New Gold Rush Threatens Sacred Black Hills While Promising Economic Gains

South Dakota’s Black Hills once drew settlers with the allure of gold, displacing Native Americans and permanently altering this sacred landscape. Now, history seems poised to repeat itself as soaring gold prices trigger a new rush—this time not with pans and pickaxes but massive open-pit mines that threaten to scar the land for generations while raising important questions about national sovereignty and environmental stewardship. Who Really Benefits From Mining Booms? The Black Hills rise as a symbol of natural beauty and Native American heritage. Yet modern mining companies, motivated by gold prices exceeding $3,000 an ounce, are pushing forward plans...