A Trump Executive Order Will Destroy Oak Flat, My People's Holy Land. We Must Fight Back.
Please read the recently published article by Laak'os Parsons, a 14-year-old Chippewa Cree / Chiricahua Apache, to learn the urgent reasons why we must protect Oak Flat from destruction.
A New Trump Executive Order Will Have Devastating Effects On This Community
“I am urging not only the federal courts to wake up but for the whole country to wake up!”
Laak’os Parsons
You can learn more and get updates at the Apache Stronghold webpage, Facebook and instagram accounts. Here is the latest update (April 28, 2025):
I am urging not only the federal courts to wake up but for the whole country to wake up! This fight goes beyond the boundaries of Indigenous people. Not only are our religious rights being affected, but our water, land and human rights are also being threatened. Oak Flat is a holy place where God touched the earth and from where my people originated. God created Oak Flat — just like the Garden of Eden — for the people and the animals. For Apache people, we have a spiritual connection that is intertwined with the land. If Oak Flat is destroyed, how would future generations feel the same connection as those before us?
-- Laak'os Parsons
I urge the people across this country to wake up and realize that the United States government is choosing greed over my people and the people of this nation. Our fight is your fight. We are no different. . . . We cannot let the United States and corporations keep stripping minerals from Mother Earth. We must not forget that Mother Earth is the reason we live and breathe every day.
-- Laak'os Parsons
