National opinion: Why Oak Flat demands our collective action

The recent ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Oak Flat in Arizona is more than a legal decision. It is a moral test.

The court’s decision allows Resolution Copper to move forward with a mining project that threatens to destroy Oak Flat, a site sacred to the San Carlos Apache Tribe and other Indigenous communities. For generations, this land has been a place of ceremony, prayer and identity. Its loss would not only be environmental. It would be spiritual, cultural and moral.

The sacred land of Oak Flat holds deep spiritual significance for the Apache people, who have gathered there for generations to perform sacred ceremonies, including the revered Sunrise Ceremony. This ancient ritual, rooted in Apache origin stories, guides girls into womanhood and connects them to the "Virgin Mother of her people." But this sacred site is under threat, and if destroyed, the Ga'an — the spiritual beings who call Oak Flat home — will leave, taking with them the essence of Apache traditions.

This moment raises urgent questions: Whose land is protected? Whose voices are heard? Whose histories are honored?

For those committed to climate and environmental justice, the implications are clear. We are witnessing a broader pattern where environmental protections are weakened, and sacred spaces are placed at risk in the name of economic gain. The dismissal of Oak Flat’s significance reflects a deeper failure to recognize the interconnectedness of people, land, and future generations.

At the same time, climate change continues to accelerate. It is not a distant threat. Communities are already facing rising temperatures, more frequent natural disasters, and growing inequities. Indigenous communities, along with women and children, remain among those most affected.

What is happening at Oak Flat is not isolated. It is part of a global reality where communities are confronting displacement, environmental harm, and the loss of sacred and life-sustaining resources.

An energy transition’s increased demands on critical minerals cannot be at the expense of local communities or continue the same social and environmental extractive injustices of the fossil fuel regime. While it might seem to some that U.S. sourcing lowers our impact in other countries, we must remember that it has historically disenfranchised indigenous communities alongside low-income communities. People of color carried the burden of imposed sacrifice for the growth of this nation.

A truly just energy transition calls us to first and foremost listen and follow the lead of historically and directed impacted communities, and support industry and consumption practices that are not extractive but restorative.

But this is not where the story ends.

When systems fall short, people rise. Across the United States and around the world, communities are organizing, resisting, and building solutions. Faith communities are investing in sustainable practices. Local advocates are challenging harmful development. Neighbors are coming together to protect what matters most. This is what it means to be unstoppable.

Oak Flat reminds us that local action is not small. It is where change begins.

We may not control court rulings or corporate decisions, but we are not without influence. We can advocate, educate, and stand in solidarity with those directly impacted. We can ensure that stories like Oak Flat are not overlooked, but amplified.

Because movements are built at the community level. And when communities move together, they shift what is possible.

The fight for a cleaner, safer, and more just world does not pause when decisions go against us. It becomes more urgent. More collective. More determined.

We hold onto the belief that change is still possible. And we act on that belief together, with an unstoppable commitment to justice.

Now is the time to act. Learn more about Oak Flat and support Indigenous-led advocacy efforts by visiting apache-stronghold.com. Share this story. Organize within your community. Use your voice to protect sacred land and advance environmental justice.

Every action matters. Together, we are unstoppable.