Friday

A subsidiary of Rio Tinto and BHPBilliton (the two biggest metal mining companies in the world, by annual revenue and market capitalization) is proposing to mine a rich copper vein on public and private lands east of Superior, Arizona.

Because the copper lies partially under a public campground that has been withdrawn from mining, the company, called Resolution Copper, hopes to pass a land exchange bill in Congress to obtain title to the campground.

A place worth protecting

The proposed mining area is not only prized by birders, campers, climbers and hikers, the tribes in the area consider it sacred. The San Carlos Apache tribe is actively opposed to the land exchange and potential mine because of the destructive impacts it would have on the surrounding ecosystem and traditional use lands.

Keep public lands public

Given the religious and recreational significance of the site, Earthworks opposes privatizing the 3,000+ acres of public land that are part of HR 687, the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2013.

Keeping public lands in public hands ensures that not only are the lands preserved for multiple uses, but that if a mine is to move forward, the company would go through a federal review process with adequate public involvement.

Unified opposition

The San Carlos Apache Tribe, White Mountain Apache Tribe, Fort McDowell Yavapai Tribe, Jicarilla Apache Tribe, InterTribal Council of Arizona and the National Congress of American Indians have all passed resolutions opposing the land exchange.



Conservations organizations ranging from the Sierra Club to the Arizona Audubon Society have also expressed serious concerns. Concerned Citizens and Retired Miners Association has formed to opposed the land exchange and in favor of expanded economic options for the region.
Source

VIDEO
The Great Oak Flat Land Giveaway from Bryan O'Neal on Vimeo.

Responses to "World's two biggest mining companies want to mine sacred lands (Video - Petition)"

  1. Anonymous says:

    This has got to stop. it was not bad enough when they came and took the land away from the red people and tried to wipe them off the face of the land. They were here before the white man and kept the earth the way it was because they respected mother nature. This is all about greed and that is what the white man is most famous for greed and destroying. I feel that this should stop before they destroy the earth with their greediness!!!!!!

  2. Anonymous says:

    this is down right heart breaking. it is history repeating itself white man takeing the land. you should be ashamed of yourselves. how would you feel if the tables where turned

  3. mark Hyde says:

    I do feel ashamed.
    Enough is enough.
    I am white, English and have never been to America.
    But even I can see this must stop.
    Stop NOW.

  4. Anonymous says:

    STOP!! How can this country even think of allowing any mining company to come in and destroy more precious land that can't be replaced. Its always about the money and not about the people. This land needs to be protected for future generations. It seems like every time I turn around this country wants to destroy more sacred land. WHY? GREED!! We, the human race, are slowly destroying this planet with our greed. STOP!! Thinking of yourself and start thinking about how you can preserve our precious planet. I want the chance to see the many beautiful areas we have in this country before I die. Sometimes I'm not proud of this country because we allow our land to be destroyed.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Pit/strip mining has destroyed enough of Arizona already changed the face of the Earth forever - NO MORE

  6. Unknown says:

    This is a crime against humanity..to continue to rape the planet and destroy our fragile ecosystem can no longer be tolerated.
    We are all citizens of this planet and we must respect our environment and work to undo the destruction that greed has brought upon the land.

  7. Anonymous says:

    I absolutely oppose the mining of this land. Not just for the issue that it is a totalt breach of the human and religious rights of the indiginious but it is an offence yet another on account of humans against our now unsustainable habits aganst the natural world and it will be yet another threat and endangerment to our now already suffering wildlife globally! AGAINST AND OPPOSED TO ANY MINING WHAT SO EVER. AGAINST AND OPPOSED TO MINING HERE.

  8. When the first Europeans came to this land they brought there So called God with them. Well after reading about Jesus I will call him the ultimate spirit warrior of his tribe. However the people who claim him as there God have now a new Picture of him. They and most people carry a picture of him in their wallet. OH Look I've Got one, looks like a Dollar Bill. So how much of this land do you European types want to take from this land that really doesn't belong to you anyway. You Europeans have shown the world nothing but your Greed. The land belongs to no one, not even us the native people who have lived here for thousands of years before your arrival. As all Native Americans know and are taught the Mother Earth is Sacred and we only live on her, and protect her for the Children we leave behind. So it seams to me that these people have no consciousness of what they will be leaving there children but an Earth that has no more to give.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Screw them. The Indians should of fought harder the first time.

  10. Anonymous says:

    THIS SHOULD OF BEEN STOPPED LONG ,LONG AGO. I'M 100 PERCENT WITH YOU.

