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WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the wake of the Supreme Court refusing to stop the transfer of land to Resolution Copper and the destruction of Oak Flat, Congress needs to pass language included in the Save Oak Flat from Foreign Mining Act introduced by the late Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.). The bill will codify protections of the ancestral homelands of the San Carlos Apache, the Yavapai, Hopi, Zuni, and many other Tribes in the Southwest.  The bill will also maintain federal protection for the general public to safely access Oak Flat.

“Oak Flat is an irreplaceable, sacred cornerstone to Indigenous religion, history and culture, not a commodity to exploit,” said Garrit Voggesser, senior director of Tribal partnerships and policy at the National Wildlife Federation. “We cannot replace this important landscape once it’s gone. If the courts will not act, Congress should step up and protect Oak Flat and the people and wildlife that rely upon it.”

“This decision is not just a legal failure, it is a moral one. HECHO stands with Apache Stronghold and the San Carlos Apache Tribe in condemning this outcome. They have the right to be heard in decisions that impact the sacred places central to their culture, traditions, and history. As Justices Gorsuch and Thomas explained in their dissent, ‘this Court should at least have troubled itself to hear their case,’” said Camilla Simon, Executive Director of HECHO. “Allowing the transfer of Chi’chil Bi艂dagoteel, also known as Oak Flat, to a foreign-owned mining company paves the way for irreversible destruction of a site that holds significant spiritual, cultural, and ecological significance.”