A group of Apache women is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene after federal forest land in Arizona was transferred to international companies for copper mining. The land, known as Oak Flat or Chi’chil Bildagoteel, has been used for centuries by the San Carlos Apache Tribe for religious ceremonies and gathering medicinal plants.
The transfer to Resolution Copper, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto and BHP, was completed on Friday after an appeals court denied requests to block it. The court acknowledged that the transfer would destroy sacred sites but stated that Congress had mandated the exchange in a 2014 defence spending bill, leaving no viable legal challenges.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the project supports energy independence, while Resolution Copper estimates it will generate $1 billion annually for Arizona’s economy. The company noted that courts have consistently ruled in its favour and called for an end to what it described as meritless litigation.
Wendsler Nosie Sr. of Apache Stronghold raised concerns about water use and contamination, emphasising that the fight is about protecting sacred land and religious freedom. The Supreme Court petition represents a last-ditch effort to stop the mine.
