The sale of a federally protected area in Arizona that Native American tribes have used for religious ceremonies for centuries has been halted by a court due to an ongoing legal battle.
The site was to be mined for copper.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled on Monday that the 7-square-mile area known as Oak Flat in the Tonto National Forest, located in Arizona’s Pinal County, cannot be sold to British-Australian mining company Resolution Copper until federal judges have a chance to consider emergency petitions filed by Apache Stronghold, a coalition of Native Americans and advocates fighting the transfer.
The coalition, which includes the Knights of Columbus and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, argues that the sale of the site, which was protected from development by the federal government for decades until this sale began in 2014, violates federal religious freedom laws.
Apache Stronghold founder Wendsler Nosie told the Catholic News Agency in a statement that the organization is “deeply grateful” for the court’s ruling.
“This decision is a vital step in protecting our spiritual lifeblood and religious traditions from destruction,” he added. “While the fight is far from over, this ruling gives us hope and time to continue our battle in the courts and to persuade the Trump administration to protect Oak Flat as a sacred place for future generations.”
“We are hopeful with the news from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and welcome the opportunity to make our case for the continued protection of Oak Flat,” Maria Dadgar, executive director of the Inter Tribal Association of Arizona, said in an interview with the Arizona Republic.
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