‘Key to protecting the earth’: Apache Stronghold holds Prayer Journey to Supreme Court to protect sacred site

Land that has long been held sacred by the Apache people and many other Indigenous people could soon be destroyed by a mining operation.

A group called the Apache Stronghold has led efforts to protect the sacred site of Oak flat — Chi’chil Biłdagoteel in Apache.

“Oak Flat is the place where generations of Apaches have come to connect with our Creator, our faith, and our land,” said Wendsler Nosie Sr., founder and leader of Apache Stronghold and former chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe.

The area has been on the National Register of Historic Places and protected for decades, but a provision inserted into a 2014 defense bill authorized the transfer of Oak Flat to Resolution Copper, a subsidiary of the multinational mining companies Rio Tinto and BHP. Apache Stronghold’s legal efforts to block the transfer of public land for the project were denied by a divided federal court decision (6-5) in March.

As the case is appealed to the Supreme Court, Apache Stronghold has begun a Prayer Journey across the country, visiting tribes and supporters for prayer and ceremony along the way. It will end on Sept. 11 when they reach Washington, D.C. and file the appeal at the Supreme Court.

Nosie emphasized the unique way that the legal fight to protect the land centers U.S. protections for religious freedom during a United Church of Christ Creation Justice webinar, Defending The Sacred – An Apache Holy Site Under Threat, held on Aug. 14.

“We should all understand what God’s creation is, and there are certain important parts that we really need to take to the forefront. One is our mother earth, which provides for all of us,” he said. “We say that’s the greatest gift that God gave us. And the reason why we say ‘mother’ is because if you look at what it gives us — from food to everything else — it’s our survival. It makes us who we are. Even our bodies come from that. It’s really critical that we understand that, moreso now than ever, because if you look at what’s happening in the country, we’re destroying these places that will no longer exist, and we’re eliminating our aquifers, which took centuries to be here.”

He noted the need for people of faith to join the work to protect this land in an effort that brings together spiritual, environmental, and political concerns.

“If they win this case, then we’re in the same category — that the United States has free will to the land. The only problem they have is that the Native people are still connected to the land. So this case is going to set precedence for the future,” Nosie said.

Journeying in prayer

The Prayer Journey “to stop the shattering of the human existence and protect Mother Earth” began in the Lummi Nation, north of Seattle, Washington, in July. It has since visited several states, included a gathering in Los Angeles with tribes from across California and along the coast.

The Rev. Tracy Howe, who serves as team leader for UCC Faith Education, Innovation, and Formation (Faith INFO), attended the Prayer Journey gathering on Aug. 15 at Southside Presbyterian church in Tucson, Arizona, as a local faith leader. She offered prayer and song to bless the journey and voice solidarity.

“There were a number of faith leaders present and people of faith from the community, and it was a beautiful and powerful time of sharing stories about why this is important, why we need to show up, and praying together to support Apache Stronghold,” Howe said.

Churches in solidarity

Nosie invited faith communities to get involved through ongoing prayer and by filing amicus briefs supporting Apache Stronghold’s case before the Supreme Court during the webinar. Support from religious groups is of particular importance because of the case’s basis on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, he said.

“Now what I’m excited about is that with this amicus brief, so many different denominations are joining us. Now the United States will have to answer to the churches too,” Nosie said.

The Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery has created an Amicus Brief Toolkit to Support Apache Stronghold’s Supreme Court Case.

One faith group taking up the call to respond includes students and faculty members at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in Minnesota. The seminary was founded by the UCC.

The Rev. Justin Sabia-Tanis, associate professor of Christian Ethics and Social Transformation, facilitated a conversation at the seminary following the Defending the Sacred webinar.

United has been asked to consider signing on to the amicus brief in support of Oak Flats, and “part of that process is learning more about the issues as a community, since education is our focus,” Sabia-Tanis said. The group discussed ideas for how students can more deeply immerse themselves in this situation and the larger movement to protect sacred lands — and seeks to follow up with concrete plans, he said.

‘Protecting the whole earth’

The Rev. Carol Rose, co-pastor of Shalom Mennonite Fellowship in Tucson and active in both Apache Stronghold and the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery, spoke at the webinar, emphasizing solidarity with Apache Stronghold.

“I have come to believe through years of praying with Apache and with Oak Flat — this sacred place — that not only is all creation sacred because God made it, but there are also key places that God imbued with some particular power for good and that have been tended in prayer, and that power has deepened over centuries of ceremony and prayer,” she said. “Places like Oak Flat are like the hinge of a door, key to protecting the whole earth.

“Standing with Indigenous people for sacred sites is not something symbolic. In the struggle to protect the earth, it is central.”

Additional information and resources are available here:

• The Apache-Stronghold website
• Save Oak Flat Prayer Journey events and schedule
• The Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery website
• Toolkit for Oak Flat Amicus Brief

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