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Apache Stronghold shares their journey through the west, from the Lummi Nation to California, and in gatherings with Quechan and Hopi, and in the cities of Tucson, Phoenix and Flagstaff, Arizona. The Prayer Journey to the Supreme Court continues east in the journey to protect sacred Oak Flat from a copper mine.
As the Apache Stronghold’s prayer journey to the Supreme Court turns East, we are reflecting on our ceremonies and discussions throughout the western segment of the journey. Our prayer journey through the West began in the Lummi Nation, north of Seattle, where we met with the elders of the nations and were given words of encouragement and support.
Adalitza, who leads the elder program for the Lummi Nation, spoke of the importance of this fight, saying it’s crucial to set the precedence for the younger ones because it’s the children who will be living in the world we are creating for them.
Additionally, in Adalitza’s words, “We’re doing this to take care of the mind, body, and soul of our people because it’s all timely. Our Mother Earth is dying, and she’s upset, so let’s take care of her and carry those words of protection, protection, protection, let her live, let us live, and that means for all people because mother nature keeps us all here.”
On our next stop, we visited Peehee Mu’huh (Thacker Pass) a sacred site to the Paiute Shoshone people. When the Apache Stronghold arrived at the entrance to Peehee Mu’huh, they found a chain link wall with a locked gate, blocking everyone except those authorized by the mine.
Speaking of the experience later, Dr. Wendsler Nosie Sr. shared, “It’s a sad reminder that people don’t know the day could come if Oak Flat is ever transferred to Resolution Copper, that the acorns, medicine plants, and water could be locked away behind a gate facing death at the hands of a corporation.
People need to come together to stop this desecration happening at Peehee Mu’huh and prevent it from happening everywhere else before it’s too late.” We left with a reminder of the Indigenous people who were stewards of the land since time immemorial, and all others who would go there to pray, are now locked out. The continued genocide of Indigenous Religion reminds us of the reason why we are protecting sacred sites, Mother Earth, and our basic human rights.
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