1. United States
2. Nev.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to take immediate action to reverse the 2014 congressional decision that authorized the transfer of 2,200 acres of public land at Oak Flat (Chi’chil Biłdagoteel) to Resolution Copper, a subsidiary of foreign mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP. Oak Flat, located east of Phoenix in the Tonto National Forest, is a sacred site for the San Carlos Apache and other Indigenous peoples. For generations, this land has held deep cultural, spiritual, and religious significance. It is home to ancient petroglyphs, traditional ceremonial grounds, and medicinal plants, and it remains a living, sacred place to this day. The proposed copper mine would not only destroy this irreplaceable site but would also create a massive crater and deplete precious groundwater resources. This action stands in direct violation of the religious freedoms of Native American communities and the promises we have made, time and again, to honor their sovereignty and protect their heritage. The land exchange was buried in a last-minute rider to the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, passed without transparency or proper public scrutiny. This move set a dangerous precedent—trading away sacred land behind closed doors in the name of corporate interests. I urge you to support legislation that would: • Repeal the land exchange deal with Resolution Copper; • Permanently protect Oak Flat under federal law; • Respect and uphold the rights of Indigenous communities to safeguard their sacred lands. Protecting Oak Flat is not just a matter of environmental preservation—it is a matter of justice, religious freedom, and basic human rights. We have a moral obligation to protect sacred Indigenous sites from irreversible harm. Please stand with Native communities, environmental advocates, and concerned citizens across the country. Protect Oak Flat. Reverse the land trade. Stop the mine.