#SanCarlosApache Tribe welcomes Federal Court ruling delaying trade of sacred Oak Flat to Chinese-backed #ResolutionCopper

By San Carlos Apache Tribe, Censored News, June 9, 2025

#SanCarlosApacheNation, #Arizona — "The San Carlos Apache Tribe welcomes Friday’s federal court ruling preventing the Trump Administration from trading sacred Oak Flat to Chinese-backed Resolution #CopperMining no sooner than 60 days after the government releases an environmental report expected to be published later this month.

"The #Trump Administration had indicated that it intended to trade 2,422 acres of #TontoNationalForest 70 miles east of #PhoenixAZ that includes Oak Flat to Resolution Copper immediately upon publication of the mine’s updated environmental report.

U.S. District Court Judge Dominic W. Lanza’s order 'preclude(s) the United States Forest Service from proceeding with the challenged land exchange until 60 days after the issuance of the Final Environmental Impact Statement, which is anticipated to be issued on June 16.'

" 'We are grateful that Judge Lanza has provided us an opportunity to be heard,' said San Carlos Apache Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler. 'The two-month window provides the Tribe an opportunity to file an amended lawsuit challenging the legality of the pending environmental report and request an injunction to stop the land exchange until the merits of our case are settled.'

"The Oak Flat land transfer was mandated by a last-minute amendment to the FY2015 #NationalDefenseAuthorizationAct that was added by the late Arizona Senator #JohnMcCain and former Arizona Senator #JeffFlake. The land transfer provision, which failed to pass Congress in previous years, avoided the normal course of business and was not debated before it was added to the mustsign [#NDAA] defense spending bill that was signed into law by President Barack #Obama.

" 'The bill that authorized the land exchange is not in the best interest of the American people, Arizona or the San Carlos Apache Tribe,' Chairman Rambler stated. 'We have filed this lawsuit because of our concerns of the mine’s massive use of groundwater, which will be devastating for both Arizona
and eventually the Tribe. We are also deeply concerned about the environmental destruction and the obliteration of Oak Flat will have on Apache culture and religion.'

"Resolution plans to collapse Oak Flat, known as Chi’chil Biłdagoteel in Apache, into a two-mile wide, 1,100-foot-deep crater. Chi’chil Biłdagoteel is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a Traditional Cultural Place.

"Resolution Copper is owned by Melbourne-based #BHP (45%) and London-based #RioTinto (55%), the two largest mining companies in the world. The Chinese state-owned Aluminum Corporation of China, which spearheads China’s acquisition of strategic minerals worldwide, is Rio Tinto’s single largest investor with a 14.6% stake. Both BHP and Rio Tinto rely on China for the majority of their revenue.

" 'We fully expect Resolution’s copper to be exported to China, which poses a national security threat,' Chairman Rambler said. “The United States already exports 30 percent of the copper produced by U.S. mines because of a lack of copper smelting capacity.

"'The Trump Administration’s Oak Flat appraisal concludes that Resolution’s copper will be exported to southeast Asia,' Chairman Rambler added. 'It’s clearly in the best interest of the United States to withhold publication of the Resolution environmental report at least until there is a change in the ownership of this project to companies that are not reliant on China for more than half their business.' "

Source:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/06/san-carlos-apache-tribe-federal-court.html

#Fight4OurExistence #ProtectOakFlat #LandBack #sacredland #OakFlat
#SaveOakFlat #SanCarlosApache #Apache #ReligiousLiberty #NativeAmericans #FirstNations #CensoredNews #ReaderSupportedNews
#ProtectTheSacred #ApacheStronghold #NativeAmericanNews #NativeAmericans #RioTinto #CopperMining #Arizona #LeaveItInTheGround #ChichilBildagoteel #WesternApaches #BecketLaw #ResolutionCopper #USPol #MiningTheSacred #NationalForests #CorporateLandGrabs #CorporateColonialism #CulturalGenocide #McCainShame

We live in a f*cked up world when #Republican #SCOTUS members are the only ones who do the right thing. WTF!

BREAKING! Supreme Court Refuses Plea to #ProtectOakFlat

#ApacheStronghold said it will continue the fight in the courts

#WendslerNosieSr. said, "While this decision is a heavy blow, our struggle is far from over. We urge Congress to take decisive action to stop this injustice while we press forward in the courts."

By Becket Law, Censored News, May 27, 2025

WASHINGTON – "The Supreme Court today refused to protect a Western Apache sacred site, #OakFlat, from destruction by a Chinese-owned mining giant. In Apache Stronghold v. United States, a coalition of Apaches, other Native peoples, and non-Native allies will now continue to fight in court to
stop the government from transferring Oak Flat to #ResolutionCopper and turning the site into a massive mining
crater, ending Apache religious practices forever.

"#JusticeGorsuch, joined by #JusticeThomas, dissented from the Court’s refusal to hear the appeal,
saying that the Court’s 'decision to shuffle this case off our docket without a full airing is a grievous mistake—one with consequences that threaten to reverberate for generations.'

