Laak'os personally invites you to her Apache Sunrise Dance Ceremony at Oak Flat October 11-14
It is very unusual for an open invitation to the public to be given to be present for the sacred Sunrise Dance Ceremony. Laak'os made this invitation in her speech below in front of the Supreme Court just recently on September 11 where the Apache Stronghold filed their appeal for the United States to hear their case to protect Apache religion and the sacred land of Oak Flat. This case is important for all people who see they have a spiritual connection to the land and land must be protected from destruction.
Here is the speech of Laak'os Parsons on 9/11/24:
Dagooteh! My name is Laak’os Dagozhoogo Parsons. This is my sister Sage.
On our father’s side we are Chippewa Cree from Northern Montana and on our mother’s side we are Chiricahua Apache from Arizona.
As I stand up here today, it saddens me that my religious rights are under attack.
The United States is ignoring the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, of 1978, which is supposed to protect the rights of indigenous people to exercise their traditional religions guaranteeing access to sacred sites.
Resolution Copper and Rio Tinto are violating our access to these sacred sites to exercise our traditions and the United States is letting those mining companies break that law.
From the beginning the United States tried to wipe indigenous people away from this Earth before by diseases and torture. And to this day the government is still trying to kill our religion and our way of life, which makes us what we are.
Why is my religion way of life and what I physically feel I’m connected to not matter?
This court holds the power to protect this country and this countries people from foreign mining companies.
Take a look at the Globe-Miami/Superior Arizona towns and see what mining does to the land currently. Where’s the wealth?
Look at Butte, Montanas contamination history and see what mining does to the land and the people historically. The profit is not with the people left in these areas, only waste remains.
My dad has told me that they taught him in school about the “Manifest Destiny” the Americans god given right to this land.
This way of thinking, kills our culture, religion, and spirit.
We were viewed as “being in the way” for them to conquer and capitalize on the land.
Well, my “Manifest Destiny” is to protect this place.
The United States has lied, cheated, stolen, contaminated, discriminated, displaced, and killed the indigenous people.
It’s sad that this mine proposal has many of the same words related to it.
History keeps repeating itself.
Now I want to share with the court why Oak Flat is my home and my connection to this sacred place.
My mother has told me that no matter where I go or how far I am from these sacred places, the spirits will find me and guide me.
Oak Flat is where God touched the Earth. I feel my ancestors there, their strength and their struggle, and I feel the power of that holy place.
Next month, I am having my coming of age ceremony at Oak Flat.
The spirits there visited me in a dream. I dreamt I was dancing at Oak Flat. I could hear the water next to me as it flowed thru the canyons and into the horizon I saw antler deer in the oak trees. As I kept my eyes on them, the deer moved out of the trees and became Gaans (crown dancers) and they started to dance with me. I felt proud and danced harder.
I woke up that morning and told my parents, Oak Flat is where I’m going to become the white painted woman.
I want to carry on the legacy of our people, so I’m here to protect Oak Flat for myself and those who follow behind me, so that we can keep our identity alive.
I personally invite you, to the most sacred in time ceremony at Oak Flat October 11-14th
Please I ask the United States to wake up from this evil of capitalism that they are stuck under for the sake of the next generations, so the younger generations and those yet to be born can see, live, and touch this place. Mother Earth is not just my home but yours too, please stop destroying it!
