The US government is breaching international human rights standards by moving ahead with a series of new lithium mines across Nevada without the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of affected Indigenous Peoples, threatening their culture, health, water and environment, Amnesty International said in a new research briefing out today.
As global demand for lithium surges, driven by the energy transition and rapid expansion of AI-related data centres, Nevada has become a key extraction hub, holding around 85% of the United States of America’s known lithium reserves. “We’re here to protect Mother Earth: Indigenous Rights and Nevada’s Lithium Boom” focuses on three massive lithium mining projects in Nevada: the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine, which is already under construction; the Nevada North Lithium Project; and the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium Project.
The new research reveals how Indigenous Peoples’ consent was never sought or obtained for these mines, which affect their ancestral lands, and lay bare an extractive-sector business model that systematically prioritizes speed, scale and profit at the expense of Indigenous Peoples’ rights and the environment.
“In the race for so-called critical minerals, the current Trump administration is accelerating mining permits while weakening environmental oversight, fast-tracking extraction at the expense of human rights and environmental protections. It reflects political and industry priorities rather than what societies genuinely need. As the lithium boom continues, it’s time for the rights of Indigenous Peoples to be prioritized,” said Alysha Khambay, Amnesty International’s Business and Human Rights researcher.
