In a more recent move by Congress, chairman of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, Terry Rambler, has witnessed an attempt to land grab sacred Apache grounds. The Apache burial and ceremonial grounds surrounding the renowned Apache Leap area, will cover a massive 2400 acres of Tonto National Forest in Arizona.
The bill if passed, specifies the subsidiary of mining giant, Rio Tinto, Resolution Copper, will be able to get permission to drill within 30 or 90 days. It is a deal that Rio Tinto has pursued for close to a decade, being knocked back twice in 2013. The Democrats and Republicans opposed the move over concerns that Rio Tinto who is part owner in a Uranium mine with Africa and Iran that most of the copper removed from the new mines would land in the lap of China, who holds a large 10 percent share of the mining company.
Congress argues the land grab in the name of economics. A reported 3700 jobs will result in the next four decades over the new mining ventures, and could generate up to 61 billion US dollars for the economy. But the figures don’t wash with Apache chairman, Terry Rambler, who is more concerned with the environment and the impact the mining, and a technique called ‘block mining’ will have on the area. “What those mountains mean to us is that when the rain and the snow comes, it distributes it to us,” Rambler said. “It replenishes our aquifers to give us life.” [1]
The push for the land exchange[2] is moving under a guise to be slipped into the defense bill; also raising alarms for those opposed. But this single example isn’t the only case. Dozens of land-related items are being edged under this umbrella, one being the Handford Nuclear Reservation in Washington State involving some 1600 acres. Placing these items under the defense bill essentially locks in ‘protected’ Federal lands.
Another deal, opposed by environmental groups is Sealaska, covering over 70,000 acres of Tongass National Forest for logging. [3]
Myron Ebell, the director of the Center for Energy and Environment, also slammed it in a statement. “The federal lands package added to the National Defense Authorization Act is a backroom deal that would lock up use of hundreds of thousands of acres of land…Many of these federal land lockups could never be enacted on their own if debated and voted in the light of day.”
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[1] McAluiff, M. (2014, 3 December) Congress Raids Ancestral Native American Lands with Defense Bill http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/03/ndaa-land-deals_n_6264362.html (Retrieved 2014, 23 December)
[2] Bucci, S. (2014, 3 December) Political Games Endanger America’s Military http://dailysignal.com/2014/12/03/political-games-endanger-americas-military/?utm_source=heritageaction&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=comm-press&utm_content= (Retrieved 2014, 23 December)
[3] Viechnicki, J. (2014, 8 December) Sealaska land transfer includes logging, energy, cemetery sites http://www.ktoo.org/2014/12/08/sealaska-land-transfer-includes-logging-energy-cemetery-sites/ (Retrieved 2014, 23 December)
Anonymous, I beg you act as at war. Send me to congress, send “something” to congress. This is sacred land, this is an act of war.
yes,it is act of war on my people and our sacred grounds and other tribes is going through the same
some of my ancestors are apache and i know they would not like this the government needs to think about everyone and not just about money, they need to think about what the apache feel about this the land is sacred to them, important to them. the government needs to think from the apache point of view how would they feel if someone wanted to take away all of the important things to them that they cherish, they wouldn’t like it so why do they do it to others?
This is wrong to hell with the economic situation they say will benefit who the rich. Taking a sovereign nations land is war and treasonous in every way! We have to help the Apache right now not later. This is an act of war upon those who were here long before any of us.
i don’t know what the hell the White House thinks they can do. This land we are standing on In the U.S. Was the Indians before some idiot stepped in and took it like it was theirs just like the White House idiots thinks they can do what they please it is not theirs to take and the Indians have had everything taken so we take more just because you want to use the excuse of jobs and this and that bottom line shove that shit up your ass we have jobs it’s another way for those price motherfuckers to take what is not theirs to put money in their pocket as far as I’m concerned about our beloved U.S. At one point it was when our grandfathers and fathers actually fought to keep things free but now it’s all a joke and a disrespect to those that fought to put those pricks in the White House in the positions their in. This does not need to happen no one needs to touch Indian land period it is theirs not ours we have no rights and no excuse to use like job creation oh yea we forgot to add China gets this and that and other countries also plus we get to put billions of dollars in our pocket for more security like cispa3.0
The White House didn’t do this,this was done by the Republican controlled House. Why must you people always blame the White House? Get your facts straight before you start going off on some lunatic rant…
http://lastrealindians.com/house-approves-bill-to-give-apache-lands-to-foreign-corporation/
It is called a veto, and the president has the power to veto any bill, however the government officials as a whole are corrupt and won’t. If there is money to be made they will side with it over the people’s desires.
this is criminal. this needs to stop. the u.s.a. has broken enough treaties, it has lied enough.
I am so sick of these governments,
why is it that people in power are the worst possible monsters?
Like snakes with paws.
I am on a total different continent, from a total different country, from a total different nationality, but this PISSES me off.
The world needs people to fuck these people up.
FUCK the president of the USA, FUCK the pentagon in particular
and I am very sorry for this but FUCK the USA of today,
it’s television, it’s media, it’s propaganda, it’s products,
they all get shoved down our throats in Europe to.
This has to stop, please rise up.
Rise up and do what? The best way to get the government of the USA to pay attention is for people here to write a letter, not email, to their local reps. They pay attention to that because letters are personal even if it’s just one sentence. Online petitions just shows a sway of where people are leaning, emails are easily deleted. If you want power to flow from the bottom up then you have to look at what your reps in your state are voting on and how. To the USA haters, The United States of America is roughly 240 years old, we have a lot of lessons to learn and there are no excuses. But I’m sure your country’s government has coveted land somewhere in your history.
Haven’t we taken enough from the Native people of America?
THE FUCKING ILLUMINATI DOESN’T CARE FOR ANYONE BUT THEM SELVES AND THE GREEDY WAYS,,THEY WILL DESTROY MOTHER EARTH,,I IS CHIRICAHUA APACHE
Leave the Apache land alone.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ALREADY! STOP TAKING FROM THE NATIVE AMERICANS…WHO DON’T HAVE THE X CLOUT THAT YOU HAVE!
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ALREADY! STOP TAKING FROM THE NATIVE AMERICANS… Remember WHO WAS HERE FIRST.. IT WAS THEIR LAND and U relagated them WHAT you considered non essential territory and NOW in demand for non Indian use..nor do they have a voice in the decision!!!
Hi. I’m part Native American, My Native American Heritage comes from my mother side of the Family. My tribe is the Northern Arapaho Tribe. I’m sick of the Government taking over our land. It’s war against the United States Government. We must make them realize that they are immigrants. If they take our land. we will take theirs. It’s n eye for an eye. What they are doing is a Hate Crime.
I’m part Native American from the Arapaho Tribe. If this goes through I’m 100% sure that Anonymous will launch a bigger cyber attack on the Government.
Yes, this is Apache Land so stay away from thier land. You have no business there. So leave the Apaches alone your greedy morons..