U.S. Supreme Court allows Arizona copper mine on Apache sacred land to move forward
The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal from Apache Stronghold, clearing the way for a land swap that would allow a massive copper mine on a site in Arizona sacred to Apache tribes.
Mark Sherman reports for The Associated Press.
In short:
- The high court’s decision lets stand a lower court ruling allowing the transfer of Oak Flat in the Tonto National Forest to Resolution Copper, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto and BHP.
- Apache Stronghold argued the transfer violates religious freedoms and threatens a sacred site central to Apache ceremonies and beliefs, but the court rejected their plea.
- Justice Neil Gorsuch dissented, warning that the ruling ends decades of government protection of Oak Flat and clears the way for its destruction.
Key quote:
“Recognizing Oak Flat’s significance, the government has long protected both the land and the Apaches’ access to it. No more. Now, the government and a mining conglomerate want to turn Oak Flat into a massive hole in the ground.”
— Justice Neil Gorsuch
Why this matters:
Oak Flat, with its oak groves and medicinal plants, holds spiritual and cultural significance for Apache peoples. The copper mine proposed by Resolution Copper threatens to permanently alter the landscape. likely collapsing it into a crater, and disrupt the delicate ecosystems and cultural traditions linked to the land. The fight over Oak Flat mirrors others across the United States where sacred Indigenous sites face industrial development, often justified by economic benefit but at the expense of cultural survival and environmental integrity. Copper mining also brings risks of groundwater contamination and long-term soil damage. With global demand for minerals increasing in the energy transition, these conflicts are becoming more frequent as legal protections for sacred and environmentally sensitive lands face growing pressure.
Read more about this story:
