To: The Arizona State House, The Arizona State Senate, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Save sacred Apache land! Repeal Sec. 3003 of H.R. 3979
Repeal the land-trade rider slipped into the National Defense Authorization Act by Arizona Senators McCain and Flake, which has signed away sacred Apache land (Oak Flat) to Resolution Mining Company.
Why is this important?
Not only is this rider of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (signed into law as Public Law 113-291 by President Obama on 12/19/14) an insidious affront to (already besieged) tribal sovereignty, but it is a classic case of congressional corruption: Rio Tinto (Resolution Mining's parent company) affiliates have been McCain campaign contributors, and Senator Flake was formerly a paid lobbyist for Rio Tinto. Even the local miners' group opposes the land swap because it won’t help the local people or economy. Rio Tinto has been called out in the past for environmental devastation (info courtesy of Lydia Millet of the NYT: http://nyti.ms/1M1iMhi). This sacred land has been used by the Apache people for countless generations for coming-of-age ceremonies and gathering traditional foods. The Apache people have been hosting a protest on the land for the past several months. Let's support them in their efforts to save their land! Repeal Sec. 3003 of H.R. 3979!