Pentagon unresponsive to tribal requests for consultation

Concerned over the development of a graphite mine near the Imuruk Basin, the Native Village of Brevig Mission, and the Traditional Councils of Teller and Mary’s Igloo requested a government-to- government consultation with the Department of Defense over its award of $37.5 million to accelerate Graphite One’s feasibility study. But despite two letters with a formal request sent, one in October 2023 and a follow-up letter in July 2024, the Pentagon remained silent.
According to the letters sent to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience, the tribes sought a consultation on the Department of Defense’s funding decision and “other decisions going forward that will impact our interests.”
The tribes said that the exploration activity for the feasibility study already entail land-disturbing activities that directly impact the tribal interests. “Our tribe uses the area where the project is located for subsistence and it is essential that we have an opportunity to be heard about our concerns for any extraction activities that could impact us.”
According to the letters, the unique combination of geology, freshwater and saltwater makes the Imuruk Basin “one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems” and its subsistence resources are critical to the tribes.
The tribes argue that the award of $37.5 million technology investment agreement grant, which was this year revised to increase the amount, meant that the DoD is supporting a land-disturbing project which will affect tribal interests and therefore a tribal consultation was required.
“In accordance with the Dept. of Defense’s consultation instruction and the Biden Administration’s commitment to strengthen and fulfill the federal government’s obligation to conduct meaningful consultation, the Dept. of Defense should have consulted with the tribes prior to awarding Graphite One the technology investment grant,” the tribes said in their letters.
According to Hal Shepherd, a Water Policy Consultant working with the tribes, the DoD has yet to respond. Tribal Coordinator Stephanie Olanna of Brevig Mission confirmed that no responses were received. Shepherd said that the only input from the Biden Administration came in form of an August 20 government to government consultation with the  Whitehouse Council on Native American Affairs, the DoI and BIA to address comments from tribes on the Draft National Tribal Critical Minerals Initiative. “At that meeting we presented all three letters to the agencies and informed them about the lack of response from DoD,” Shepherd said.  “WHCNNA promised to follow-up with DOD but we have yet to hear back from them,” Shepherd said.  
The Nome Nugget reached out to the Dept. of Defense for comment on Sept. 9.
As of press time, a DoD spokesperson said the department is working on a response but she added, it would most likely come after the Nugget’s deadline.