After their loss in 2014, the Huron Mountain Club appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to try to convince them that Kennecott needed to secure federal permits. The case was not heard. Production began at Eagle Mine in September 2014 and is expected to continue through 2025.
The effect of the mine on the Native peoples’ experience of Eagle Rock is clearly significant. The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community has clearly stated their current and ongoing interest in the protection of Eagle Rock, one of their important sacred sites. The rock is currently fenced off and surrounded by mining. The entrance to the mine travels underneath it, and members of the KBIC require permission to visit.. This case is a demonstration of how far federal rules intended to protect important cultural and religious sites from development will actually extend when set against economic interests.