  11. Anonymous says:

    Alot of People do things in the name of Jesus and not know him at all. Jesus came here to be Lord and Savior of All People that believe In him.
    He hates Injustice ,greed, abuse! He was In The Beginning and Created Everything! You see The Beauty of his handiwork on Earth and In The Heavens.
    These men shouldn't destroy The Free Gifts Of his Creations!
    We are Care Takers! Bad enough Wars and Polluting This Earth,and we should go to Court and sue The Leaders of Earth for having such destructions going on, ruining the Enviroment,Humanity! Stop It All!!

  12. Anonymous says:

    white man took enough leave the lands alone

  13. Anonymous says:

    This transcends religious ideologies and infringes upon Mother Earth. Yet, I have to ask, Why now? Why now are people, some people professing their disbelief and disdain for these atrocities? Our government has been doing this type of thing for hundreds of years and will continue to do so. How many people know of the atrocites perpetrated by our hero Columbus? How many people know about the kidnapping of Indian children...it is still going on today. How many people know of the Dan sisters and what the government did to them? How many people know about the forced or coerced sterilization of Indian women in our lifetime? How many people know of the decree that the United Nations layed down to the US government in 2003 to crease and desist the atrocities against Native people? How many people know about the slaughter of 1600 Buffalo that wandered out of Yellowstone, or the slaughter of a thousand wild Mustangs in Colorado? How many people care? I suggest....not nearly enough. We live in a culture of greed and until Mother Earth eradicates that which is harming her...humans, things will not change...and Mother Earth WILL survive.

  14. Anonymous says:

    That is just so wrong. Save our land!

  15. Anonymous says:

    big business go home , leave the American Indian land !

  16. Anonymous says:

    Big business, you are not thinking right. Find somewhere to do whatever you want. It's out there. Take your money and start REBUILDING where it is needed. You can be just as successful with a little effort. Probably no more effort than it takes to tear something up. Refocus your mission into something viable with the least amount of destruction. Help people by creating viable jobs. They will invest it into our economy, which helps so many people. There are so many sections of the United States that needs rebuilding. Wake up. Smell the coffee. Leave Earth alone and create lives!

  17. Anonymous says:

    Apache Pride!!!

  18. Anonymous says:

    If you talk the talk, walk the walk, call and write your congresspeople and Senators and call the White House opinion number (easily available online ! )A little research should show what Congressional bill this is in too. I hope to find/take time do this myself

  19. Anonymous says:

    I agree that we should leave this land as natural as possible...while the country needs more jobs, this project will not be doing that, as the mining will be done by robots...this area is already contaminated by the chemicals that have been used in the mining process...to open up another mine will only cause more of this issue... we need to keep some areas of our world untouched or there will be no natural areas left.. and the natives here consider this area sacred...and we should honor that

  20. veronica says:

    This must not be allowed to happen!

  21. Anonymous says:

    It would be a travesty to allow this land to be ravaged for corporate greed. I hope I am signing the petition. That is my intent.

  22. Anonymous says:

    This so wrong this is scared land, we have done enough damage to our earth mother. This will hurt mother more this wrong..

  23. Anonymous says:

    My heart bleeds for mother earth - too much greed.

  24. Tiade says:

    They came and took the land first and then the story. Now they want Prendes memory. Tiade

  25. White Lotus says:

    SUE them!
    Find the individuals, one by one, who will profit by this, and drag them before the law!

  26. Anonymous says:

    They WILL pave paradise to put up a parking lot. Joni Mitchell

  27. Unknown says:

    I am against the destruction of any land, let alone the sacred lands belonging to Natives who have fought and died to live the way their ancestors did. Who are they thinking they can just remodel Mother Earth at their whim? Big money talks to those who are greedy.

  28. Red Moon says:

    It's hard to beat the big money companies,but we can try our best
    When they go in there and tear things up it's like someone tearing
    up a grave yard that their parents are buried in.But they are blind
    to that.All they see is $ signs.They need to be stopped.A curse be upon
    this mining company.
    Red Moon

  29. Anonymous says:

    Leave the land to all children ,also the one's who are still to come.

  30. Anonymous says:

    More shame & disgrace from greedy humans towards our Earth -- Taking anyone's sacred land is wrong, wrong, wrong any way you look at it.

  31. Anonymous says:

    Isigned the petition but I donnt know if it went through or not

  32. Anonymous says:

    I'm against destroying land of any kind let alone a Native Americans. The land is for their children and their children's children's. Take your money some where else. Another country, leave ours alone!

