A similar story to the Oak Flat situation played out in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan when Rio Tinto developed Eagle Mine, which was constructed near Eagle Rock, a site that is sacred to local American Indian tribes.
In 2013, Rio Tinto sold the Eagle Mine to Lundin Mining Corp (also a foreign mining company). In 2014, extraction of nickle and copper began, despite opposition from American Indian and environmental groups.
After protests (including a camp-in style occupation by American Indians), Eagle Rock itself was left intact, but much of the land adjacent to Eagle Rock was clear cut to make way for trucks and mining activities. (Wilderness all ripped up. Looks like a giant sand pit dotted with buildings and parking lots.)
I wonder how many other mines have been built on, or directly adjacent to, sacred American Indian sites...and why there isn't more legislation passed to protect these areas?
The UP is not a wealthy area. In April 2015 alone, the Eagle Mine project gave $800,000 to community groups. The press release read:
" 'The grant committee appreciates the opportunity to leverage mining interests to support Marquette County legacy opportunities and programs' said Matt Johnson, external affairs manager for Eagle Mine, a subsidiary of Lundin Mining. [SIC] We are pleased to be able to make these investments that enhance the quality of life in Marquette County.' "
I bet they are pleased. They're going to make a bundle.
In 2013, Rio Tinto sold the Eagle Mine to Lundin Mining Corp (also a foreign mining company). In 2014, extraction of nickle and copper began, despite opposition from American Indian and environmental groups.
After protests (including a camp-in style occupation by American Indians), Eagle Rock itself was left intact, but much of the land adjacent to Eagle Rock was clear cut to make way for trucks and mining activities. (Wilderness all ripped up. Looks like a giant sand pit dotted with buildings and parking lots.)
I wonder how many other mines have been built on, or directly adjacent to, sacred American Indian sites...and why there isn't more legislation passed to protect these areas?
The UP is not a wealthy area. In April 2015 alone, the Eagle Mine project gave $800,000 to community groups. The press release read:
" 'The grant committee appreciates the opportunity to leverage mining interests to support Marquette County legacy opportunities and programs' said Matt Johnson, external affairs manager for Eagle Mine, a subsidiary of Lundin Mining. [SIC] We are pleased to be able to make these investments that enhance the quality of life in Marquette County.' "
I bet they are pleased. They're going to make a bundle.
40
Lesson: Religion is a business, and if your business isn't profitable enough to defend itself, you will be destroyed.
21
Let's all try to make it a point to bring this up in daily conversation, and to find a way to support the folks who value this place, whether by traveling there and sitting with them in solidarity, or by sending them material and spiritual support. In a nation founded on justice, this kind of injustice threatens us all, every Native American, Christian, Jew, Muslim, atheist, agnostic, and none-of-the-above-ist. Sacred is sacred, and if it can be taken from one group, it can be taken from any of us. If we are a Union, this kind of low-down, yellow-bellied, cowardly thievery must not stand. McCain and Flake are willing to sell the nation to the highest bidder, apparently, and have mortgaged their patriotism.
94
Take a look at what is happening in the US Territories: the US Navy wants to expand their training range to another group of small islands in the Marianas archipelago displacing a native population and millennium-old practices, the target island of Kaho`olawe in Hawai`i is still covered with ordnance and clean up money has run out, the creation of marine protected areas in the Pacific forces native people into smaller and smaller areas for their traditional harvest and resource management practices, the building of a thirty meter telescope on a holy mountain in Hawai`i that will cover eight acres at the top of a sacred mountain, construction of another telescope at Haleakala, destruction of ancient burial sites and holy places to make way for a rail or a hotel, Bikini Atoll, Johnson Atoll, Pacific Missile range, Pohakuloa training range. It goes on and on. This isn't a buddhist country but you cannot deny the karmic-burden we all share and the many lifetimes it will take to divest ourselves of that burden.
40
Everything in America is for sale, especially legislators. Duh.
