It ruled that Apache Stronghold failed to show a substantial burden on its religious exercise.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cThe government does not substantially burden religion every time it ends a governmental benefit that at one time went to religious beneficiaries: there must be an element of coercion,\u201d according to the ruling.<\/p>\n
Apache Stronghold embarked on a spiritual convoy that began in Arizona late last week and on Tuesday (Sept. 6) arrived at the San Francisco Civic Center for a day of prayer as members urged the court to rehear their case. They were expected to file their request for a rehearing on Tuesday. Apache Stronghold has vowed to appeal to\u00a0the U.S. Supreme Court if judges decide against rehearing the case.<\/p>\n
To Apache Stronghold founder Wendsler Nosie Sr., the possibility of having the case reheard signals the significance of this issue. Resolution Copper\u2019s mine, Apache Stronghold said, will swallow the site in a massive crater and render \u201clongstanding religious practices impossible.\u201d\u00a0The mine could also consume and contaminate 250 billion gallons of Arizona\u2019s\u00a0limited water sources, they said.<\/p>\n
Nosie has likened Oak Flat to Mount Sinai \u2014 \u201cour most sacred site, where we connect with our Creator, our faith, our families and our land\u201d \u2014 and has underscored how an attack on Indigenous religion \u2014 the oldest religion of this part of the world \u2014 is a threat to all religions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Wendsler Nosie Sr., leader of Apache Stronghold, addresses supporters of Oak Flat, including people from other Native American groups and runners who participated in a protest run in support for Oak Flat, Feb. 27, 2021, in Oak Flat, Arizona. RNS photo by Alejandra Molina<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\u201cIt affects Indian country as well as all religious organizations,\u201d Nosie told Religion News Service on Tuesday. \u201cWhen you have corporations and congressional leaders that can supersede a religion \u2026 and we\u2019re the oldest, what does it mean for all of the rest of them?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jim Lichti, with First Mennonite Church of San Francisco, attended the prayer gathering in support for the preservation of Oak Flat.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it will help us all to understand better as peoples of many religions and nations the sacredness of land, and how we need to reclaim the sacredness of land and our relationship to it,\u201d Lichti\u00a0said<\/a>.<\/p>\nOak Flat, known in Apache as Chi\u2019chil Bi\u0142dagoteel, is a 6.7-square-mile stretch of land east of Phoenix that falls within Tonto National Forest.<\/p>\n
The Apache people hold a number of important ceremonies at Oak Flat that, according to their court filings, can take place only on the site, which would be destroyed by mining. The Apache believe Oak Flat is a \u201cblessed place\u201d where Ga\u2019an \u2014 guardians or messengers between the people and Usen, the creator \u2014 dwell.<\/p>\n
Congress approved the transfer of the land to Resolution Copper in 2014 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act in exchange for 6,000 acres elsewhere.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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