"Since time immemorial, Western Apaches and other Native peoples have gathered at Oak Flat, outside of present-day Superior, Arizona, for sacred religious ceremonies that cannot take place anywhere else."

Read more:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/05/supreme-court-refuses-plea-to-protect.html

Link to PDF (with Gorsuch's full dissention):

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-291_5i26.pdf

#Fight4OurExistence #SCOTUS #ProtectOakFlat #LandBack #sacredland #OakFlat
#SaveOakFlat #SanCarlosApache #Apache #ReligiousLiberty #NativeAmericans #FirstNations #CensoredNews #ReaderSupportedNews
#ProtectOakFlat #ProtectTheSacred #ApacheStronghold #NativeAmericanNews #NativeAmericans #RioTinto #CopperMining #Arizona #LeaveItInTheGround #ChichilBildagoteel #WesternApaches #BecketLaw

#OakFlat #HuffPost #Trump #ResolutionCopper 🧵

12/12

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-oak-flat-mine-native-american-apache-sacred-site_n_680e941ce4b0c43b2c3fe1db/amp

URGENT! #PhoenixArizona - #ApacheStronghold: Run from Oak Flat to Phoenix Courthouse, Run Begins May 4, 2025

By Wendsler Nosie, Sr., Apache Stronghold
Censored News, April 29, 2025

"I am putting out the call to all spiritual runners (runners and walkers), Native and nonnative, to stop the destruction of Chi'chil Bildagoteel. Oak Flat is now on death row!

"On Sunday, May 4th, Spiritual runners will begin the trek from Oak Flat to the Federal court house, Sandra Day O’Connor Court Building, for the Apache Stronghold vs. U. S. hearing, asking for a preliminary injunction to stop the land transfer of Oak Flat to Resolution Copper, because of the US Forest Service intention to publish the Federal environmental impact statement before June 16 -- which allows a foreign mining company, #ResolutionCopper, to take possession of the land!

"The hearing is scheduled for May 7th at 9:30 am.

"In the next few days the details will be finalized for the run . Take a stand for future generations. Save this Sacred site for the next generation. This is urgent. Please contact us for more information or let us know you are coming.

"No drugs or alcohol. This is a spiritual journey.

"Please, please share this post we don’t have a lot of time. Your help in gathering people together is important. Blessings."

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/04/apache-stronghold-run-from-oak-flat-to.html

#CensoredNews #ReaderSupportedNews #SaveOakFlat #ProtectOakFlat #ProtectTheSacred #NativeAmericans #RioTinto #CopperMining #Arizona #LeaveItInTheGround #ChichilBildagoteel

Trump to approve land swap for Rio Tinto copper mine opposed by Native Americans

By Ernest Scheyder
April 18, 2025

- Forest Service to republish environmental report within 60 days
- Publication needed to approve land swap for Resolution project
- Native groups oppose project on religious grounds
- Related case still pending at Supreme Court

"The #Trump administration said on Thursday it would approve a land swap needed for #RioTinto and #BHP to build one of the world's largest copper mines, despite concerns from Native Americans that it would destroy a site of religious value.
The move is likely to escalate tensions between Indigenous groups vocal about the need to preserve historical lands and Western governments eager to boost critical minerals production and offset China's sector dominance.

"The U.S. Forest Service, which is part of the Agriculture Department, said it will republish within 60 days an environmental report needed for the #ResolutionCopper project land swap to occur.

"Congress and then-President #BarackObama approved the mine in 2014 after it was added at the last minute to a must-pass military funding bill [#NDAA] with the condition that an environmental report be published.

"The underground mine - which President Donald Trump approved in his first term before successor Joe Biden reversed him - would supply more than a quarter of U.S. appetite for copper and be a key part of Trump's plan to boost U.S. mining.

"Copper is used in construction, transportation, electronics and many other industries. The United States imports roughly half of its copper needs each year.

"Yet the mine's construction would cause a crater that would swallow the Oak Flat site where Arizona's San Carlos Apache worship. That has fueled strong opposition from all but one of the state's 22 Native American tribes, as well as the National Congress of American Indians.

"Apache Stronghold, a nonprofit group comprised of the San Carlos Apache Tribe and conservationists, asked the U.S. Supreme Court last September to block the land swap. The court has not yet decided whether to take that case.
Were the court to do so, however, the Forest Service said on Thursday it 'may reevaluate how to proceed' regarding the land swap.

" 'The U.S. government is rushing to give away our spiritual home before the courts can even rule, just like it's rushed to erase Native people for generations,' said #WendslerNosie, an #ApacheStronghold leader."

Read more:
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/trump-approve-land-swap-rio-tinto-copper-mine-opposed-by-native-americans-2025-04-18/

#Apaches #WesternApaches #NativeAmericans #SacredSite #ResolutionCopper #SaveOakFlat #ChichilBiłdagoteel #CorporateColonialism #ProtectOakFlat #ReaderSupportedNews #SCOTUS #DefendTheSacred #CopperMine
#WaterIsLife #CulturalGenocide #WesternApache #SacredSites #NoMiningWithoutConsent #RecycleCopper #TontoNationalForest

#Apaches ask lower court to stop government’s imminent transfer of #SacredSite

Becket Law, via #CensoredNews, April 25, 2025

There will be a Hearing May 7, 2025 @ 0930 @ Sandra Day O’Connor
U.S. Courthouse, 401 West Washington Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85003

WASHINGTON – "A coalition of #WesternApaches, other #NativePeoples, and non-Native #allies asked a federal court late yesterday to stop the U.S. government from handing over their sacred site at Oak Flat to a multinational mining giant as early as June 16, 2025.

