A federal appeals court will rehear Apache Stronghold's case against the United States to save the sacred site of Oak Flat, a 6.7-square-mile stretch of land east of Phoenix that a private venture is seeking to turn into an underground copper mine.

TWH – For over 1,500 years, Native Americans of a variety of tribes have held sacred ceremonies at Oak Flat, which they recognize by the name “Chi’chil Bildagoteel.” Resolution Copper, owned by Rio Tinto, wants to turn the sacred site into a copper mine. Apache Stronghold has sued to defend Oak Flat. In June 2022, a 3-judge panel heard the case and ruled against Apache Stronghold.

The fight to protect a sacred site from development is once again back in court as defenders of Oak Flat seek another shot at stopping a huge copper mine on Apache territory.

Protests against the Resolution Copper mine near Oak Flat have been going for years, as shown in this 2015 file photo from a rally at the Capitol. Opponents say the mine will harm the environment and sacred sites, supporters say those issues have been dealt with and the mine will bring jobs and economic development. Few expect the fight to end soon. (File photo by Jamie Cochran/Cronkite News)

Chi’chil Biłdagoteel exemplifies the larger struggle tribes face over protecting off-reservation, culturally important lands.

PHOENIX —A planned mine at Oak Flat does not interfere with the ability of Native Americans to practice their religion, a federal appeals court has ruled.

A federal court has denied a bid by the grassroots group Apache Stronghold to halt the construction of a giant copper mine at Oak Flat Campground, a project that would obliterate a site held to be sacred by many Apaches and other Southwestern tribal members.

Apache Stronghold did not prove its religious concerns were enough to stop the mine.

A massive copper mine in Arizona could destroy an Apache community’s most sacred land.