Image Source: Piroschka Van De Wouw | Reuters
The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a last-minute appeal from Native American group Apache Stronghold to block a major copper mining project in Arizona that threatens Oak Flat, a sacred Apache religious site. The mine, developed by Resolution Copper (a joint venture of Rio Tinto and BHP), could destroy Oak Flat, which is used for vital tribal ceremonies and is home to spiritual beings central to Apache religion.
Apache Stronghold argued that the project violates their rights under the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. However, lower courts had ruled that transferring federal land for mining did not “substantially burden” religious practices, and the Supreme Court declined to intervene.
Conservative Justices Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented. Gorsuch criticized the court’s refusal to hear the case, arguing that religious freedom claims from Christians would likely have been treated differently.
The land transfer was authorized by a 2014 act of Congress. The government maintains it has the right to manage its own land and has no legal precedent requiring it to prioritize religious use over congressionally mandated development.
Despite the court’s decision, the case highlighted tensions between religious rights, tribal sovereignty, and powerful economic interests in resource extraction.
Learn more: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/27/supreme-court-spurns-native-american-religious-claim-over-copper-mine-on-sacred-land.html
