Republican Congressman Paul Gosar is going nuclear at news that Oak Flat will remain listed in the National Register of Historic Places, despite attempts by himself and U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, a Democrat who alleges to stand by Native Americans, to withdraw the site from historic consideration.
The pair argued listing Oak Flat as a historic place would continue to sabotage plans by Resolution Copper to begin work on its controversial mine.
In a press release, Gosar alleges Oak Flat has never been a sacred site. And, according to a letter by former chairman of the San Carlos Apache Nation and organizer of the group Apache Stronghold Wendsler Nosie, Sr., Gosar is pressuring the National Forest Service to kick out members of the Apache Stronghold, as well as allies, who have occupied the area since the site was sold out to the mining company.
Gosar says in a press release that he is disappointed Oak Flat was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, “despite multiple bipartisan requests to withdraw the fundamentally-flawed nomination.”
Shame on the Park Service and Forest Service for ramming a bogus historic place listing down the throats of Arizonans. Clearly, the Obama Administration cares more about pandering to extremist environmental groups and a D.C. lobbyist from the Clinton Administration than following the law and listening to the American public. Oak Flat has never been a sacred site, as confirmed by the local tribe’s own former historian. Yet, Obama’s minions are hell-bent on sabotaging an important mining effort by listing a small, public campground 20 miles away from the nearest tribe’s reservation as a historic site.
Gosar says the community in Superior, located roughly 4 miles from Oak Flat, is in dying need of good-paying jobs and the proposed Resolution Copper mine is the antidote.
A bipartisan Congress and the president have declared the land exchange for this copper mine to be the law of the land. That should have been the end of it. But blatantly deceitful collaboration that ignores the Rule of Law cannot be tolerated. This fraudulent action is the latest in a long list of egregious bureaucratic abuses of power by the Obama Administration. I will continue to fight this overreach.
Earlier this week, an email that seemed to be a personal exchange was distributed by the Center for Biological Diversity, saying Gosar was “leaning heavily” on the Forest Service to “crack down on the occupation at the campground.”
…and they think some kind of action to remove them may be imminent, in which case they’ll need various kinds of support. I’m passing this along as a head’s up, same as I just got.
Nosie says in a letter that Gosar’s attacks are nothing but misinformation and “outrageous prejudice against our people and our religious practice.” He accuses Gosar of failing to protect the tribe’s human rights and their First Amendment right to exercise their religion, and adds that Gosar has done all he can to destroy a holy place.
Oak Flat, known to us Chi’chil Bildagoteel, has always been our connection to our Mother, our right to exist, a central part of our prayers, songs, stories and spiritual practices. It is from here that we emerged. It is who we are.
We have lost so much. So many of our people, the original people of this land, have been wiped out, and those that remained were removed, exiled, from our indigenous lands and placed in concentration camps.
Chi’chil Bildagoteel, our holy land, was put under the care of the U.S. government, and because of its uniqueness, the great value of maintaining its ecological and cultural integrity, protected by its laws.
But now these laws are being subverted. The land handed over to foreign mining concerns through underhanded backroom deals by Arizona representatives in the U.S. Congress eliminates these protections.
In December 2014, Gosar, Kirkpatrick, and U.S. Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake added a last-minute amendment to a must-pass National Defense Authorization Act, giving away Oak Flat to Resolution Copper.
Apache Stronghold has occupied Oak Flat since.
Still, Rep. Gosar, is pressuring the Forest Service to enforce its rules that limit camping at Oak Flat to 14 consecutive days, rules that as indigenous people practicing our religion we are not subject to. The United States has legal and moral obligations to provide access to Native Americans and to protect these traditional territories.
In June of last year, Democratic Congressman Raúl Grijalva issued the Save Oak Flat Act, which hoped to repeal the Resolution Copper deal and reestablish protection for Oak Flat. Vermont U.S. senator and Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders introduced a similar bill in the Senate. However, McCain and Gosar have helped block the bills from moving forward, Nosie’s letter says.
This article appears in Mar 10-16, 2016.
“They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot for another casino.”-Joni Mitchell
Remember, the same people who were calling white “Welfare” ranchers cowards and traitors, that deserved to die?
Where are they now? These brown people want to protect their land. Why aren’t you calling for them to be murdered?
OPV, you won’t get answer to that from folks that are infected with a mental disorder that requires self loathing. Let them be. They suffer enough already.
OPV: Take your meds.
does anyone know how much gosar and kirkpatrick are being paid by resolution copper? where are the investigative reporters? these bought politicians need to be exposed.
