People's argument of me being a white colonialist who should give their land back to natives reallllly breaks down when I prove them I'm a middle eastern African Jew and am dating a native American.
Especially when I ask them to give him their land back. They become speechless every time.
Opinion: Why the birthplace of the Western #Apache religion shouldn’t be destroyed by a #CopperMine
by Luke Goodrich
February 6, 2024·
"A federal court is poised to decide whether a #NativeAmerican#sacred site will be destroyed by a massive #copper#mine. Mining proponents claim that destroying the #SacredSite is necessary for the development of #GreenEnergy. That claim is both factually wrong and morally repugnant. And recent polling shows that the vast majority of Americans agree with what the constitution requires: #Native sacred sites deserve the same protection as all other houses of worship.
"Since before European contact, #WesternApache and other Native tribes have lived and honored their #Creator at #OakFlat, or 'Chi’chil Bildagoteel.' The site is the birthplace of Western Apache religion and the site of ancient religious ceremonies that cannot take place anywhere else. Because of its religious and cultural significance, Oak Flat is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been protected from mining and other destructive practices for decades.
"That changed in 2014, when several members of Congress, supported by #corporate#mining#lobbyists, slipped an amendment into a must-pass defense bill authorizing the transfer of Oak Flat to a foreign-owned mining giant. That company, #ResolutionCopper, announced plans to obliterate the sacred ground by swallowing it in a mining crater nearly two miles wide and 1,100-feet deep, ending Apache religious practices forever. That was no surprise given the company’s sordid history dealing with #IndigenousPeoples. The majority owner of Resolution Copper is #RioTinto (the world’s second largest mining company), which sparked international outrage in 2020 when it destroyed a 46,000-year-old rock shelter with some of the most significant #Aboriginal artifacts in all of #Australia.
"The Apache and their allies, represented by my firm, the #BecketFundForReligiousLiberty, have been fighting in court to ensure that such an atrocity won’t repeat itself at Oak Flat. After initial court rulings against the Apache, a full panel of 11 judges at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reheard their appeal last spring. A decision on whether the government can execute the land transfer is expected any day.
"Resolution Copper and its backers want the public to believe that building the mine is essential for developing #renewable energy. Extracting the copper beneath Oak Flat, they say, will help to build batteries necessary for powering #ElectricVehicles and thus fight #ClimateChange. In other words, we have to destroy Oak Flat in order to save the planet.
"These claims, however, are false — and they are specifically designed to obscure the physical and cultural destruction the project would wreak on the land.
"The mine will destroy the #environment, not save it. It is undisputed that the mine will swallow the ecologically diverse landscape of Oak Flat in a massive crater, decimating the local #ecosystem. It will also leave behind approximately 1.37 billion tons of '#tailings,' or #MiningWaste, which, according to the government’s own environmental assessment, will pollute the #groundwater and scar the landscape permanently. And the mine will consume vast quantities of water at the time it is most needed by drought-stricken towns and #farmers.
"Supporters of the mine are also at odds with the majority of Americans. According to this year’s Religious Freedom Index, an annual survey conducted by Becket, 74% of Americans believe that Native sacred sites on federal land should be protected from mining projects, even when the projects are purportedly pro-jobs and pro-environment.
"That conclusion is both sensible and humane. America can transition to renewable energy without blasting the cradle of Western Apache religion into oblivion. And it should. For too long, our nation has made excuses for taking advantage of #IndigenousPeople and their land. Indeed, our nation drove the Western Apache off Oak Flat and surrounding lands in the 1800s precisely to make way for #MiningInterests. It shouldn’t repeat that #injustice again.
"It is past time to protect Indigenous sacred sites from further destruction. Basic fairness and our constitutional commitment to religious freedom require no less. And, happily, most Americans agree."
New regulations have led museums to take Indigenous artifacts and human remains off display until they can receive consent from the descendants of the people those items were taken from.
The Mesa Prieta Project is documenting over 100,000 petroglyphs on a mesa north of #Española. The densest concentration of petroglyphs is managed by the Archaeological Conservancy - http://newmexiconomad.com/mesa-prieta/
Exciting news! OCU Law is hiring. We are looking for a tenured or tenure-track professor to lead our new Tribal Sovereignty Institute. I am the Chair of the Appointments Committee, so do not hesitate to reach out if you have interest or recommendations!
Senator Pushes #Museums to Return “Stolen” Native American Remains and Belongings
In a #Senate floor speech that centered America’s colonial history, Brian Schatz said institutions have a moral obligation to comply with federal #repatriation law. He demanded urgent action.
“The American Indian Native studies course that we’ve developed is heavily focused on modern #indigenous people, both in #Texas and beyond because we do still exist.”
Incredible news from the #Tonkawa Nation of #Oklahoma and their move to purchase a sacred mountain that was once theirs in Central #texas
I'm also deeply moved by the work the tribe will be doing to welcome visitors to the site, but also to educate visitors about their culture and ties to this place.
American Museum of Natural History admits some displays do not comply with Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act as currently interpreted and closes them as a result
Museum Pres. Sean Decatur says, “The Halls we are closing are vestiges of an era when museums such as ours did not respect the values, perspectives, and indeed shared humanity of Indigenous peoples. …” #AMNH#AMNHNYC#NativeAmerican#Museums
Federal Regulations Prompt Closure of Native American Displays at American Museum of Natural History by Karen K. Ho #ARTNews
"The American Museum of Natural History recently announced it will close two major halls exhibiting Native American objects in response to new federal regulations regarding the display or research of cultural items.
“The halls we are closing are artifacts of an era when museums such as ours did not respect the values, perspectives and indeed shared humanity of Indigenous peoples,” museum president Sean Decatur wrote in a letter to the museum’s staff on the morning of January 26. “Actions that may feel sudden to some may seem long overdue to others.”"
The American Museum of Natural History to Close Exhibits Displaying #Native American Belongings
The change is in response to new federal regulations that went into effect this month following reporting by ProPublica on institutional failures to return #NativeAmerican remains and sacred objects to tribes.