"In #ApacheStronghold v. United States, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last year refused to stop the federal government from transferring #OakFlat to #ResolutionCopper, a Chinese-owned mining company that plans to turn the site into a massive mining crater, ending Apache religious practices forever (Watch the short video linked below to learn more).

"The emergency appeal comes after the government announced last week it will forge ahead with the transfer even though the case is currently under consideration by the #USSupremeCourt."

Read more:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/04/apaches-ask-lower-court-to-stop.html

Video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh68xOn0B_8

#SaveOakFlat #ChichilBiłdagoteel #CorporateColonialism #ProtectOakFlat #ReaderSupportedNews #SCOTUS #DefendTheSacred #CopperMine
#WaterIsLife #RioTinto #RecycleCopper #CulturalGenocide #NDAA #WesternApache #SacredSites #NoMiningWithoutConsent #RecycleCopper #TontoNationalForest

Breaking News! (via @bsnorrell.blogspot.com )

Feds Charge Ahead with Plan to Destroy #OakFlat

#SupremeCourt poised to consider #ApacheStronghold’s appeal

By Becket Law, Censored News, April 17, 2025

WASHINGTON – "The U.S. government today announced that it is forging ahead with plans to transfer a #NativeAmerican #SacredSite to a multinational mining giant in as few as 60 days, despite a
federal lawsuit challenging the action as illegal.

"In Apache Stronghold v. United States, Apache Stronghold—a coalition of #Apaches, other Native peoples, and non-Native allies—sued to stop the federal government from transferring Oak Flat to
Resolution Copper, a Chinese-owned mining company that plans to turn the site into a massive mining crater, ending Apache religious practices forever.

"The government has announced it will now forge ahead with the transfer even though the case is currently under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court.

"Since time immemorial, #WesternApaches and other Native peoples have gathered at Oak Flat, outside of present-day #SuperiorAZ, for sacred religious ceremonies that cannot take place anywhere else. Known in Apache as Chi’chil Biłdagoteel, Oak Flat is listed in the #NationalRegisterOfHistoricPlaces and has been protected from #mining and other harmful practices for decades.
These protections were targeted in December 2014 when a last-minute provision was slipped into a must-pass defense bill [#NDAA] authorizing the transfer of Oak Flat to the Resolution Copper company.

"#ResolutionCopper now plans to turn the sacred site into a two-mile-wide and 1,100-foot-deep crater.

"The majority owner of Resolution Copper, Rio Tinto, sparked international outrage when it deliberately destroyed 46,000-year-old Indigenous rock shelters at one of Australia’s most significant cultural sites.

" 'The feds are barreling ahead to give Oak Flat to Resolution Copper, even as the Supreme Court considers whether to hear the case,' said Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel at Becket. 'This makes the stakes crystal clear: if the Court doesn’t act now, Oak Flat could be transferred and destroyed before justice can be served.' "

Read more:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/04/feds-charge-ahead-with-plan-to-destroy.html

#SaveOakFlat #ChichilBiłdagoteel #CorporateColonialism #ProtectOakFlat #ReaderSupportedNews #SCOTUS #DefendTheSacred #CopperMine
#WaterIsLife #ResolutionCopper #RioTinto #RecycleCopper #CulturalGenocide #NoMiningWithoutConsent #RecycleCopper #TontoNationalForest

#ApacheStronghold: U.S. Give-Away would Destroy Spiritual Home of #Apache

By Wendsler Nosie, Apache Stronghold, March 13, 2025, via #CensoredNews

"In the heart of #TontoNationalForest in #Arizona lies a place that my people, the #WesternApache, still hold above all others. This place is Chi'chil Biłdagoteel, also known as Oak Flat. To us, it is more than a stretch of land; it is sacred and holy. It is where our ancestors walked, where we gather to pray, to carry out ceremonies passed down through generations, and to speak to our Creator.

"This land is part of who we are as a people, and its spirit is bound to our own.
Now, the federal government plans to give our sacred Oak Flat to a multinational #mining #corporation owned by the Chinese Communist Party. This will not just scar the land; it will destroy it, poisoning the environment and trampling on our tribal rights. But the deepest wound will be the loss of our spiritual home, a place our people cannot exist without. We are fighting this in the courts, all the way to the #USSupremeCourt. But this is about more than law and policy—this is about survival of our way of life and the spirit of this sacred land.

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/03/apache-stronghold-us-give-away-would.html
#SaveOakFlat #ChichilBiłdagoteel #CorporateColonialism #ProtectOakFlat #ReaderSupportedNews #SCOTUS #DefendTheSacred #CopperMine
#WaterIsLife #ResolutionCopper #RioTinto #RecycleCopper #CulturalGenocide #NoMiningWithoutConsent #RecycleCopper

#KleeBenally's on his cover of the #TomWaits song "Earth Died Screaming."

