Proposed mine near oak flat: anger, concern running deep
Native Americans, environmentalists, neighbors have list of complaints, fears about Pinal County project
Ashley McGowan/Arizona Sonora News
Nearly 100 people left Superior High School disappointed and anxious after a long night of grueling questions and harsh realities at a public meeting in April. Many lived nearby and came to tell the Tonto National Forest Service their concerns over a proposed copper mine a few miles away in Oak Flat.
Some were members of the San Carlos Apache Nation who came to defend their tradition and heritage closely tied with Chich’il Biłdagoteel, the Apache name for Oak Flat.
But everyone was outraged over the federal government’s forced land exchange that may well destroy a unique area once used for recreation, traditional ceremonies and ecological research.