33
Shame on Senators McCain and Flake. This is not just sacred to the Apaches, but is part of all of America's cultural heritage. The greed and political corruption involved here are despicable. So much for freedom of religion when the personal religious beliefs of oil corporations can hand off American property to a foreign profiteer. Very similar to Keystone of course when American land rights were sold off to Canadians for oil for China.
52
Where are all the conservatives who believe that there is a war on religion? Here is an attack on a religion and the folks who are so attuned to religious freedom don't say anything. Could it be that the only religious freedom that they moan about is Christian religious freedom? But as with any issue, the loudest moaners are the biggest hypocrites.
67
Gee, why does President Andrew Jackson come to mind? Get him off that $20 bill!
Seriously, this is an egregious insult to Native Americans as well as those Americans who believe in preserving Native sites so that descendants of the original Apaches can practice their religion there. The Native American culture in the US is denigrated by this amendment. This is a complete, unabashed, and disgusting display of arrogance on the part of its two US Senators.
These Senators should withdraw their Amendment and move away from a company that destroys the land. If this is not a clear case of corruption, what is?
Seriously, this is an egregious insult to Native Americans as well as those Americans who believe in preserving Native sites so that descendants of the original Apaches can practice their religion there. The Native American culture in the US is denigrated by this amendment. This is a complete, unabashed, and disgusting display of arrogance on the part of its two US Senators.
These Senators should withdraw their Amendment and move away from a company that destroys the land. If this is not a clear case of corruption, what is?
50
Thank you for reporting this important matter--this crime, actually. And this done by the Obama Administration? He who orates about the lingering effects of slavery? Has he no sense of what was done, long before slavery, to native Americans?
29
In addition, Resolution is surveying Tonto National Forest lands north of the Boyce Thompson State Park for locations to dump the tailings from this mine. They want to own the mine but dump the tailings on public land.
123
Yet another shameful story. What can the public do to help? How do we learn who to contact, what petitions to sign, whose office to call, etc. If we have time to stop this, how do we do that?
34
Enough with the endless talk about American ideals. True, the country may have been founded on some so-called ideals (freedom, justice, etc.), but they were written by people who bought and owned other people and thought nothing of it. This country has no ideals, and it never really has. Therefore it is no surprise that land, whether sacred to a certain group or not, would be part of a legislative transaction. It's time we Americans to finally view ourselves as we are, and as we always have been. I.e. we are capitalist fat-rats. We are constantly bought and sold, 'ideals' and all, to the highest bidder.
28
From McCain's website- "The federal government has a trust obligation to Native Americans that must be honored. Senator McCain is the longest current serving member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and has fought tirelessly to support the principals of tribal sovereignty and Indian self-governance and self-determination."
Please explain how this shameful, secret theft support those principles, Senator McCain?
Please explain how this shameful, secret theft support those principles, Senator McCain?
120
Foreign interests and corporations owned by them should be banned form making contributions to American politicians. These foreign contributions are obvious attempts to subvert the interests and wishes of the constituency.
23
As if we have not behaved in a shameful enough manner toward those whose whose land we took over. I am shocked at McCain and Flake, even though perhaps it's naive to be surprised.
45
Remember how we used to shake our heads sadly over some egregious, evil, or horrific deed and ask, "Is nothing sacred?" For Flake and McCain, apparently nothing is. Just the sleaziness on so many fronts of this action stops me in my tracks. Public lands. No public debate. Valuable ore. Sacred ground. Can't we impeach them? I ask, because some things are sacred. Honest government is one. Being a great and honorable country is another. Maintaining trustworthy relationships another.
Next step for me is to e-mail my senators. Being in government these days is tricky business, especially when you are required to work with the likes of McCain and Flake in all their insincerity. Still I believe I can trust MY senators to do the right thing in a situation like this, and I want them to know they have my support in doing it. But I must say I am feeling a little sick to my stomach right now, just thinking about how easily and shabbily a couple of bad apples can harm sacred places, sacred relationships and sacred trust.
Next step for me is to e-mail my senators. Being in government these days is tricky business, especially when you are required to work with the likes of McCain and Flake in all their insincerity. Still I believe I can trust MY senators to do the right thing in a situation like this, and I want them to know they have my support in doing it. But I must say I am feeling a little sick to my stomach right now, just thinking about how easily and shabbily a couple of bad apples can harm sacred places, sacred relationships and sacred trust.
