- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
The Trump administration announced today that it is moving forward with plans to transfer a sacred Native American site to a multinational mining corporation within as few as 60 days—despite an ongoing federal lawsuit challenging the legality of the move. In Apache Stronghold v. United States, the group Apache Stronghold—a coalition of Apaches, other Native communities, and allies—has sued to stop the transfer of Oak Flat to Resolution Copper, a mining company owned by a Chinese parent corporation.
If allowed to proceed, the project would turn the sacred site into a massive open-pit mine, permanently halting Apache religious ceremonies held there. (Watch this short video to learn more.) The government has stated it will proceed with the land transfer even as the case is under review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
For generations, Western Apaches and other Native peoples have gathered at Oak Flat—known in Apache as Chi’chil Biłdagoteel—located near present-day Superior, Arizona, to conduct sacred ceremonies that cannot be performed anywhere else. Oak Flat is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has long been shielded from mining and other destructive activities. Those protections came under threat in December 2014, when a last-minute provision tucked into a must-pass defense bill authorized the land’s transfer to Resolution Copper. The company now plans to convert the site into a crater two miles wide and over 1,100 feet deep. Resolution Copper’s majority owner, Rio Tinto, drew international condemnation in 2020 when it deliberately destroyed 46,000-year-old Indigenous rock shelters at one of Australia’s most culturally significant sites.
“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,” Dr. Wendsler Nosie Sr. of Apache Stronghold said. “This is the same violent pattern we have seen for centuries. We urge the Supreme Court to protect our spiritual lifeblood and give our sacred site the same protection given to the holiest churches, mosques, and synagogues throughout this country.”
Apache Stronghold filed this lawsuit in January 2021 in an effort to stop the proposed mine at Oak Flat. The project faces widespread opposition—not only from 21 of the 22 federally recognized tribal nations in Arizona, but also from the National Congress of American Indians, a broad coalition of religious groups, civil rights organizations, and legal scholars. Public sentiment mirrors this resistance: national polls show that 74% of Americans support protecting Oak Flat. Despite this, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 6-5 last year that the land transfer does not violate federal religious freedom laws. In a powerful dissent, five judges argued that the court “tragically err[ed]” in failing to safeguard this sacred site.
“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.”
More Stories Like This
50 Years of Self-Determination: How a Landmark Act Empowered Tribal Sovereignty and Transformed Federal-Tribal RelationsMuscogee Nation and City of Tulsa Reach Agreement on Criminal Jurisdiction and Public Safety Collaboration
Panel on Ethical Tribal Engagement at OU Highlights Healing, Research and Sovereignty
Groundbreaking Held for Western Navajo Pipeline Phase I – LeChee Water System Improvement Project
Navajo Citizens Voice Mixed Reactions to Trump’s Coal Executive Order at Public Hearing
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
