Oak Flat in the middle of environmental colonialism

By: Yalined Rohena 
Yalined Rohena is a student at South Seattle College, passionate about how environmental policy intersects with social justice and Indigenous rights. 

As I start my journey into environmental sciences classes, I realize climate change is a huge problem, and it's not just about melting ice caps. It's also about fairness, human rights and colonialism. When we talk about climate justice, we're really focusing on how climate change affects people, especially those who are the most vulnerable.  
 
 A big part of this conversation involves land rights because fair land rights can directly help both climate mitigation efforts or hurt them. Without land ownership and autonomy, communities become more vulnerable to climate impacts and struggle to recover from damages. Also, the fight for natural resources would increase dramatically. This brings us to the "Land Back" movement, which isn't just about returning land to Indigenous peoples; it's about giving back Indigenous decision-making power and independence over their traditional territories. This movement is crucial for climate solutions because Indigenous stewardship of land has historically been centered in sustainability and restoration to protecting biodiversity and food stability. Their traditional knowledge and practices are vital for environmental conservation and addressing the climate crisis. 
 
 The ongoing conflict over Oak Flat in Arizona perfectly illustrates this connection between land rights and climate justice. Oak Flat, known to the Apache people as “Chi’chil Biłdagoteel”, is a sacred site used for religious ceremonies by the San Carlos Apache Tribe and other Indigenous communities. However, a proposed copper mine by Resolution Copper, owned by multinational companies BHP and Rio Tinto, threatens to destroy this land. This project would create a crater approximately 2 miles wide and 1,000 feet deep, obliterating the spiritual and environmental significance of Oak Flat. The mine also poses significant environmental risks, including depleting ground and surface water, harming rare wetland habitats, and threatening endangered species like the hedgehog cactus and ocelot. They also point out that the mine would generate 1.37 billion tons of toxic mining waste that would poison their water. 

Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected by climate change and environmental destruction, despite contributing the least to it. They often live in high-risk geographical areas and rely heavily on natural resources, making them highly vulnerable. The fight for Oak Flat is a clear example of environmental racism and coloniality, where Indigenous rights are ignored and ancestral lands are exploited for corporate profit. Let’s advocate for these amazing communities that are at the front lines of our environmental crisis battles. 
 

References: 

• "Oak Flat Is on the Clock: 60 Days from Being Lost." HECHO, 16 June 2025, https://www.hechoonline.org/blog/oak-flat-is-on-the-clock-60-days-from-being-lostnbsp. ​