Wisconsin Indians are determined to stop the mining project.
The head of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indian tribe says he’ll use “every avenue of resistance” in his efforts to stop the proposed iron ore mine from being built upstream from his reservation in northern Wisconsin.
“And we stand ready to fight and resist this effort until the bitter end, until the mining company goes away.”
Mike Wiggins says his tribe will be ready to use lawsuits, its federal water quality powers, and even what he called a “vigorous grassroots effort” to stop Gogebic Taconite from mining in the Penokee Mountains.
“I’ve heard enough from community members — both tribal and nontribal — to understand that active resistance would probably be an appropriate term. One of the local elected officials in that press conference up in Ashland, Wisconsin put it this way … he said ‘I am not a violent person, but it’s going to take violence to remove me from that mountainside.'”
The Assembly approved final legislation Thursday evening easing state regulations for building the proposed mine in Ashland and Iron counties.
