UCC leaders join Apache Stronghold Day of Prayer at U.S. Supreme Court to protect sacred land

Following two months of pilgrimage across the country, Apache Stronghold members gathered on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court with a large crowd of supporters on Wednesday, Sept. 11. The gathering of prayer and solidarity accompanied the group’s formal delivery of their appeal to the Court in the case of Apache Stronghold v. United States.

Apache Stronghold is a group that has led efforts to protect the sacred site of Oak flat — Chi’chil Biłdagoteel in Apache – from its designated transfer for a massive copper mining project of Resolution Copper. This appeal to the Supreme Court follows Apache Stronghold’s legal effort to block the transfer of public land that was denied in federal court by a one-vote margin.

Speakers at the event included Indigenous activists, clergy, leaders of the Poor People’s Campaign, and the legal representation of Apache Stronghold. The Rev. Tracy Howe, UCC team leader of Faith Education, Innovation and Formation (FaithINFO), and the Rev. Toni Hawkins, Conference minister of the UCC Southwest Conference, were among those gathered in support.

The Apache Stronghold court case centers on U.S. protections for religious freedom, and Naelyn Pike, member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe and of Apache Stronghold, emphasized the dire need to protect Oak Flat, the site of some of the most important religious practices in Apache traditions that are inextricably tied to the land.

“We must continue to persist… to protect our ways of life because the United States’ Congress and its government took away our religious freedom [and] has violated our human rights through law,” Pike said.

‘Stop the shattering of human existence’

The gathering in front of the Supreme Court was the culmination of a two-month prayer journey “to stop the shattering of the human existence and protect Mother Earth,” which began in the Lummi Nation, north of Seattle, Washington, in July. Apache Stronghold has since held prayer events with Indigenous communities and religious groups across the country.

“This prayer journey over the past two months has been incredible to witness,” Howe said. “The mission of Apache Stronghold on this journey is no less than the living Spirit of God alive and speaking to us today. Two thousand years ago, John the Baptist cried out amidst oppressed people suffering under empire, meeting with people on the land, using the land, air, and water to teach people of God’s goodness and faithfulness, calling for repentance because he too saw the shattering of life. We, here, now – we must see, hear, comprehend, use whatever wisdom and love is within us to hear this cry, to witness this struggle, and then to join.”

Many interfaith clergy, including UCC leaders and members, have joined in solidarity.

“I stand with Apache Stronghold not only out of solidarity but out of a deep sense of justice,” Hawkins said. “Their struggle is our struggle. It is a stand against the continuing legacy of colonization, a fight for humanity, and a call for the respect of sacred traditions and lands that predate the systems that seek to erase them.”

‘Walk together’

Hawkins describes supporting Apache Stronghold in the fight to protect Oak Flat as simply “the right thing to do.”

“As a Black woman, I understand the deep pain and injustice that comes from being dehumanized and treated as expendable in the pursuit of capital gain,” she said. “Indigenous peoples were the original stewards of this land, and yet they continue to be exploited and oppressed by systems that value profit over people. Let us walk together in this fight for justice, honoring the sacred and lifting the humanity of all people.”

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

At least four Supreme Court justices will need to agree to hear the appeal for the Apache Stronghold case to move forward.

Prayer for land, spirit, people

Hawkins offers the following prayer “acknowledging the deep connection between land, spirit, and people” and uplifting the ongoing work to protect Oak Flat:

God, our loving Creator,

We gather in this sacred moment, united in prayer for the Apache Stronghold and the sacred land of Oak Flat. We stand before you, acknowledging the deep connection between land, spirit, and people — a connection that has been honored for generations.

God of Justice, hear our prayers as we lift our voices in solidarity with those who seek to protect the holy ground, mother earth, and, specifically, the sacred land of Oak Flat. Open the hearts and ears of the justices of the United States Supreme Court that they may see not just the land and its rich resources, but the lifeblood of a people, your people, and their history and faith intertwined with the soil.

God of Compassion, in a world that so often overlooks the sacred, we pray for the strength and courage of the Apache nation and their allies. May your presence guide them and us with peace and resolve. Let their voices rise as one with voice with their ancestors, echoing the cry for justice, dignity, and respect.

God of Bridges, help us, to be bridge-builders, to listen deeply, and to act boldly in love. May we all feel the weight of this sacred calling, to protect what is holy, to stand with the oppressed, and to work for justice that honors all your creation.

Bless this gathering with your spirit of peace and justice. We walk by faith and not by sight so may our prayers, both spoken and unspoken, rise like incense as sweet fragrance before you, leading us toward the path of truth, righteousness, healing, and reconciliation.

In your many names, we pray. Amen.

Reporting contributed by Hannah Santos, communications and campaigns specialist for the UCC Office of Public Policy & Advocacy in Washington, D.C.

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