Press Release: Christian Leaders Join Apache Stronghold to Protect Sacred Oak Flat

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.

Fourteen faith leaders representing ten Christian denominations and communions participated in the vigil, deepening years of ongoing Christian solidarity with Apache spiritual leaders. Oak Flat is currently under immediate threat, as the Trump administration has announced plans to move forward with the land transfer to Resolution Copper—before the courts have ruled on lawsuits that argue the destruction of Oak Flat would violate religious freedom protections under federal law.

“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 attack on Oak Flat isn’t just an environmental or freedom of religious liberty issue. The fact that this site is host to the ceremony that welcomes girls into womanhood means that making it inaccessible to the people who originally lived and tended it is an act of violence against women specifically. On every front the total disregard for this land in pursuit of extractive industries is just diabolical. People of faith must continue to stand with Indigenous communities in ways that reflect our values of justice, solidarity, and protection of Indigenous sovereignty.”
— Jessica Maudlin, Associate for Sustainable Living and Earth Care Concerns, Creation Justice Ministries Board Member

“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.

“People of faith have a responsibility to bear witness in this moment – and the government has an obligation to listen,” said Avery Davis Lamb, Executive Director of Creation Justice Ministries. “Protecting Oak Flat is a matter of honoring Indigenous sovereignty, defending religious freedom, and safeguarding God’s creation from desecration.”

Creation Justice Ministries calls upon the Trump administration to halt the land transfer until the judicial process concludes. Christian communities are invited to join this movement for justice by contacting their elected representatives, educating congregations, and amplifying Apache voices.

​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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For more information or to request interviews with participating faith leaders, contact:
Avery Davis Lamb: avery@creationjustice.org | (785) 217-6784