Mother Earth is filled with spaces that God has chosen that are places of deep healing, connection, and communion with all who have come before and for all who will come after. Oak Flat is one of these places. When we come to these sacred places, we are reminded that we – along with all of our Earthly kin – are all connected, an intricate web of relationships. For far too long, so many have existed disconnected from Mother Earth, from the spirituality that comes with connection to the land.
Fighting for Oak Flat is a fight for us all—whatever the result will impact us all. The San Carlos Apache have been fighting this fight for a long time, not unlike other Native peoples around the world, against the evils of greed—colonization, capitalism, and destruction. But many people don’t realize that this is not just Indigenous peoples’ fight; this has far-reaching impacts that will continue to affect all of our connections. Whatever the United States government decides on the case for Oak Flat will set a precedent on cases of land, spirituality, and connection.
We fight for the land because we know that we are all dependent on Mother Earth. We fight for our sacred connection to Oak Flat because it is through this connection that we live holistically, and we know that the loss of this land means the continued loss of our spirituality for both us and our future generations.
We are grateful that this movement, which started small within the Apache Stronghold, has become a global one. We are grateful for attorneys and advocates who acknowledge the dangers of colonialism and greed and actively help our efforts of mobilization and action. May our gratefulness continue to multiply into action for the sake of Mother Earth and for all our web of connections.
On the November 4th day of prayer, we are asking people to join the Apache Stronghold either physically or in spirit in organized and committed prayer for Oak Flat and our Earth Mother. We are asking communities to contact their local officials, telling those who represent the people living on this land that we want to protect our sacred land, our spirituality, and our connection. We are asking people to pray for repentance for the sin of greed and infinite expansionism and to be reminded that we are inextricably connected to the health of Mother Earth as well as those who call her their home.
