This episode is the audio recording of an article published at https://maxwilbert.substack.com/p/this-native-elder-is-being-sued-by.

In it, I introduce Dean Barlese, a traditional knowledge-holder from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, an elder who was raised on old stories told by his father and grandparents. He’s the leader of the Pyramid Lake Spiritual Healing Center, and his ancestors fought in Snake War (1864-68) to protect Northern Paiute homelands from settler-colonial incursions.

Dean is one of a group of land defenders and water protectors being sued by mining company Lithium Nevada Corporation after prayer actions took place at Thacker Pass in 2023.