nativenewsonline.net
Eleven Ninth Circuit Judges Urge Supreme Court to Protect Oak Flat
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Tuesday declined to rehear three lawsuits seeking to protect Oak Flat, a sacred site of the Western Apache in Arizona. The decision marks another setback for efforts to prevent the planned destruction of Oak Flat by the proposed Resolution Copper mine. But the court’s action also produced unusually strong criticism from 11 Ninth Circuit judges, who questioned the court’s earlier ruling and urged the Supreme Court to consider the case. Dr. Wendsler Nosie Sr., founder of Apache Stronghold and a former chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, said the fight to protect Oak Flat is far from over.