Marginalizing Native Americans Through Mining

Written by: Jay'Mee Proctor

Source: https://www.mintpressnews.com/arizona-apache-continue-to-fight-bill-which-hands-sacred-native-american-land-to-mining-company/208194/

“This is appalling, this would not happen at any other holy place in the world, if someone tried to extract minerals from the Vatican or from Jerusalem it would be see as an abomination” -- a supporter (Reddog Rudy) of the resistance movement against the proposed mine

tells MintPress News. (article by Derrick Broze, August 01, 2015)

           Mining has become a major issue among Native American tribes and their lands not just in the United States, but globally. These lands are considered to be sacred amongst these people and their comminutes (such as the Oak Flat Native American community). This not only puts a drastic dent in their resources (for what they need to survive since they live off the land and what it provides), but it also displaces them, leaving them homeless and forced to relocate (which recreates a different issue altogether for population reasons or they have to assimilate into American society and still be treated horridly. For example, The Native American communities of Oak Flat Arizona face a threat of a proposed six billion dollar mining operation, where the provision (The National Defense Authorization Act of 2015) at the annual Defense Department funding bill granted Resolution Copper Mining permission to do a land swap (which happens to be a subsidiary of Australian-English mining giant Rio Tinto) in order to create the “continent’s largest copper mine” (Broze, 2015). Why is this an issue? Because these lands that are about to be (or have not already unfortunately) been violated are sacred to the community of Native Americans that live here and have for generations. This is not only an issue for these Native Americans in Arizona, but elsewhere. These corporations/conglomerates are destroyed sanctified/spiritual traditions, burial/trading sites, homes, land, resources, etc.

Source: https://www.mintpressnews.com/arizona-apache-continue-to-fight-bill-which-hands-sacred-native-american-land-to-mining-company/208194

            The picture you see above was taken Monday (June 15, 2015) which “shows in the distance art of the Resolution Copper Mining land-swap project in Superior, AZ” (Bronze, 2015). The crazy thing is, people outside looking in on this epidemic don’t realize that these companies won’t stop at just a little bit or ‘enough’. They will not stop until there is absolutely nothing left of these lands, till they are all dried up, tapped out. Then once they used up one, they proceed on to the next one and the vicious cycle starts all over again. And they do not care whose lives they are affecting in the long run, all they care about is lining their pockets. Rudy (and countless others) joined the Apache Stronghold to fight against this and traveled to reservations across the United States to gather support for this fight. According to Bronze, “the Stronghold stopped for ceremonies and rallies in cities across the country before finishing their journey outside of the Capitol.” (2015). Unfortunately, when the Stronghold met with Rep. Gosar at his office in D.C., they were threatened with arrest by Capitol Police (which is usually what happens when people protest for what they believe in against the government or a corporation/conglomerate).  Another supporter in the Stronghold emphasized that if the land swap were to go through, it would take away her ability to teach her granddaughter how to cook traditional Apache food. “If Oak Flat turns into a mine and we lose the acorn,” she said, “how am I going to show her how to do that?” (2015). Aforementioned, it wouldn’t be just a loss in their resources, but their very way of living.

Many of these people look to these lands for guidance, for food, water, a place to lay their heads, places to tell their families about for generations to come. It is simply appalling to go and destroy something so holy and dear to animals and people alike. Wendsler Nosie from the Stronghold quotes, “Oak Flat is where the creator, God touches the earth for us. These are our ancestral home places” (2015). Despite the peaceful protesting of the Stronghold, the company and Sen. McCain stand by their assessment of the deal (which will bring in thousands of new jobs to the area, but to who is the question) and will take the Apache’s concerns into consideration. Still fighting the battle, Rudy claims, “our prayer goes beyond Oak Flat to the universe, so we can find balance, we want everyone to have clean water. The four-leggeds, the birds, the swimmers, the whales and the dolphins. We want all them to live. That’s what we pray for.” (2015). Both young and old, supporters of the Apache Stronghold continue to fight (peacefully that is) for the land that they claimed as their own, committed to protecting their history, land and their people against the ever-present effects of colonialization.

Sources

‘Arizona Apache Mobilize Against Bill Which Hands Sacred Native American Land to         Mining Company’ (Derrick Broze, August 01, 2015)