"#Climatechange is a consequence of the war against #MotherEarth.
The #greenwashing of #capitalism and #colonialism perpetuates the nightmare of #ecocide and #genocide of #IndigenousPeoples.

"#LithiumMining is intensifying to meet demand of 'green' #EV cars. This means further targeting and destruction of #Indigenous #SacredLands and water. Support #Hualapai & #Shoshone (and beyond!) resistance to lithium mining.

From mining, transport, milling, and waste, 'clean/green' #Nuclear energy is a deadly lie. There are more than 10,000 abandoned uranium throughout the so-called US that have been left to permanently contaminate our communities with deadly #radioactive pollution. There is also no permanent plan to deal with the highly radioactive waste from nuclear power generation. #YuccaMountain, a sacred site for #WesternShoshone, is still being considered for a national nuclear waste repository.

"For wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicles, #ResolutionCopper proclaims that they desperately need to mine the copper beneath #OakFlat, a sacred site for #SanCarlosApache.

"We can't ignore the brutal impacts associated with the sourcing of necessary metals and minerals needed to
'sustain' unsustainable ways of life.

"#GreenCapitalists and #colonizers dream, while the Earth dies screaming."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMrBYnKo9v4

http://www.the-ciej.org
http://www.indigenousaction.org
http://www.HaulNo.com
http://www.dinenonukes.org
http://www.cleanupthemines.org

#DefendTheSacred #DefendMotherEarth #ClimateChange #NoNukes #NoNewNukes #RethinkNotRestart #NoUraniumMining #NoMiningWithoutConsent #CulturalGenocide #Genocide #RestInPowerKleeBenally #FridayNightMusicVideos
#FridayNightMusic #MusicForActivism #MusicForResistance

#OakFlat Update on #USSupremeCourt case!

By #ApacheStronghold, December 16, 2024

Supreme Court update

"Thank you to all of our supporters who are continuing to pray about our #SupremeCourt petition to #ProtectOakFlat. As you may know, the Supreme Court considered our petition for the second time at its conference on December 13, 2024. Since we did not receive notice about it’s decision to take the case, the Court intends to consider it again at its next conference on January 10, 2025. Under that schedule, we could hear on January 10 or 13 whether the Court will take our case. Or the Court may take additional time for further consideration.

"Either way, we take this as an encouraging sign that the Court is devoting extra time to our case and giving it careful examination. We ask all of our supporters to continue praying that the Justices will agree to hear our case and protect Oak Flat—just as the sacred places of other faiths have long been protected throughout the country.

Thank you again for your support."

Source:
http://www.apache-stronghold.com/

Direct link to PDF:
http://users.neo.registeredsite.com/8/3/2/11897238/assets/2024-12-16_Dr_Nosie_2nd_relist_statement.pdf
#SaveOakFlat #SCOTUS #ProtectOakFlat #ReaderSupportedNews #DefendTheSacred #CopperMine
#WaterIsLife #ResolutionCopper #RioTinto #RecycleCopper #CorporateColonialism #PrayerRide #CulturalGenocide

#OakFlat Update on #USSupremeCourt case!

By #ApacheStronghold, via #CensoredNews, December 9, 2024

"Thank you to all of our supporters who are continuing to pray about our Supreme Court petition to protect Oak Flat. As you may know, the Supreme Court considered our petition for the first time at its conference on December 6, 2024.

"However, we received word today that the Court intends to consider it again at the Court’s next conference on December 13, 2024. Under that schedule, we could hear on December 13 or 16 whether the Court will take our case. Or the Court may take additional time for further consideration.

"Either way, we take this as an encouraging sign that the Court is devoting extra time to our case and giving it careful examination. We ask all of our supporters to continue praying that the Justices will agree to hear our case and protect Oak Flat—just as the sacred places of other faiths have long been protected throughout the country. Thank you again for your support."

Source:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2024/12/apache-stronghold-us-supreme-court.html

Donate:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/stand-with-apache-stronghold-protect-sacred-sites

More info:
http://www.apache-stronghold.com

#SaveOakFlat #SCOTUS #ProtectOakFlat #ReaderSupportedNews #DefendTheSacred #CopperMine
#WaterIsLife #ResolutionCopper #RioTinto #RecycleCopper #CorporateColonialism #PrayerRide #CulturalGenocide

#OakFlat Update on #USSupremeCourt case!

by #ApacheStronghold, via #CensoredNews, December 6, 2024

"Thank you to all of our supporters who are continuing to pray about Supreme Court petition to protect Oak Flat. Our case was not mentioned in today's Supreme Court orders list. However, we may get a decision by the Court to take our case by Monday 7:30 a.m. Central time. We will update you again on Monday morning.

We will take this an encouraging sign that the Court is devoting extra time to our case and giving it careful examination. We ask all of our supporters to continue praying the the Justices will agree to hear our case the protect Oak Flat -- just as the sacred places of other faiths have lon been protected through the country. Thank you again for your support."

