Page 4 - aruba-today-20230322

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 22 March 2023
Apaches tell court copper mine would harm sacred sites

By ANITA SNOW local jobs.
Associated Press A smaller 9th Circuit panel
PHOENIX (AP) — A Native previously ruled 2-1 that the
American group that’s try- federal government could
ing to stop an effort to build give the Oak Flat land to
one of the largest copper the mining company for
mines in the United States the project. The court lat-
told a full federal appeals er agreed to let the larger
court panel Tuesday that panel hear the case.
the project would prevent Apache Stronghold mem-
Apaches from exercising bers traveled from Arizona
their religion by destroying for the hearing, stopping
land they consider sacred. at cities along the way to
U.S. federal government draw attention to the case.
plans for a land swap that They gathered Monday at
will allow Resolution Cop- a community arts center in
per to build the mine will the Los Angeles neighbor-
destroy the land in east- hood of Boyle Heights.
ern Arizona known as Oak “Oak Flat is where my peo-
Flat, “barring the Apach- ple have come to connect
es from ever accessing it with our Creator for millen-
again and ending their nia, and we have the right
core religious practices for- Tribal councilman Wendsler Nosie Sr. speaks with Apache activists during a rally to save Oak Flat, to continue that sacred tra-
ever,” said attorney Luke land near Superior, Ariz., sacred to Western Apache tribes, in front of the U.S. Capitol on July 22, dition,” Wendsler Nosie Sr.
Goodrich, arguing for the 2015, in Washington. Associated Press of Apache Stronghold said
group Apache Stronghold. in a statement released af-
“We asked the court today sue a decision in the next Forest Service expected square miles (9.71 square ter the hearing. “Today we
to recognize the obvious few months. the environmental analysis kilometers) of national for- stood up in court for that
— that when the govern- Apache Stronghold sued could be republished as est land in exchange for right, determined to stop
ment destroys a sacred the U.S. government un- early as this spring, setting eight parcels it owns in oth- those who think that our
site, religious liberty law has der the Religious Freedom in motion the land swap, er parts of Arizona. place of worship can be
something to say about it,” Restoration Act to protect which would have to be Resolution Copper, a joint treated differently simply
Goodrich, vice president the place tribal members completed within 60 days. venture of global mining because it lacks four walls
and senior counsel at the call Chi’chil Bildagoteel, an Pepin argued that the act firms Rio Tinto and BHP, has and a steeple.”
nonprofit legal institution area dotted with ancient of Congress that approved said it continues to address The Poor People’s Cam-
Becket Law, said in a pre- oak groves and traditional the exchange giving the concerns raised about the paign, environmental
pared statement distrib- plants the Apaches consid- Oak Flat to Resolution Cop- project, but noted there groups and the National
uted after the hearing in er essential to their religion. per land supersedes the is significant local support Congress of American In-
Pasadena, California. “A An environmental impact Religious Freedom Resto- for the mine. Rio Tinto has dians are among many
win for Apache Stronghold survey for the project has ration Act, which prevents headquarters in Australia groups backing Apache
will be a win for people of been pulled back while government agencies from and the U.K, while BHP is Stronghold’s fight.
all faiths.” the U.S. Department of Ag- placing a “substantial bur- based in Australia. The Notre Dame Law
The Apache group is seek- riculture has consulted for den” on the practice of re- It says the project has the School Religious Liberty
ing to halt the land swap months with Native Ameri- ligion. potential to supply enough Clinic filed a “friend of the
while the case plays out in can tribes and others about The land transfer was a last- copper to meet up to one- court” brief and Stephanie
court. their concerns. minute provision included quarter of U.S. demand, Barclay, director of Notre
The panel of 11 judges on But U.S. government at- in a must-pass defense bill in adding up to $1 billion a Dame’s Religious Liberty Ini-
the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of torney Joan Pepin told the 2014. The swap would give year to Arizona’s economy tiative, participated in oral
Appeals is expected to is- judge Tuesday that the the mining company 3.75 and creating thousands of arguments.q

It’s the first day of spring: Here’s what

that really means

Monday marked the spring planet. equinox can land on March
equinox — at least for those During the equinox, the 19, 20 or 21, depending on
in the Northern Hemisphere. Earth’s axis and its orbit the year. This year it landed
But what does that actually line up so that both hemi- on Monday at 5:24 p.m.
mean? spheres get an equal Eastern time.
WHAT IS THE SPRING EQUI- amount of sunlight. WHY ARE THERE TWO KINDS
NOX? The word equinox comes OF SPRINGS?
As the Earth travels around from two Latin words mean- There are two different
the sun, it does so at an ing equal and night. That’s ways to carve up the year:
angle. because on the equinox, Meteorological and astro-
For most of the year, the day and night last almost nomical seasons.
Earth’s axis is tilted either the same amount of time Meteorological seasons
A motorist is silhouetted against the setting sun on the eve of the
vernal equinox, Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Shawnee, Kan. toward or away from the — though one may get are defined by the weath-
Associated Press sun. That means the sun’s a few extra minutes, de- er. They break down the
warmth and light fall un- pending on where you are year into three-month sea-
By MADDIE BURAKOFF NEW YORK (AP) — Spring equally on the northern on the planet. sons based on annual tem-
AP Science Writer has sprung! and southern halves of the The spring — or vernal — perature cycles.q