  33. gsbrooksj says:

    We MUST STOP This! We can not destroy the heritage/sacred lands of our Native Americans! I am a third generation white American of German/Irish descent married to a 3/4 Native American. My family came here to live their dream of freedom. We must not allow this no matter what our family history!

  34. Anonymous says:

    Tell this tale to everyone you know. Do not allow this to happen. We owe so much to our native brothers and sisters and their ancestors and lands. We MUST use our privilege to change this ignorant rape of the peoples, resources, and spirutal convictions. We can no longer afford the idea that we are separate. All of us are connected and mother earth shows us that over and over. If this heinous act occurs it WILL affect all of us!We must wake up!!

  35. Anonymous says:

    Haven't they had enough taken away from them already

  36. Unknown says:

    Leave our Earth alone, do not take something that has great history and meaning to people and desecrate it for an ore or oil. This is wrong. STOP!!!

  37. Anonymous says:

    These are the Companies who are involved Citizens United, Sierra Club all belong to the Corporate Toilets supporting GOP, their all tied to A.L.E.C. those are the trouble makers, tell your Government you want them thrown out of this Country, no more Power or Immunity for them, they must leave. But under HR687 under EPA, law protects all Native Land including Arizona.

    Stephen Fortune
    Apache

  38. Anonymous says:

    Sign this Petition to Protect your 2nd Amendment, as a Native America, they are trying to take, the Corporate Toilets don't want you to have it but it was written by 7 Native Cheifs, including into the Federal Law of USA. go here to sign http://www.petitions.moveon.org/create_preview.html%3Fskin=

    They must respect that, and were not waiting 98 more years! And were not living in the 1700s ever!

    Stephen Fortune
    Apache

  39. Anonymous says:

    Duke Energy is dumping waste into the Waters, on Native Lands, and chemicals in the Water, if your in the area where they have service please sign this Petition to shut them down http://www.petitions.moveon.org/sing.enforce-these-bills Make sure that you have clean water, clean air, and land remains clean, tell everyone to sign it so they can stop hitting you with high energy Bills. Duke is the same people who control A.L.E.C. Walmart, Kmart, Target, McDonalds, Burger King, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, CitiBank, CitiCorp, and more like Geico Insurance all Insurance Companies expect for Nation Wide that's the good insurance.



    Stephen Fortune
    Apache

  40. Really??? When does The White Man stop taking from THE AMERICAN INDIANS!!!You really need to stay off sacred grounds.This must stop.They have been massacred enough.You already made Your deals way back when.Now You think You can be literally Indian-givers! I think not...I am a white American female with a stolen Blackfeet heritage in Our families pass.When does it really stop???

  41. Anonymous says:

    Foreign mining corporation - associated with Iran - to destroy the sacred lands of the Apache: I am taken back with IRAN....My co-worker Iranians had once told me that Iran has the utmost respect for Native Americans because they know how much they suffered under the white man's laws and how land was taken from them. I'm completely appalled that Iran would stand with this company to take away Sacred land from our Natives. Middle-eastern country hate American for religious reasons and yet, here we have Native American fighting to Protect their religious belief with Sacred grounds. How dare you Iran! I guess GREED does take Presidence over DIGNITY! That's a slap in the face for our Native and basically saying to them, Money talks and bullshit walks. Sad, just Sad...

  42. Anonymous says:

    this isnt fair, there has been enough of taking from these people, they should have the say or not if they want the white people destrying their, land. the whites should not take back on what they gave to the Indians. it is there land leave them alone; and yes i am a white female, i enjoy all of their native scenery and there ways. susan brown.

  43. Anonymous says:

    Maybe people are smart enough now to see what this government really is all about! Greed!! Took over two hundred years. Don't think the government will stop either, if they want your land you'll lose it!!

  44. Anonymous says:

    Its a shame what greed has done to society, I have to say I am ashamed to be called an American!!!! The Human race has destroyed all that was once beautiful on this grand world and for what to put up buildings and gain profit. Once it is all gone, and there is not one tree left, nor clean waters to bathe in, nor pure air to breathe, or clean ground to grow crops in don't wonder why as it will have been to late since no one cared to take action while it was all happening....

