
Fight over Oak Flat mine draws support of diverse religious groups
Thursday, May 13, 2021
Cronkite News
WASHINGTON – The Sikh Coalition and the San Carlos Apache would not appear to have much in common at first glance, but they have found a shared interest in the fight over a patch of land in southeastern Arizona.
That’s where the federal government is considering whether to turn sacred Apache land over to a mining company, whose plans for the site would “obliterate” the ability of tribal members to worship there, in the words of one federal judge.
The prospect has turned an environmental fight over the mine into one over religious rights, and drawn a diverse cast of supporters to the Apache cause. In addition to the Sikh Coalition, court briefs supporting the tribe have been filed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, among others.
“It seemed that our interests were really closely aligned here, as a civil rights organization that seeks to protect a religious community,” said Cindy Nesbit, senior staff attorney for the Sikh Coalition. “We were definitely concerned by the court’s interpretation.”



Note: This story originally appeared on Cronkite News. It is published via a Creative Commons license. Cronkite News is produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.
Advertisement
Search
Filed Under
Tags
More Headlines
Native America Calling: #LandBack Canada
Native America Calling: In the background with Native movie extras
Native America Calling: Live from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians powwow
Montana Free Press: Tribes hit with marijuana grow limits
Matthew Fletcher: U.S. Supreme Court disrupts criminal justice in Indian Country
Cronkite News: U.S. Supreme Court ruling called a ‘disaster’ for Indian Country
Native America Calling: Streaming Native stories
‘Oklahoma’s sovereignty and jurisdiction’: Outgoing Republican attorney general claims victory in U.S. Supreme Court case
‘A direct assault on tribal sovereignty’: Lawmaker calls for action to address U.S. Supreme Court ruling
‘An increase in violence against Native victims”: NIWRC raises alarms about U.S. Supreme Court decision
‘An attack on tribal sovereignty’: Tribal organizations respond to U.S. Supreme Court ruling
Crystal Echo Hawk: U.S. Supreme Court part of ‘anti-Native, anti-woman war’ across the country
Choctaw Nation weighs in on U.S. Supreme Court ruling in tribal sovereignty case
U.S. Attorneys vow to ‘enforce federal law in Indian Country’
Republican governor celebrates victory in U.S. Supreme Court case
More Headlines
Native America Calling: In the background with Native movie extras
Native America Calling: Live from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians powwow
Montana Free Press: Tribes hit with marijuana grow limits
Matthew Fletcher: U.S. Supreme Court disrupts criminal justice in Indian Country
Cronkite News: U.S. Supreme Court ruling called a ‘disaster’ for Indian Country
Native America Calling: Streaming Native stories
‘Oklahoma’s sovereignty and jurisdiction’: Outgoing Republican attorney general claims victory in U.S. Supreme Court case
‘A direct assault on tribal sovereignty’: Lawmaker calls for action to address U.S. Supreme Court ruling
‘An increase in violence against Native victims”: NIWRC raises alarms about U.S. Supreme Court decision
‘An attack on tribal sovereignty’: Tribal organizations respond to U.S. Supreme Court ruling
Crystal Echo Hawk: U.S. Supreme Court part of ‘anti-Native, anti-woman war’ across the country
Choctaw Nation weighs in on U.S. Supreme Court ruling in tribal sovereignty case
U.S. Attorneys vow to ‘enforce federal law in Indian Country’
Republican governor celebrates victory in U.S. Supreme Court case
More Headlines