Read part one of this series here.

To love Oak Flat is to protect Oak Flat.

Opponents to Resolution Copper’s proposed mine come from all walks of life, including: visitors, local residents, rock climbers, environmentalists, and Indigenous peoples of the land. The diverse coalition of advocates highlights the profound significance of Oak Flat. For some, the motivation to save Oak Flat comes from Oak Flat saving them—whether it be from the quiet serenity, medicinal plants, or big-hearted community it has given them. Their united efforts form the “Protect/Save Oak Flat” movement, but to Indigenous communities, the fight reaches even deeper.

“This is my way of life. It’s my responsibility, not only as an Apache, but as a human being.”

Vanessa Nosie, Chiricahua Apache

Vanessa Nosie and her daughter, Naelyn Pike, are fierce advocates of Oak Flat, alongside their family and community. To them, protecting Oak Flat is a persistent, daily effort. They are fighting for more than protection of sacred lands; they are fighting for the right to practice their religion, their way of life. Nosie explains: “Once our religion is gone then so are we.” If the proposed mine is developed, it may create a new precedent for other religious and culturally significant sites to be subject to extraction and destruction—jeopardizing peoples’ first amendment rights.

Strong efforts to conserve sacred lands

The fight for religious freedom is the cornerstone of Apache Stronghold, a nonprofit organization founded by Nosie’s father and composed of Apache people, other Native Americans, and non-Native allies. Nosie and Pike are members of Apache Stronghold, which is largely supported by alliances, faith-based communities, Tribes, and organizations across the nation and globe. Since the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals failed to meet their demands to stop the land transfer based on religious violations, they are bringing their case to the Supreme Court next. 

The San Carlos Apache Tribe is simultaneously advocating to save Oak Flat. As a sovereign nation and federally-recognized Tribe, they argue that the federal government has violated the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), failed to properly consult the Tribe under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), violated Tribal members religious freedom under the Religious Freedom and Restoration (RFRA), the Constitution, and their treaty rights.

The Tribe has filed their own case in the U.S. District Court for Arizona where the republication of the FEIS is pending. Additionally, the Tribe has argued that their human rights were violated with the passage of the land exchange in the NDAA and has petitioned the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UNCERD) to urge the United States government to withhold the land transfer.

Environmental groups, involving several coalitions, form a third vein of advocates. They contend that the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) from 2021 was insufficient and flawed. Independent environmental consultants were hired to conduct more thorough investigations and found that the FEIS failed to accurately depict the environmental destruction that this mine would cause. Without publishing the FEIS, the land transfer cannot be finalized. Advocates have successfully delayed this process while many actions are being taken to halt the land transfer entirely.

A group of people pose for a photo outside.
HECHO members advocate to save Oak Flat in Washington, DC. Credit: Daniela Zavala/HECHO

Apache Stronghold, Tribal members, and environmental coalitions have applied pressure to the U.S. government and advocated within their communities by:

  • Lobbying to pass the “Save Oak Flat from Foreign Mining Act”, introduced by Rep. Grijalva in 2023 as the final and permanent solution to protecting Oak Flat from mining threats
  • Educating policymakers and community members on the importance of protecting this sacred site to conserve Arizona’s groundwater, protect the local environment and wildlife, and conserve the sacred site
  • Passing local resolutions to protect Oak Flat, and
  • Participating in public comments to express the large scope and range of community perspectives in support of protecting Oak Flat. 

Saving Oak Flat is not just about protecting a piece of land; it’s about honoring the cultural heritage, religious freedom, and sovereignty of Tribes. It’s about safeguarding the health and well-being of local communities, wildlife, and land. And it’s about recognizing that the fight for justice and preservation of sacred sites is a collective responsibility that affects us all.

A tree stands tall against a setting sun.
Emory oak tree. Credit: Tomás Karmelo Amaya

“When you look at the issue, it’s saving Ni’gosdan, it’s saving Mother Earth, it’s saving the sacred and holy place where God has touched…We’re trying to save what is left for us and those yet to be born.”

Vanessa Nosie, Chiricahua Apache

Please consider taking one or more of the following actions to help save Oak Flat:

Special thanks to Henry Muñoz, Sylvia Delgado Barrett, Vanessa Nosie, Naelyn Pike, Curt Shannon, Dr. Monica Ramirez, and Daniela Zavala for your valuable contributions to this story.