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2024/12/apache-stronghold-update-on-us-supreme.html

#SaveOakFlat #SCOTUS #ProtectOakFlat #ReaderSupportedNews
#DefendTheSacred #CopperMine
#WaterIsLife #ResolutionCopper #RioTinto #RecycleCopper #CorporateColonialism
#PrayerRide #CulturalGenocide

U.S. Supreme Court to Consider #ApacheStronghold's Case to #SaveOakFlat in December

By Brenda Norrell, Censored News, Nov. 22, 2024

WASHINGTON -- "The U.S. Supreme Court will likely consider Apache Stronghold's case on December 6, Apache Stronghold said today. The U.S. government plans to turn Apaches ceremonial place Oak Flat over to an international mining giant to destroy it with a massive copper mine that would poison the land and water.
Apache Stronghold said if the Supreme Court considers the case on December 6, they could hear on December 9 whether the high court will take the case, or it could take more time to consider it.

"'Either way, we take this as an encouraging sign that the Court is devoting extra time to our case and
giving it careful examination. We ask all of our supporters to continue praying that the justices will agree to hear our case and protect Oak Flat -- just as the sacred places of other faiths have long
been protected throughout the country,' Apache Stronghold said today.

"The Supreme Court had scheduled to consider the case for review on November 22, but rescheduled the case for December 6.

"Apache Stronghold's Wendsler Nosie, Sr. pointed out that a writ of certiorari would order the lower court to forward all documents on the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. However, the Supreme Court is selective and only hears cases when at least four of the justices believe the case raises a significant federal question that is in the public interest."

Read more:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2024/11/us-supreme-court-to-review-apache.html

#ReaderSupportedNews #ProtectOakFlat #DefendTheSacred #SCOTUS #CopperMine #WaterIsLife #OakFlat #ResolutionCopper #RioTinto #RecycleCopper #CorporateColonialism #PrayerRide #CulturalGenocide

#ApacheStronghold Asks #SupremeCourt to #SaveOakFlat

By Becket Law, via #CensoredNews
Sept. 11, 2024

WASHINGTON – "A coalition of #WesternApaches, other #Native peoples, and non-Native #allies asked the #SupremeCourt today to protect their sacred site at #OakFlat from destruction by a multinational mining giant. In Apache Stronghold v. United States, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals refused to stop the federal government from transferring Oak Flat to #ResolutionCopper, a foreign-owned mining company that plans to turn the site into a massive mining crater, ending #Apache religious practices forever (Watch video linked below to learn more).

"The Apaches and their allies hosted a day of prayer outside the Court as they asked the Justices to save the spiritual lifeblood of their people.
Since time immemorial, Western Apaches and other Native peoples have gathered at Oak Flat, outside of present-day Superior, Arizona, for sacred religious ceremonies that cannot take place anywhere else. Known in Apache as Chi’chil Biłdagoteel, Oak Flat is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and has been protected from mining and other harmful practices for decades. These protections were targeted in December 2014 when a last-minute provision was inserted into a must- pass defense bill authorizing the transfer of Oak Flat to the Resolution Copper company. Resolution Copper is a foreign-owned mining company that plans to turn the sacred site into a two-mile-wide and 1,100-foot-deep crater. The majority owner of Resolution Copper, #RioTinto, sparked international outrage when it deliberately destroyed 46,000-year-old #Indigenous rock shelters at one of #Australia’s most significant cultural sites.

“'Oak Flat is our Mt. Sinai—the most sacred place where generations of Apache have come to connect with our Creator, our faith, and our land,' said Dr. Wendsler Nosie Sr. of Apache Stronghold. 'We pray the Justices will protect Oak Flat and ensure that our place of worship is not treated differently simply because it lacks four walls and a steeple.”
Apache Stronghold—a coalition of Apaches, other Native peoples, and non-Native allies—filed this lawsuit in January 2021 seeking to halt the proposed mine at Oak Flat. The mine is opposed by 21 of 22 federally recognized tribal nations in Arizona and by the National Congress of American Indians. Meanwhile, national polling indicates that 74% of Americans support protecting Oak Flat. The Ninth Circuit ruled earlier this year that the land transfer is not subject to federal laws protecting religious freedom. But five judges dissented, writing that the court 'tragically err[ed]' by refusing to protect Oak Flat. After unsuccessfully asking all 29 judges on the Ninth Circuit to rehear the case, Apache Stronghold has filed their appeal to the Supreme Court.

"'Blasting the birthplace of Apache religion into oblivion would be an egregious violation of our nation’s promise of religious freedom for people of all faiths,' said Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel at Becket. 'The Court should uphold its strong record of defending #ReligiousFreedom by ensuring that the Apaches can continue worshiping at Oak Flat as they have for centuries.'

"In addition to Becket, Apache Stronghold is represented by Erin Murphy of Clement & Murphy PLLC, Professor Stephanie Barclay of Georgetown Law School, and attorneys Michael V. Nixon and Clifford Levenson.
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Ryan Colby at media@becketlaw.org or 202-349-7219."

