Why Is No One Talking About the Land Battle in Oak Flat, AZ?

https://medium.com/brepairers/why-is-no-one-talking-about-the-land-battle-in-oak-flat-az-38c7f625e365




A battle is being waged over sacred land in Oak Flat, Arizona, and no one is talking about it.

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II
Apr 2

Resolution Copper Co. wants to build the nation’s largest copper mine. The issue, however, is that the copper for that mine is located underneath the sacred Apache tribal land of Oak Flat. Not only does this project pose an enormous environmental risk, but it would also destroy places of historical and religious significance to the tribe like Apache Leap and Devil’s Canyon.

In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower designated Oak Flat as an area off-limits to mining. However, the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act authorized Resolution to use the land in Oak Flat in exchange for other lands in Arizona. This was supported by former Arizona senators, Jeff Flake and the late John McCain. The land Resolution wants to trade is scattered across the state and wouldn’t offer half the environmental and touristic value that Oak Flat currently holds. In addition to being sacred tribal land, Oak Flat is also a prime destination for climbers, hikers, and campers.

For three years, the Apache Indian Tribe has been fighting back against this land exchange and they are running out of time. This country has already stolen enough sacred tribal land from its indigenous peoples. If a mining company wanted to tear down the Vatican to harvest the minerals underneath its soil, there would be a public outcry around the world. If an oil company wanted to build a drilling rig in the middle of Jerusalem, there would be protests far and wide. So why are these sacred tribal lands any different?

When Resolution is done mining — 50 years from now — it will leave behind a series of pockets beneath the earth from “block cave” mining that could lead to potential ground collapses, a 1,000-foot deep crater, countless destroyed wildlife habitats and environmental damage like deforestation and contaminated groundwater. This damage would take an additional 5–10 years to resolve if it ever got resolved at all. But all the replanting and reconstruction in the world could not replace the centuries of history that will be erased from the Apache tribe.

Why is it that this nation continues to steal land away from its original inhabitants under the guise of being “good for the economy”? And even if the land trade was of equal value, why should the Apache tribe be forced to give up their sacred lands and move for corporate greed? Did we not learn our lesson as a nation after the damage caused by the Trail of Tears? Have we not evolved our moral consciousness as a country enough to be able to determine that seizing land for profit is unjust?

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