Thursday, January 22, 2026 – A tribal mining development agreement: a path forward or a one-time anomaly?

A recent agreement between a gold mining company and the Shoshone Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation is being called “historic” by its chairman. The mining company president says the agreement follows the standards set by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and gives the tribe a share of the profits from the mine. The company and tribal officials are optimistic this will set a precedent for how mining companies partner with tribes. At the same time as the agreement, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposes to severely limit the power of tribes to interfere with construction of oil and natural gas pipelines and resource-guzzling data centers. GUESTS Chairman Brian Mason (Shoshone Paiute) Maranda Compton (Delaware Tribe of Indians), founder and president of Lepwe Kate Finn (Osage), founder and director of the Tallgrass Institute James Grijalva, professor of law at the University of North Dakota School of Law Melissa Kay, Tribal Water Institute fellow at the Native American Rights Fund   Break 1 Music: Healing Song (song) Judy Trejo (artist) Circle Dance Songs of the Paiute and Shoshone (album) Break 2 Music: Elle Danse [Boogat Remix] (song) Mimi O’Bonsawin (artist)