Hi, a request: Would somebody, perhaps even a staffer of the Tucson Weekly, post some actual info to say yea or nay to that site being historically used for religious purposes. I do not doubt that most of the named politicians are bought, but prefer to know how valid either sides’ claims are.
Way to go Obama!
@ OPV, the answer to your question is that the land does belong to the Apache, unlike the case of the ranchers who were merely poaching land for grazing.
I offer a rewrite of Paul Gosar’s comments in the article above:
“Shame on Senator John McCain and Representative Paul Gosar and the Forest Service for ramming a copper mine down the throats of Arizonans. Clearly, the Republicans care more about pandering to an Anglo-Australian multinational mining company and a D.C. lobbyist from the Clinton Administration than following the law and listening to the American public. Oak Flat has been a sacred site, as confirmed by the local tribe’s own former historian. Yet, Resolution Copper and its minions are hell-bent on destroying an important natural site by finagling an illegal land swap, cowardly attached as a rider in a major appropriations bill.”
I clicked on like for a comment that was critical to this article and it counted on the dislike..Likewise for the dislike to like….Lib technology at it’s best..They even cheat on crappy little websites..lol
How would he know? He isn’t Apache. Just another statement showing his ignorance and stupidlity.
On February 11, 2009, AZ Senators Jon Kyl and John McCain introduced S. 409, the
“Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2009.” This Bill follows five unsuccessful attempts by Senator Kyl to pass similar special interest Bills.”
Now I wonder why you didn’t mention this in your article. Could it be that McCain is being challenged by Kirkpatrick? Would you really play politics with this? Since the Tucson Weekly is now published in Phoenix and has changed considerably, one has to wonder…
Doug Martin, you might find the information in Open Secrets website.
Gosar needs to go.
Maybe the Tuscan Weekly should do some research into campaign contributions made by Resolution Copper and/or any parent company? I am willing to bet these “representatives” have been bought.
Wonder what kind of kickback Gosar is getting for selling mining rights on American soil to a foreign company. That the Apaches have a primarily religious claim on the site only makes this proposition more disgusting.
The deal stomps on the Apache nation. In addition, the land will be mined by a foreign business interest meaning, other than the paycheck a to local populace (if any), the money from the operation leaves the state, most likely the nation. We have already lost precious jobs to outsourcing, shall we simply toss foreign corporations the deeds to our resources? An economy only exists if money circulates within it moving freely. If we are truly s capitalist nation we must surely understand this? Oh, certainly there will be some tax levied and the company will add a wing or two to some worthy medical faculty but the bulk of the money will leave the country. No one has mentioned this. Why? Because it’s better to have Americans at each other’s throats once again while the foxes move in tithe hen house. This deal is a classic example of what not to do if you want to grow your economy, economics 101.
These are the Apache resources. We made s deal. The Apache are Americans, so if we let a foreign interest take advantage of them, we also take the hit. We have a choice to fight among ourselves and be taken advantage of, or we can stand together and figure out a better plan. Are the few jobs that they dangle before us worth the destruction to land, to our sense of unity and to the long term future? Who will ultimately walk away with the bigger pot full of money and who will be left cleaning up?
I wonder why the “like” buttons do not work????????
The Apache ,Geronimo held the U.S. army at bay for 18 years with just a hand full of followers in pursuit for living his life as a free Apache which was a way of life that had endured for nearly 1,000 years. In discussing a possible peace , Geronimo asked General Crook … With all this land , why is there no room for the Apache ?
After reading the article there is little doubt that Republican Congressman Paul Gosar is on the
Resolution Copper Mining Co. s ( under the table payroll list for corrupt elected officials) .
I say , leave The Apache Nation be . We have taken so much from them already that we can never give back .
OK, Here’s a link detailing some of the contributions to McCain’s campaign fund:
http://www.mining-law-reform.info/mccain.htm
I luv this land but seems $ is worth more. Wish it could be different government like before technology . I hate $ and law over my free will to be happy . I’m blind to race, religion, and control of living things. I luv Natives and don’t know how to learn truth from fascist people .
