Faith leaders amplify the need to protect religious freedom at Oak Flat vigil
Supporters urge others to join the fight to save sacred Arizona site from destruction
LOUISVILLE — Faith leaders from across the nation gathered this week for a prayer vigil, expressing support for preserving Oak Flat, a southwestern swath of land treasured by some Native Americans and others who view it as sacred.
The gathering, which took place on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, followed news last week that the U.S. Supreme Court had refused for a second time to take up the case of Apache Stronghold, a coalition of Apaches and allies who want to keep the land from being converted into a copper mining operation that would create a massive crater on the Arizona site.
Multiple lawsuits by various parties continue winding their way through the courts to try to stop the project by Resolution Copper, a foreign-owned mining company. But in the meantime, supporters are rallying to draw more support and prayers for saving the land, which is in Tonto National Forest, about 60 miles east of Phoenix.
Back in 2014, a last-minute rider was attached to a defense bill to clear the way for the government to transfer the land, also known as Chí’chil Biłdagoteel, to the mining company for the project that has the support of the Trump administration.
Speaking at the Oct. 13 vigil, the Rev. Dr. Robin Tanner, president of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association, expressed concerns that the mine would “poison the air, poison the waters, and decimate this place that is the site of the Creation story for the Apache and many other Indigenous peoples.”
“This is a struggle of protecting Mother Earth, of stopping ecological devastation. It is also a fight for religious freedom, for the U.S. government is trying to say that the Apache do not get to declare that this is sacred land to them … so we have come together on this day with our prayers, with our meditations, with our petitions, and we implore you — we implore you — to join us,” said Tanner, who leads a congregation in Summit, New Jersey.
The Rev. Andrew Black, associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe, New Mexico, also offered remarks, lamenting the proposed mining project and wondering aloud, “If 'for God so loved the world,' why don’t we?”
“We’re working to protect Oak Flat, and we’re standing in solidarity (with the Indigenous peoples) because we recognize that it is important for the religious, for the spiritual freedom of the San Carlos Apache and all of their ancestors and descendants as well,” said Black, founder of EarthKeepers 360, a movement that equips spiritual leaders to become engaged in environmental issues.
Several faiths and peoples, including Apache, Diné, Episcopal, Jewish, Unitarian Universalist and Presbyterian, were represented at the vigil, which was livestreamed on Facebook.
“Thank you for being in our holy place,” said Dr. Wendsler Nosie Sr., founder of Apache Stronghold, who lamented the potential loss of a gift from God to corporate interests.
The Apaches see Oak Flat as the dwelling place of spiritual beings called Ga’an, who are considered to be guardians or messengers between the Creator and people in the physical world, according to court records. The land, where a large copper deposit was discovered in 1995, also is the site of religious ceremonies that Apache Stronghold has said can’t take place elsewhere.
On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, multiple speakers were touched by being able to witness a female coming-of-age ceremony at Oak Flat prior to the vigil. It is the kind of practice that Apache Stronghold says is being jeopardized by the mining proposal.
“I stand here today having celebrated a Sunrise Ceremony with the Apache and friends from all over Turtle Island,” said Sister Barbara Battista, a Catholic nun from Indiana. “I’m a newcomer to this, and yet I experienced such warm welcome, such hospitality, such openness … and I know from this experience of the anointing that I experienced, along with the woman who was being initiated, that we all belong to Earth. … So, let’s stand together and recognize our common humanity.”
Another speaker, the Rt. Rev. Pat Bell, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Oregon, said there is a God-given and constitutional right “to express the spiritual vitality and life of these people" through ceremonies at Oak Flat.
Bell went on to say it’s important for the Indigenous people “to be able to participate in ancient traditions that their families, their ancestors have practiced, and they're passing on to their children and their grandchildren.”
He added that Christians could “learn so much from these people, from indigenous people around the world, who have connection to their spiritual dimensions that we have lost track of.”
Nosie gave brief remarks near the end that were partly interrupted on the livestream due to technical difficulties. He noted, in part, that the campaign to save Oak Flat is about more than just one group.
“It’s not just our issue,” he said. “It’s everybody’s issue.”
Watch a recording of the vigil here.
Environmental photo of Oak Flat by Russ McSpadden, Center for Biological Diversity
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