I listened to that 31 minute audio broadcast and to the statements of Will Falk and of Myron Smart.  It does address the idea of seeing what the proposed lithium mine at Thacker Pass means from the perspective of at least one native of the Fort McDermitt Paiute Shoshone Tribe.  The question is:  How wide spread amongst tribal member is that persons opinion.  Is it a majority opinion or is it a minority opinion amongst the tribe.  It must carry some support since the tribe withdrew its support of the Thacker Pass Project earlier this year.

Perhaps a little off the subject, but Myron Smart did bring up a reference to Obsidian resources at the Double H quarry south of Thacker Pass.  I did find an article that substantiated the fact that obsidian is found all along that area from the Double H Mountains up to and through Thacker Pass.

Microsoft Word - DRAFT OUI Obdisian Report.doc (deschutesmeridian.com)

Myron Smart referred to the "Rotten Moon" masacre.  I looked for written confirmation of that event and also. like you Coeruleus, failed to find it, although that certainly doesn't mean it did not occur.  There were plenty of Indian massacres in the 19th century to go around as evidenced in the following link:

Indian Massacre - List of Massacres - 1830–1911 (liquisearch.com)

With all of those events, and possibly more, to color the relationship of native americans to white settlers, ranchers and the U.S. military it is little wonder that Mr. Smart remembers his grandmother telling him that the "white man is going to offer you money for the land" so don't be fooled and "look out for us".  The injustice of broken treaties and massacres of the 19th century is not forgotten by the descendants in the 20th and 21st centuries and that history just makes it more difficult for any endeavor perceived as one by "the white man" to be biased by anything less than a deep distrust. 

If that history is foremost in coloring the negotiations of the present between LAC, Nevada Lithium and the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe then it is no wonder that pied pippers such as Will Falk, Max Wilbert and the DGR are able to take advantage of that deep seated distrust.  It just makes the job of gaining that trust incorporated in truly becoming the "Good Neighbor" that Alexi Zawadzki proudly speaks of that much more difficult and, thus, requiring that much more commitment on the part of LAC, Nevada Lithium, Jon Evans and Alexi Zawadzki in the process of proving to be the "Good Neighbor".

Sierra Nevada Ally had a very revealing story about the native americans at Fort McDermitt back in November of 2019.  Story written by Brian Bahouth.  At that time it was Tildon Smart who was the Chairman of the Fort McDermitt Paiute Shoshone Tribe and Tildon Smart said economic development is the council’s most important issue.  He also had many other important things to say about the tribe and about the proposed LAC lithium mine at Thacker Pass in relationship as to how that might effect economic development of the tribe, "the council's most important issue".  Below is a link to that article:

Fort McDermitt Paiute Shoshone Tribe work flinty soil - sustainable economic development elusive in remote region of Nevada | Sierra Nevada Ally

So, an important issue for the Fort McDermitt Paiute Shoshone Tribe has to still be: Is economic development still "the council's most important issue"?  If it is, then additional questions come up around the issue of how LAC and Nevada Lithium could be helpful in addressing Issue Number One.  Of course that issue brings up another question:  Has LAC followed through with previous plans to provide economic opportunity for the tribe in order to aleviate Issue Number One?  If so, then how have those attempts to follow up and provide economic opportunity panned out?  How have they changed since this article was written back in November of 2019?  Does LAC and Nevada Lithium still provide for the future important mechanisms to address and help solve Issue Number One for the tribe? 

Will Falk, Max Wilbert and the DGR are continuing to do everything in their power and within their resources to capture the minds and hearts of the tribe and of the ranchers and farmers in the areas of Humboldt County, Nevada that are adjacent to the proposed Thacker Pass Project of Lithium Nevada.  They are definitely finding some success as evidenced by, if nothing else, the withdrawal of the approval of the tribe for the mine at Thacker Pass.  The momentum in this battle for local public opinion would appear to have swung toward the Protect Thacker Pass group and to Falk, Wilbert and the DGR.  

If the economic conditions for the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe have not substantially changed for the better since the November 2019 article by Brian Bahouth then it would seem even more imporant for LAC and Nevada Lithium to drive home their message and intent to provide genuine major help for the tribe in addressing "Issue Number One".  

I realize that the day to day operation of moving forward with the initial PFS, developing a viable FPS, completing all the water rights permission steps and any other government hoops along the way has to occupy the majority of the attention of LAC and Nevada Lithium at the moment, however failure to provide adequate focus on the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe's perception of "Issue Number One" may have the potential to make it "Issue Number One" at a later date for LAC and Nevada Lithium once they have genuinely lost the momentum in this area and have to engage in a come from behind status and thus be at a considerable disadvantage.

  Perhaps it is time for LAC and Nevada Lithium to hire someone totally committed as per their job description to act as the company's "Laison" to the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe and to the affected local ranching and farming community as well.  Just a suggestion.  Perhaps it has already been done and just not publicized by LAC and Nevada Lithium.  If the latter is true then I would submit that it is time to start publicizing it, in fact it is overdue time to start making it well known by all affected parties.

JMO     Okiedo