FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 8, 2025 PHOENIX, AZ – On Tuesday, a group of ecumenical Christian leaders affiliated with Creation Justice Ministries gathered in prayerful solidarity at a vigil in Phoenix, Arizona, to stand with the San Carlos Apache in their struggle to protect Chí’chil Biłdagoteel, known in English as Oak Flat. The gathering coincided with a key federal court hearing that could determine the future of this sacred site.
“Oak Flat is as holy to the Apache and other Indigenous people as Mount Zion is to followers of Abrahamic traditions. The mountain and the flat both manifest the brilliant glory of their Creator. Oak Flat was not created for corporate copper miners to exploit. It was created to give life and sustenance and spirit to generations of humans and creatures and ecosystems. To mine Oak Flat is to degrade God's sacred creation and to literally crater our nation's commitment to religious freedom.” — Rev. Jenny Phillips, Director of Environmental Sustainability, United Methodist Church General Board of Global Ministries, Creation Justice Ministries board member The Trump administration has signaled it will soon publish a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), triggering the land transfer process. By doing so before the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled whether it will take up the Apache Stronghold case, the administration is actively circumventing the judicial process and rushing forward with a decision that could irreversibly destroy a sacred site. The proposed copper mine would create a 1.8-mile-wide, 1,000-foot-deep crater and generate more than a billion tons of toxic waste, permanently desecrating lands held sacred by the Apache and other Indigenous peoples.
“The intentional destruction of a holy site for short-term greed is a declaration of war against all holy sites such as the Temple Mount, the National Cathedral, or your local church. Just as the people of London deflected the bombs of Hitler that were falling on St. Paul, people all over this country are walking in solidarity with the Apache Stronghold to protect Oak Flat. Our country is founded on religious liberty for all, and should be especially so for the religious expression that is most native to this land.” — Rev. Sarah Macias, Alliance of Baptists, President of the Creation Justice Ministries Board Oak Flat has been protected from mining since 1955 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a Traditional Cultural Property. Its religious and cultural significance has been recognized by a broad interfaith coalition, with over 100 faith-based organizations previously supporting legislative efforts to protect the site.
Additional Quotes from Faith Leaders “An image that captured the generational impact of saving Oak Flat for me, was seeing an older woman in a wheelchair next to several very young children, all coming together to protect and preserve the past and the future of this sacred land.” — Sharon Felton, Congregational Advocacy Manager, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Creation Justice Ministries Board Member “Those who root their faith in the Bible are very familiar with the concept of the Holy Land and the idea that the generational inheritance of a land is one of the most sacred aspects of our relationship with God. As a result, it provokes the deepest and strongest of emotions to think that the sacred land of the San Carlos Apache People for generation after generation could be desecrated and destroyed in the pursuit of profit as a result of our government’s actions.” — Brooks Berndt, Minister for Environmental Justice, United Church of Christ, Creation Justice Ministries Board Member “I was touched by the Oak Flat March. I am so glad that I could be there to support this most worthy cause of the Indigenous people being taken advantage of once again. This is a very sad situation of greed. It was wonderful to hear the speeches, the songs and the drummers. It was truly an evening of the community coming together in support of the San Carlos Apache.” — Dr. Jeanette Bouknight, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Creation Justice Ministries Board Member “As Chair of the Social Justice Commission of the National Baptist Convention of America, I stand in unwavering solidarity with the Apache Stronghold to defend Oak Flat—sacred land that must never be desecrated for corporate gain. Environmental justice is a moral mandate, and we join our Indigenous siblings in declaring that holy ground is not for sale.” — Rev. Dr. Keyon S. Payton, Chair of the Social Justice Commission of the National Baptist Convention of America, Creation Justice Ministries Board Member
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About this BlogThis blog shares the activities of Creation Justice Ministries. We educate and equip Christians to protect, restore, and rightly share God's creation. Archives
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