Mineral development, particularly in the production of energy, is a constant struggle for indigenous communities in North America. For many tribes in the United States and in Canada, extractive industries are profitable and a much-desired form of employment. !ey provide profound material benefits in the form of jobs and revenues. But they also create significant environmental impacts on the land, displace local residences, and leave long-lasting health threats for impacted communities. Sovereignty for Survival takes a unique approach to the old tensions between the perceived need to develop natural resources and preserve the integrity of the land. !e author draws our attention to the early history of coal mining for the Crow and Northern Cheyenne. Based on dissertation work, James Robert Allison III expands the geographical and temporal boundaries of previous research on mining and energy development in Indian country to tell a different kind of story—how the contestation of coal in the 1970s led to changes in federal law that ultimately benefited tribes.