Northern Cheyenne Ethnicity, Religion, and Coal Energy Development

Energy development on reservations and tribal lands has created considerable controversy among tribal members and between tribal members and the energy companies. During the early 1970s, exploration began on the Northern Cheyenne reservation to assess the viability of coal strip-mining operations. The leasing of Northern Cheyenne reservation land for potential energy development spawned considerable controversy and resistance among many Cheyenne people. They perceived the alienation of their land as a threat to social identity. Using political symbols derived from the Northern Cheyenne cosmology and religious ceremonies, the Cheyenne resisted proposed strip mining operations.