Rep. Grijalva Statement on Ninth Circuit Ruling on Oak Flat 

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07) released the following statement after the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a preliminary injunction to halt mining at Oak Flat pending review by the U.S. Supreme Court: 

“I am deeply disappointed by this decision which will allow drilling to immediately begin at Oak Flat — a sacred and irreplaceable place for the Apache people. Oak Flat is not just a piece of land: it is a place of prayer, ceremony, and identity for the Apache people. This site should never have been traded away to foreign mining giants in a backroom deal that ignored Tribal sovereignty, shut the public out of the process, and will destroy vital environmental and critical water resources.” 

“That is why my first bill in Congress, the Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Act, would have repealed this indefensible land swap and protect Oak Flat for future generations. I will continue standing with the San Carlos Apache Tribe, Apache Stronghold, and advocates across Arizona to protect the sacred ancestral lands of Chi’chil Biłdagoteel while exploring every possible avenue to rectify this injustice.  

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