Source:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2024/09/apache-stronghold-asks-supreme-court-to.html

Legal document:
https://www.becketlaw.org/media/breaking-apache-stronghold-asks-supreme-court-to-save-oak-flat/

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh68xOn0B_8

#SCOTUS #CopperMine
#ProtectOakFlat
#ProtectTheSacred
#DefendTheSacred
#IndigenousActivism
#SaveOakFlat
#WaterIsLife
#SacredSite
#CopperMining
#RecycleCopper
#NoMiningWithoutConsent
#CulturalGenocide
#Ecocide #NativeAmericanNews
#CorporateColonialism
#WashingtonDC
#PrayerRide
#PeacefulProtest
#FightForReligiousRights
#ChichilBildagoteel

Want to help support #ApacheStronghold's #PrayerJourney to the #SupremeCourt? Donate to their #GoFundMe #fundraiser!

Support #ApacheStronghold Prayer Journey to Supreme Court

"Apache Stronghold, San Carlos, Arizona, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit community organization of individuals who come together in unity to battle continued colonization, defend Holy sites and freedom of religion. We are currently in a battle to #SaveOakFlat from destruction by #ResolutionCopper (#BHP & #RioTinto). Chi’chil Biłdagoteel (also known as Oak Flat) is a sacred site for our Apache people and many other #NativeAmericans. This is a place that has special significance— a place where we pray, collect water and medicinal plants for ceremonies, gather acorns and other foods, and honor those that are buried here.

"We received the response from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Our request to be heard by the full 29-judge panel was denied, none of the judges requesting a vote for rehearing. The Court amended its decision to discuss a previous Supreme Court decision that hadn’t been considered, and the 9th Circuit’s decision on the case remained closely divided, 6 to 5, with five dissenting judges and over 240 pages of opinions. We have now completed the 9th Circuit appeal, and the next step is petitioning to be heard by the Supreme Court. I want to thank everyone for your endless support and prayers. I know capitalism had began as far back as when trade began. For over 500 hundred years, we #IndigenousPeople of America, have suffered equally to the rest of the world. What had started in the beginning between good and evil will again face each other. One, to protect the greatest gift god gave the world or the other.,to destroy every human life and the spirit that #MotherEarth gives birth to. The question is, where will you stand in this moment? We will all be judged. Blessings to all.

SUPPORTING APACHE STRONGHOLD AT THE U.S. SUPREME COURT

"Apache Stronghold is grateful for the outpouring of support for our efforts to protect Oak Flat. As our case heads to the Supreme Court, one way to support Apache Stronghold is for interested organizations to file an amicus brief (also called a friend-of-the-court brief) at the Supreme Court.

"The Prayer Journey to Supreme Court [began] July 12 beginning in Seattle, then to #ThackerPass, California, West coast, Arizona, New Mexico, .........and onwards toward Washington DC. This prayer journey will a couple months and visits many supporting organizations, Tribes, churches, religious sites and people for prayers as we cross this Country. The Supreme Court filing is set for September 11, 2024. Apache Stronghold vs United States."

Donate:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/stand-with-apache-stronghold-protect-sacred-sites

More info:
http://www.apache-stronghold.com

#SCOTUS #ProtectOakFlat #DefendTheSacred #SanCarlosApache #ChichilBildagoteel #CopperMine #ProtectOakFlat
#ProtectTheSacred #DefendTheSacred
#IndigenousActivism
#SaveOakFlat #WaterIsLife #SacredSite #CopperMining
#RecycleCopper #NoMiningWithoutConsent
#CulturalGenocide
#Ecocide #NativeAmericanNews
#CorporateColonialism
#WashingtonDC
#PrayerRide #PeacefulProtest
#FightForReligiousRights

#ApacheStronghold website, where you can find out about events, news, petitions, actions, and support them by donating or buying merch (T-shirts, yard signs, posters, buttons and stickers)!

TAKE ACTION NOW!
Chi'chil Biłdagoteel (#OakFlat) is a sacred site in the Tonto National Forest for the #SanCarlosApache and other Native American Tribes in the region—a place to pray, collect water and medicinal plants, gather acorns, honor the people who are buried there, and perform sacred religious ceremonies. Oak Flat is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a Traditional Cultural Property and protected from mining since 1955 by President Eisenhower.

"#Resolution’s underground mine would cause Oak Flat to collapse into a mile-wide, 1,000-foot-deep crater. In 2014, the US government promised the land to foreign copper mining interests to build a copper mine. The #ResolutionCopper Project would create one of the largest copper mines in the US destroying this sacred site.

SUPPORTING APACHE STRONGHOLD AT THE U.S. SUPREME COURT

Apache Stronghold is grateful for the outpouring of support for our efforts to protect Oak Flat.

