DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18273774
title: Tribal Nations Mineral Mapping in the U.S.

description: This repository contains spatial data products, GIS project files, and reproducible analysis scripts supporting an analysis of mineral development and proximity to federally recognized Tribal lands in the United States.

The repository integrates two U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) datasets:





Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) — a deposit-centric database of known mineral occurrences, prospects, and producers.




U.S. Mineral Deposit Database (USMIN) — a spatially explicit database representing a broader set of mineral-related features, including deposits, mines, prospects, underground workings, portals, and mining districts.



For each dataset, mineral locations were spatially intersected with federally recognized Tribal land boundaries and a 35-mile Tribal buffer zone to identify features located directly on Tribal lands, nearby features, and associations with one or multiple Tribal Nations.



Repository structure and contents

The repository is organized into the following components:

ArcGIS projects





ArcGIS_Project_MRDS/Consolidated ArcGIS Pro project containing spatial layers, symbology, and map layouts for the MRDS analysis.The ArcGIS project file (MRDS_Zenodo.aprx) is located within the p30/ subfolder generated during ArcGIS project consolidation.




ArcGIS_Project_USMIN/Consolidated ArcGIS Pro project containing spatial layers, symbology, and map layouts for the USMIN analysis.The ArcGIS project file (USMIN_Zenodo.aprx) is located within the p30/ subfolder generated during ArcGIS project consolidation.



Analysis folders





MRDS_Analysis/Contains all materials required to reproduce the MRDS analysis, including:





input CSV files exported from ArcGIS spatial joins,




three processed summary CSV files (master deposits, stakeholder mapping, and mineral summary),




a fully self-contained R analysis script, and




a detailed README describing methods, data fields, and interpretation considerations specific to MRDS.






USMIN_Analysis/Contains all materials required to reproduce the USMIN analysis, including:





input CSV files exported from ArcGIS spatial joins,




processed summary CSV files (master features, stakeholder mapping, and mineral summary),




a fully self-contained R analysis script, and




a detailed README describing methods, data fields, and interpretation considerations specific to USMIN.





Map outputs

The repository includes four finalized map images (.png) with legends for quick visualization:





MRDS_map.png




MRDS_Continental.png




USMIN_map.png




USMIN_Continental.png



Each map illustrates mineral deposits or mineral-related features classified as:





directly intersecting Tribal lands,




located within a 35-mile buffer of Tribal lands, or




located more than 35 miles from Tribal lands





Intended use

These materials are intended to support transparency, exploratory analysis, and reuse by Tribal Nations, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders interested in mineral development patterns and Tribal proximity. USMIN statistical summaries should be interpreted with particular care, as the database represents mineral-related features rather than unique deposits; multiple features may correspond to a single mining operation or geographic site.

All data used in this repository are derived from publicly available federal sources. All processing steps are documented to support reproducibility and transparency.

This dataset has not been formally reviewed or endorsed by any Tribal Nation. It was developed to support Tribal data sovereignty by providing localized, transparent, and reproducible information that Tribal Nations and governing bodies may use, adapt, or reinterpret according to their own priorities, governance processes, and knowledge systems.