The current oil & gas (O&G) boom has created sweet and sour ripples throughout Indian Country. O&G has been a blessing in this cycle of uncertainty with the United States economy, but also has created a Black Hills gold rush assault on Indian lands not seen for a while....

People have mined gold for centuries. Archeological evidence points to gold mining at least 7,000 years ago. Stories of Aztec gold drove 16th century Spaniards to invade the continent, where they found products of a rich mining and smelting history....