Support Apache Stronghold #PrayerJourney to the #SupremeCourt

http://www.apache-stronghold.com/take-action.html

#CopperMine #ProtectOakFlat #protectthesacred #DefendTheSacred #IndigenousActivism #SaveOakFlat #WaterIsLife #SacredSite #CopperMining #RecycleCopper #NoMiningWithoutConsent #ProtectTheSacred #CulturalGenocide #Ecocide #NativeAmericanNews #CorporateColonialism #WashingtonDC #PrayerRide #PeacefulProtest #FightForReligiousRights #ChichilBildagoteel

#ApacheStronghold #PrayerJourney to #SupremeCourt: Oak Flat Mirrors National Struggle for Sacred

By Apache Stronghold, #CensoredNews, August 30, 2024

"On July 11th, 2024, the Apache Stronghold started the journey of prayer to the Supreme Court to stop the shattering of human existence and to protect #MotherEarth. We have traveled, held ceremonies and gathered prayers from Tribes, Communities, Churches, and people in support of saving Oak Flat and religious freedom and protections for all. We began in the Northwest, West Coast, South, Mid- west to the East to gather in Washington DC at the Supreme Court on September 11.

"We are appealing a lower court ruling that would have allowed the total destruction of Oak Flat by allowing the land to be transferred to #ResolutionCopper, a foreign owned company, owned by #BHP and #RioTinto.
We will appeal Apache Stronghold v. United States to the U.S. Supreme Court on September 11. The case involves the federal government’s planned destruction of Oak Flat—known in Apache as Chi'chil Biłdagoteel —a sacred site where Western Apaches and other Native peoples have worshipped since time immemorial. Oak Flat is the birthplace of our religion and the site of sacred ceremonies that cannot take place anywhere else.

"The United States is now planning to transfer ownership of Oak Flat to Resolution Copper, a foreign- owned mining company that plans to destroy it. Resolution’s mine will swallow Oak Flat in a two-mile- wide, 1,100-foot-deep crater, ending Apache religious practices forever.

"Our lawsuit challenges the destruction of Oak Flat as a violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (#RFRA), #TheUSConstitution, and the #1852Treaty with the #WesternApaches. In March, the sharply divided Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, by a 6-5 vote, ruled that the obliteration of Oak Flat does not amount to a 'substantial burden' on our religious exercise and that the Constitution and federal civil rights laws do not apply to the government’s disposition of 'its own land.'

"In September, we will ask the Supreme Court to correct this ruling and hold that federal law protects Oak Flat. The stakes could not be any higher. If the Ninth Circuit’s ruling is allowed to stand, the United States will be allowed to destroy Oak
Flat and any other sacred site with impunity. If the Supreme Court rules in our favor, it will ensure that #NativeAmericans receive the same protection for our religious freedom that all other religious groups across the country already enjoy. A decision in the case is expected in 2025.

"Dr. Wendsler Nosie Sr. explained, 'what saddens me, what I have witnessed going through #reservations, towns, sitting with and discussing with many people across this country, is seeing that when it comes to the #environment, it’s not being protected. When we talked about water or land, it not only affects Oak Flats but many places have been affected by Acts of Congress, the cities are no different. The United States does not protect the environment by bypassing the laws that they enacted, I have seen devastation across this country, the government pursuing unproven endeavors overlooking it’s peoples essential liberties. We need to come together on this court case, our spirituality and the survival of the earth are at stake, the suffering of the people is what we are bringing to the Supreme court.
This is an invitation to participate in the Apache Stronghold’s #DayOfPrayer on September 11, 2024, at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C."

Source:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2024/08/apache-stronghold-prayer-journey-to.html

FMI:
http://www.apache-stronghold.com/

#SCOTUS #SaveOakFlat #SanCarlosApache #Arizona #ProtectOakFlat #DefendTheSacred #IndigenousActivism #WaterIsLife #SacredSites #RecycleCopper #MiningWithoutConsent #ProtectTheSacred #CulturalGenocide #Ecocide #NativeAmericanNews #IndigenousActivism #NoMiningWithoutConsent #CorporateColonialism #ChichilBiłdagoteel #RespectTheTreaties

#ApacheStronghold at Peehee Mu'huh Locked Gates for People of Prayer

On the Journey to the Supreme Court

By Apache Stronghold, #CensoredNews
August 8, 2024

"Apache Stronghold visited Peehee Mu’huh (#ThackerPass), the second stop on the Prayer Journey to the Supreme Court [#SCOTUS] to Stop the Shattering of Human Existence and Protect #MotherEarth.

"We visited with the People of #RedMountain, who are fighting a #LithiumMine that is destroying their #SacredSite. When we arrived at the entrance to Peehee Mu’huh, we found a chain link wall with a locked gate, blocking everyone except those authorized by the mine.

"Security trucks came to go through the gate, and one of the drivers admitted that they knew the Apache Stronghold would be there with the People of Red Mountain.

"One truck drove off toward the mine, while the other driver re-locked the gate and left, emphasizing that the mining company has access to Peehee Mu’huh, but the Indigenous people who were stewards of the land since time immemorial, and all others who would go there to pray, are locked out.

"Dr. Wendsler Nosie Sr. said, 'It’s a sad reminder that people don’t know the day could come, if #OakFlat is ever transferred to #ResolutionCopper, that the acorns, #MedicinePlants, and water could be locked away behind a gate facing death at the hands of a corporation.