I am one of the American Public and i want the Oak Flat land to belong to the Apaches…
A. Johnson, don’t mean to sound rude but sometimes you just have to…Google!
Kudos, ELECTROLASS! Especially the point about a “Foreign Country, Setting Up A Copper Mine & Shipping It Overseas To Their Country” & good ol John McCain backing it, CAT49, thank you for the link showing us how much this “True American, Wounded War Veteran”, really cares!<<< his shirttail for his Presidential, candidacy!! The U.S., "gave" <<< (that's a crock in itself), the Indians some land, now the "Peoples", elected Gov. Officials, want the Indians, to just give what little they have, to make way for another country to move in, strip precious minerals, to be shipped off. How in the hell does any of that make sense? Even if it wasn't a "Sacred Site" (which I believe it is), it's still on "The National Registrar of Historical Sites". The Indians aren't idiots!!! Boom!!!
OPV, you’re comparing apples and oranges, if you’ll pardon the cliche. You said:
Remember, the same people who were calling white “Welfare” ranchers cowards and traitors, that deserved to die?
Those that disapproved of the Bundy occupiers rarely used such vile language, however, the feeling was that these people who took gov’t subsidies (“welfare”) for their ranching business were wrong for refusing to pay their fair share of taxes in the form of grazing fees on public land, and were traitors for calling themselves a “militia” while openly rebelling against the legitimate president and government. They had their own peculiar interpretation of the Constitution, based on the teachings of a fringe sect of the Mormon church, and regarded all other interpretations as invalid. Some of them called themselves “sovereign citizens”, each man a law unto himself, a real oxymoron if you think about it, because citizenship exists in the context of a lawful community. Most opponents of the Bundy occupation weren’t saying that these men deserved to die, only that they needed to end their occupation and vacate the property. Also you said:
Where are they now? These brown people want to protect their land. Why aren’t you calling for them to be murdered?
We’re right here, standing with the Apache. The Oak Flat occupiers — Apache and allies — are protesting an underhanded last-minute rider added to a defense bill, authorizing the destruction by mining of a historically and culturally significant place. The Bundys weren’t protesting the destruction of their land, their protest was because they didn’t want to pay taxes.
I think I detect a hint of snark in your message, and you’re really in support of the Oak Flat occupation. I hope so.
Trying to iliminate a Sacred Site,
Beware you all…..
Is like proposing marriage to Satan.
Let me shine some light
on the supposed sacred sight.
Before you do eliminate,
why not try an 8 foot tall gate?
Oh the hell with it.
this is his address in FLagstaff – send him some enlightening letters
Dr. Paul A. Gosar, DD
Address: 2222 E Cedar Ave, Flagstaff, AZ 86004
This guy Gosar would not recognize something Sacred even if he had a out of body experience. But he would try to write a book about it and make money. He is not an American, he is a globalizationist which are the scum bags of the Earth!
We sit in judgement of all these other countries, Russia, Turkey, Germany to name but a few that have tried to wipe out entire populations of people yet we have done the same thing here. We tried to wipe out the American Indian, broken treaties and stolen their land , Sadly we are still doing it. How much are you making on this deal Congressman Gosar? Leave the American Indians alone, we have taken enough from them.
This crap is getting old, everytime a indian claims his grandfather pooped on a bush somewhere it becomes ”sacred” land.. its not their land to begin with so its time to evolve into american citizens or get out..
D. Early, Aren’t you just a mouthful of ignorance. And such a “good” American citizen. How is it you are not offended/outraged by the politicians who have, so far, succeeded in sneaking a rider onto a totally unrelated bill! This rider, obviously so bad it had to be hidden to be passed, will ultimately give AMERICAN land, resources and profits to foreigners! With probably, little recompense (surely a pittance compared to what they’ll walk away with) to most Americans, and in particular those most closely involved. (i.e. locals “dying for work” per Mr. Gosar) Oh, by the way, whose land was it to begin with?
Who are the terrorist now? the US government just like it has always been to the American Indians.
_Gerry Boone
I love Arizona. I hate the crooks and money-grubs that are in control of it. I will never live there again if I can help it. Please vote those bastards that wanted to sell Oak Flat out. The people of Arizona have the power and November is around the corner. I live in another state that I also love and has its own issues with people trying to just flatten our forests or steal our water to sell. We also have the f-ing Bundys in JAIL and I’m proud of this fact. It’s time for the trend of being a land-grabbing/abusing cowboy to become a thing of the past.
Just another land grab by the powers that be.This is Apache land,always was always will be.For this to be happening in 2020 shows that nothing has changed for Americas Native peoples.Sacred sites are unknown in a society bent on destruction,power and greed.Money is their God.Vote these people out of office that are dead in their hearts.I pray for a standoff like they had and Won at Standing Rock.