  45. Unknown says:

    This is an abomination. First the European settlers took the land from the native populations and forced them to live on reservations. Meanwhile their way of life and culture has been all but destroyed whether it was by Christian missionaries, rampant unemployment, or their native languages becoming extinct. Now the government and big business wants to take whatever land that was 'reserved' for them to strip mine it? Besides the exploitation of the people that were forced to call this home, the ecological and environmental consequences will be extraordinary to say the least. What happened to the principles that were laid out within the Declaration of Independence that the politicians love to bring up from time to time. Is it for all or is it selective. We are a nation of thieves, liars and hypocrites. The song "This Land Is Your Land..." should be changed to "This Is All Their Land..." By their land, I do not mean the people, I mean the corporations that bought and owns the government.

  46. Anonymous says:

    Arielle Ramsey,

    I am 50% Cherokee and 25% Micmac. I have lived on the rez for some time but have moved off. The untouched parts of the world are remarkable. To hear that these greedy people are trying to tear up our home lands again is completely rediculous. I am full heartedly against the destruction of this masterpiece made by Mother Earth. If the world were intended to be a huge paved sphere, with sky high buildings EVERYWHERE then it would have been made that way. Our world is sapost to be full of vegitation and open land to house the animals. Our Earth is not a dead thing you can claim. My heart goes out to all affected by this.

  47. Unknown says:

    I'm sorry but its big mining companies that are like this that I despise. If the land is sacred to a people u cant just go in and take what aint urs. Plus its these big shot company that are destroying the planet. it MUST stop.

  48. Sarie says:

    This is not at all acceptable. After all this time, still grabbing, bullying and destroying, still desecrating sacred lands! And this time, letting Iran do it, too??? (Time to print up some of those t-shirts from the 70s, "Hey, Iran!")Apparently the U.S. Gov't. has learned nothing since first contact. I am of 1800s immigrant and Pamunkey/Mattaponi descent, and would gladly not exist if it meant that this beautiful land full of ecologically sound, nature respecting people had never been... "discovered," or "settled," and absolutely exploited and pillaged by anyone else, especially never found by those who see no value in anything other than their own wallets, and man's other inventions. This is really obnoxious, really sad, and unbelievably ignorant behavior. And it is theft. All because of an inability to adapt to the environment, and some idea of manifest destiny, which is seriously outdated, and was ridiculously arrogant and brutal hundreds of years ago. Do the people who pull this stuff learn this as kids, do they never learn cooperation, respect, or the importance of clean drinking water and non-toxic soil, or would their 12 year old selves be thoroughly disgusted with them? It makes me ashamed of my pale skin, and of my country. Nothing valued but money and a mixed up idea of power. I am so sorry this is even an issue. People say they are smarter than animals, who are not destroying the earth, not stealing sacred lands, not waging war. That's really hard for me to believe, and I would really rather have been furry and living with the land than to be able to read this, and feel such shame in my kind. Many wise people have said, stand up for others, or no one will be left to stand up for you, but the greedy type always only cares about themselves, their beliefs, and what they can get away with. I just cannot understand this at all. It needs to stop, and has needed to for millennia. Most of mankind will never learn, but those who know need to speak up all the louder, and stand together. They could take your family home for a freeway, too, if you are far from here, and think it's not your problem. Do you want that? This needs to be illegal, under any circumstance. We need to look at what we have in common, be united against tyranny in a supposedly free land, work towards living up to our supposed ideals, and keep our supposed rights. We need to say NO and mean it. If the Red Road doesn't matter to you, or you don't know what it is, tell me, does this fit your idea of "Home of the Brave, Land of the Free?" The people around the Black Hills can tell you.They were taken long ago, for gold, and carving up, despite being sacred. The faces of men cut into sacred rock as a power play. One culture stomping on another, and using men who talked freedom to do it. Hypocritical and sheer spite. They fought back, and were blamed for it. Mt. Rushmore is just a statue of dominance, (though the faces on those Hills fought England for treating them this way) and this is the same type of maneuver. I am shocked whenever people don't know it. These are the people you trust with your freedom, acting this way. That's one example. There are thousands, at least. You are not immune, or protected from it. The Lakota people largely live in extremely bad conditions. We can't let that happen in AZ as well. That is the opposite of progress. We need to do the equal rights thing all over again? No one heard the first time, not even the men who started it. Mankind we can't fix. But this land swapping scam, that we can focus on, and stand up to. And if we don't we will regret it. Soon there will be nothing left for future generations--but what has that got to do with instant gratification and one-upmanship, hey? Totally disgusted, Saie in AZ.

  49. Anonymous says:

    Indians were real americans...

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