"'People need to come together to stop this desecration happening at Peehee Mu’huh and prevent it from happening everywhere else, before it’s too late.'

"Costanoan Rumsen #CarmelTribe said, 'We are honored to welcome and pray along side the Apache Stronghold and Protect Oak Flat on their Prayer Journey. Please join us in prayer this Saturday from 7 am-12 noon.' Chief Ya'anna Learning Village and Tuatukar Eco-Cultural Center for Indigenous Regeneration, 4500 Via Marisol, #Los AngelesCalifornia 90042.

"For those who can’t join us in person, please pray for us as we travel to the Supreme Court, and follow along on the journey here.

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2024/08/apache-stronghold-at-peehee-muhuh.html

#PeeHeeMuhuh #NoCopperMiningWithoutConsent #IndigenousPeoples #IndigenousNews #RioTinto CopperMine #BHP #Apache #NDAA #BigMountain #CulturalGenocide #Genocide #Arizona #ChichilBildagoteel #RioTinto #CopperMine #SanCarlosApache #Arizona #ProtectOakFlat #protectthesacred #DefendTheSacred #IndigenousActivism #SaveOakFlat #WaterIsLife #SacredSite #CopperMining #RecycleCopper #MiningWithoutConsent #ProtectTheSacred #CulturalGenocide #Ecocide #NativeAmericanNews #Greenwashing #NoMiningWithoutConsent #CorporateColonialism #PeacefulProtest

[Film] The #ApacheStronghold defending #sacred #OakFlat land from a #CopperMine

The Real News Network
May 21, 2024

"In the heart of the #Arizona high desert lies a battle for the soul of the land. The ancient, sacred grounds of #Apache #Native territory are under threat from a looming giant — a massive copper mine that promises riches for the locals, and a pathway to the so-called green transition. But, as is often the case, it comes at a cost.

"The #SanCarlosApache tribe calls it Chi’chil Bildagoteel; English speakers call it Oak Flat. It sits on a mountainous plateau within a 17.3-kilometer oasis in the #TontoNationalForest. #RioTinto and #BHP, two of the world’s biggest mining companies, have staked their claim here through a joint venture called #ResolutionCopper. For over 10 years they’ve been lobbying governments for the right to build a colossal mine that would cover roughly 7,000 acres of surface area, and extend more than a mile into the ground.

"The only thing that stands in their way is the #resistance of the Apache Stronghold, a nonprofit community organization of #Natives and non-Natives uniting to counter ongoing #colonization, defend holy sites and protect freedom of religion, which was created to protect Chi’chil Bildagoteel.

"A short film by #BrandiMorin and #GeordieDay for #RicochetMedia. Support for this journalism provided by #CulturalSurvival."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCIGlv0xu_U

#ChichilBildagoteel #RioTinto #CopperMine #SanCarlosApache #Arizona #ProtectOakFlat #protectthesacred #DefendTheSacred #IndigenousActivism #SCOTUS #SaveOakFlat
#WaterIsLife #SacredSite #CopperMining #RecycleCopper #MiningWithoutConsent
#ProtectTheSacred #CulturalGenocide #Ecocide #NativeAmericanNews
#IndigenousNews
#Greenwashing #NoMiningWithoutConsent #CorporateColonialism

#ApacheStronghold Continues Journey of Prayer to the #SupremeCourt to Stop the Shattering of Human Existence and to Protect #MotherEarth

Apache Stronghold to #ThackerPass

Apache Stronghold, #CensoredNews, August 4, 2024

Contact: apache.stronghold@gmail.com

"Today, August 4, 2024, the Apache Stronghold will be continuing our prayer journey to stop the shattering of human existence and to protect Mother Earth. The prayer journey began in the #LummiNation, north of Seattle, in July, and it will conclude on September 11, 2024 when the Apache Stronghold files their appeal at the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, with stops along the way visiting tribes and supporters for prayer and ceremony. The full route is outlined [at the link below].

"We will be traveling to Thacker Pass, Nevada for a #PrayerGathering on August 6th. This will be our second stop of the journey. After Thacker Pass, we will be traveling to the #BayAreaCalifornia on August 8th for another prayer gathering. Please pay close attention to your emails as we will be updating along the way, as well as our social media @protectoakflat to follow along the journey with us.

"It is a very crucial time right now, so we ask if you cannot join us along the journey please continue to pray for our journey as we make our way across the U.S to the Supreme Court in Washington D.C. We are in this fight together, as we are one drum, one circle, one prayer."

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2024/08/apache-stronghold-to-thacker-pass-on.html

#RioTinto #CopperMine #SanCarlosApache #Arizona #ProtectOakFlat #protectthesacred #DefendTheSacred #IndigenousActivism #SCOTUS #SaveOakFlat
#WaterIsLife #SacredSite
#CopperMining
#RecycleCopper
#MiningWithoutConsent
#ProtectTheSacred
#CulturalGenocide
#ChichilBiłdagoteel
#Ecocide #SaveOakFlat #ReaderSupportedNews
#NativeAmericanNews
#IndigenousNews
#Greenwashing
#NoMiningWithoutConsent #ResolutionCopper #CorporateColonialism