Save Oak Flat

I don't usually use this blog to talk about causes, but two days ago I became aware of one of the more perplexing land swaps in U.S. history.  Perhaps for the first time ever, the U.S. Government is attempting to transfer sacred Native American land into the hands of a private foreign interest.  How?  Why?  Maybe we should follow the money.

The pictures are from the demonstrations held on the U.S. Capitol lawn yesterday.  These are the San Carlos Apache and their supporters. To see a full edit, check my gallery here:

http://johnboalphotography.photoshelter.com/gallery/SaveOakFlat-DC-Rally-2015/G0000n9TZ0_2pwKc

Carrie Sage Curley, San Carlos Apache, dances to music played by fellow members of the San Carlos Apache Tribe.

In December of 2014, as we drew near another shutdown, the Defense Authorization Act was passed in Congress and at the last minute, a rider was slipped in...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/03/ndaa-land-deals_n_6264362.html

Buried on page 1,105 is a land transfer of 2,400 acres of Tonto National Forest in AZ which includes Apache ancestral medicinal, ceremonial and burial grounds to Resolution Copper.  This land transfer was tried twice before in the House and failed.  Naturally, with any bad legislation that makes a few people very rich, there's no reason not to sneak it in by any other means possible.  They found that way by doing it at the 11th hour on the back of a must-pass defense authorization bill.  We should thank Arizona Sens. McCain and Flake.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/29/opinion/selling-off-apache-holy-land.html

The argument they make is about jobs, naturally.  And technically, this land is "Public Land".  Oak Flat is just beyond the reservation line in Tonto National Forest.  But the agreement has always been about "allowing" Apaches to return to their ancestral land to conduct ceremonies and rituals.  Let's forget for the moment the actual concept of Apache land not being in their possession to begin with.  At what point is it even relevant to talk about jobs when the way to get there is to destroy land that is culturally significant to indigenous people?  And by destroying this land you are, by proxy, destroying a people.  This is their sacred land.  They have coming-of-age-ceremonies here for women.  No one would ever consider selling off the Mt. Sinai if there were some metal to be dug up from underneath.  No one would consider demolishing Mecca, if they thought they could get some more oil out of the ground.  Why does it make any sense to steal the land from people?  The only answer, of course, is that these are Native Americans.  They are impoverished and small in number.  It's too easy.  Hell, we've been doing it for 400 years, why stop now?

Sandra Rambler, makes her way to the Protect Oak Flat demonstrations at the U.S. Capitol.

 http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2015/02/sandra-rambler-traditionally-speaking.html


Aside from the disputable jobs/money figures Resolution Copper puts forth, the better question is to ask what right they have to take land that the Apache's would never had any intention of selling for the right to completely decimate the landscape and line their pockets?  In case you aren't sure, the particular brand of mining would hollow out the land, allowing erosion to leave a 2 mile wide crater.

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/29428-the-apache-way-the-march-to-oak-flat

Baase Pike, 10, Apache, awaits the demonstrations.

It's hard to understand why anyone would think this is a good idea...unless you realize that a few people would probably stand to get very wealthy off of this deal.  It's the only way to make sense of it.

Wendsler Nosie, Sr, tribal councilman, speaks to fellow members of the San Carlos Apache Tribe and their supporters in front of the United States Capitol to protest the transfer of Apache land to a private Australian-British mining corporation

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/07/20/grijalvas-save-oak-flat-bill-boosted-historic-preservation-listing-161136 

Either way, the Apache naturally didn't stand pat.  Aside from starting their own form of "Occupy Oak Flat" movement, they came to Washington to protest the land grab.  Another AZ representative, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-3), introduced H.R. 2811, which would repeal the land grab.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2811/text

Carrie Sage Curley, San Carlos Apache, watches Wendsler Nosie, Sr, tribal councilman, speak to fellow members of the San Carlos Apache Tribe and their supporters in front of the United States Capitol.