Mining projects for rare earth metals are threatening Indigenous lands and waters around the world.

In September, 2023 Talon Metals signed a $20 million contract with the Department of Defense (DoD) for nickel prospecting on Anishinaabe lands in the Great Lakes and Mississippi headwaters region. While this collaboration has been promoted as a vital step in the transition to electric vehicles and green technology, a closer look reveals a more complex and troubling picture.