranged in age from 3 months old to much older.

“These guys were actually quite friendly, and they were in a little bit better health than we have seen in past cases. Of course, they all needed to be groomed, and some had minor skin ailments, but we’re making sure they’re all getting the veterinary care that they need,” said Guinn Shuster, director of marketing and communications for the Humane Society of Utah.

The Humane Society said the remaining dogs would be available for adoption Monday and throughout the first week of June.

More than 100 dogs were recovered and two people were arrested following a months-long animal welfare investigation in Mesquite, Nevada. (Photo: Mesquite Police Department)

Giustino Laudando and Michelle Santos, who lived in the RV, were both booked on eight felony counts of animal cruelty and more than 100 misdemeanor counts of animal neglect.

“The way these dogs found the help that they needed is because community members saw how they were being kept and treated, and they spoke up. It took a little bit of time for action to be taken, but it was,” Shuster said.

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Nevadans will elect officials to represent them in state government, ahead of next year’s biennial legislative session. According to the state: “Members of the Assembly are elected every two years, and Senators serve a term of four years. Legislators are only allowed to serve a total of twelve years in each house. This means that a legislator can serve in one house (Assembly or Senate) for twelve years, then serve in the other house (Assembly or Senate) for another twelve years.”

Lawmakers craft and balance a budget for two years, and work to pass legislation to protect the rights and freedoms of residents. Major priorities will likely include things like healthcare costs, education funding, data center regulations, and environmental protections.

Election Snapshot

• Primary Election: June 9, 2026
• General Election: November 3, 2026
• Nevada voters will choose party nominees in the primary election, then elect the legislator in the general election.
• Nevadans can vote by mail, early in person, or on Election Day (see Polling Places page).
• Mail ballots are automatically sent to all active registered voters. You can check your voter registration status here.

What Does the Assembly Do?

The Nevada State Assembly is one body of the state’s legislative branch of government. The Assembly, along with the State Senate, works to pass laws, pass budgets, and meets every two years at the Legislative Building in Carson City, Nev. The Nevada Constitution sets the maximum number of legislators to 75, and the number of Senators cannot be less than one-third, or more than one-half, of the number of Assembly members. Since 1983, the Nevada Legislature has had 21 members in the Senate and 42 members in the Assembly.

Many races for Assembly seats have no primary election, as there aren’t enough candidates. We’re listing those with primary decisions first.

Nevada Assembly District 25

Incumbent Selena La Rue Hatch (Democrat) has no challenger in the primary, so she will be on November’s general election ballot.

Republican Primary

Nevada Assembly District 39

Erich Obermayr (Democrat) has no challenger in the primary, so he will be on November’s general election ballot.

Republican Primary

Incumbent Blayne Osborn (Republican) is running against three challengers in June’s primary election.

Nevada Assembly District 40

This seat is open after incumbent Philip O’Neill did not file for reelection.

Oscar Fuentes (Democrat) has no challenger in the primary, so he will be on November’s general election ballot.

Republican Primary

Editor’s Note: Candidate Stacy M. Woodbury filled out the questionnaire from the Sierra Nevada Ally. You can read it here.

The following Assembly districts have no primary election, as the candidates for the general election have been decided.

Nevada Assembly District 24

Nevada Assembly District 26

Nevada Assembly District 27

Nevada Assembly District 30

Nevada Assembly District 31

Nevada Assembly District 32

Nevada Assembly District 33

Nevada Assembly District 38