The Fight For Indigenous Religious Freedom

October 25, 2021

Oak Flat is about 4,300 acres of desert landscape in Arizona’s Tonto National Forest, about an hour east of Phoenix. It’s a world-renowned rock climbing spot and a popular hiking and camping destination. 

For the Apache, it’s a sacred religious site. The area also has a massive copper deposit. In a 2014 deal, Congress gave part of Oak Flat to one of the world’s largest copper mining companies.

A grassroots activist group called the Apache Stronghold sued the federal government, arguing that the land transfer violates religious freedom protections.

Source: The Fight For Indigenous Religious Freedom