Come to Oak Flat May 30 – 31 to protect Oak Flat
The Apache Stronghold will be hosting a concert, and spiritual and educational events this weekend at Oak Flat.
A concert featuring traditional Apache songs and Native American musicians will begin at 11:00 am on Saturday May 30 at Oak Flat. Entertainment will continue all afternoon and culminate with Apache Mountain Spirit Dancers (around 5:00).
Sunday’s events will begin at 8:00 am with a traditional Apache Holy Ground ceremony. Holy Ground will be followed by concurrent educational and action events including an art project, an eco tour, a spiritual tour, and an Apache community meeting.
All events are free and open to the public. Everyone is encouraged to attend.
Meals will be provided, but bring warm clothes (for the evening), sun protection (during the day), and a chair. Bring camping equipment if you plan to camp overnight.
Oak Flat Campground is located south of US Highway 60 4 miles east of Superior, AZ. You will see a Highway sign for the campground coming from either direction on Highway 60. Follow signs into the campground.
In December, President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act into law. It included the Oak Flat land exchange, which allows for multi-national mining company, Rio Tinto, to move forward on a proposal for an enormous copper mine. The mine would decimate a piece of the Tonto National Forest of Arizona, including the popular recreation area, Oak Flat. While the environmental impacts of this project would reach generations into the future, the absolute disregard for indigenous rights to the area has made the call to action on Oak Flat a moral imperative.
The land near the Oak Flat Campground is a sacred site to the indigenous tribes in the area, including the Apache. The new law allows Rio Tinto a run-around to avoid complying with indigenous rights to the land. Activists have been working for many years on the issue and actions are being planned this winter throughout the region to raise awareness and stop the destruction of this wild and sacred space.