Rep. Raúl Grijalva defends sacred Apache land from mining companies with new bill

March 16, 2022

Oak Flat or Chi’chil Bildagotee, the mountainous patch of land in Arizona, is on a path to destruction, but the Native Americans who inhabit the surrounding land are fighting back. 

To the San Carlos Apache Tribe, Oak Flat is sacred ground and has been used for centuries to hold religious ceremonies and communicate with the Creator. 

Their reservation is on the outskirts of Tonto National Forest, which is named for the Tonto group of Apaches who lived in the area until the U.S. Army forcibly removed them in the 1870s. 

Source: Rep. Raúl Grijalva defends sacred Apache land from mining companies with new bill