72
This betrayal of the Apaches, to whom the U.S. government owes treaty obligations and moral commitments to respect their heritage, is cause enough to justify a veto of the bill to which the rider is attached. I hope you will send a copy of this editorial to President Obama.
78
Is it any surprise that Republicans are behind this act of vandalism and sacrilege? How many instances of insensitivity towards the people and contempt for the environment before the FOX News crowd wakes up the their supposed Christen values and say NO to the Republican Party and the interests they represent ?
61
It is rare to read a single essay that manages to capture today's United States so effectively and powerfully. Thank you for this, Lydia Millet. It is a deeply disturbing story that desperately needs to be told, and you tell it remarkably well. Indeed, those of us who are not elites are "ghosts, remnants of a quaint idea of democracy." Perfect.
133
So true:
"If Oak Flat were a Christian holy site, or for that matter Jewish or Muslim, no senator who wished to remain in office would dare to sneak a backdoor deal for its destruction into a spending bill — no matter what mining-company profits or jobs might result. But this is Indian religion. Clearly the Arizona congressional delegation isn’t afraid of a couple of million conquered natives"
"If Oak Flat were a Christian holy site, or for that matter Jewish or Muslim, no senator who wished to remain in office would dare to sneak a backdoor deal for its destruction into a spending bill — no matter what mining-company profits or jobs might result. But this is Indian religion. Clearly the Arizona congressional delegation isn’t afraid of a couple of million conquered natives"
30
It is time for an uprising. Plain and simple. I am looking forward to the video of the Apaches facing down the mining equipment just like Tianneman Square.
17
So what do we do? Just shrug our shoulders and go on as usual as we have been doing for the past three hundred years that has seen the culture, people and land of the Original Americans raped and pillaged? this is not to far from me. Where can I go to throw myself in front of the shovels? Am I reacting to strongly perhaps not strongly enough.
23
This land may be a place the Apache have prayed at and held ceremonies at, but that can easily be relocated. If the Apache actually "owned" this land, as some others have alleged, then it would not be subject to Congress' actions. The Federal Government has property rights, just like everyone else.
3
Not only are McCain and Flake despicable for sneaking this in with a rider without public scrutiny, I also put this squarely at the feet of the conservative justices of Roberts' Supreme Court.
It is noted in the article that this foreign mining company was a campaign contributor to McCain- so I guess it's pay back time and McCain is living up to his promises of doing their bidding in exchange for campaign money. This is just the very small tip of the iceberg on the deep, deep corruption that has been wrought by Citizen's United. The fact that this is a foreign company having undue influence on American elections is doubly sickening. Thanks again to the Robert's Court of corruption for making this whole process of campaign corruption legal. The level of corruption will have no end until this gets overturned and we have decent people on the SCOTUS. Forget electing a Republican president- they were the ones who got these corruptors on the court in the first place.Connect the dots and it usually points back to the GOP packed court as well as Senators like Mccain- what a disgrace.
It is noted in the article that this foreign mining company was a campaign contributor to McCain- so I guess it's pay back time and McCain is living up to his promises of doing their bidding in exchange for campaign money. This is just the very small tip of the iceberg on the deep, deep corruption that has been wrought by Citizen's United. The fact that this is a foreign company having undue influence on American elections is doubly sickening. Thanks again to the Robert's Court of corruption for making this whole process of campaign corruption legal. The level of corruption will have no end until this gets overturned and we have decent people on the SCOTUS. Forget electing a Republican president- they were the ones who got these corruptors on the court in the first place.Connect the dots and it usually points back to the GOP packed court as well as Senators like Mccain- what a disgrace.
25
Wow -- and this surprises us why? Because John McCain seems to care less about the original owners of Arizona, then his own legacy? It comes as no fairy tale what we do to the Native Americans who lived here before us. All of us with roots that go back to European colonization, or immigration, as most of us do, should be ashamed at the privilage we are lucky enough to be "caretakers of" or being considerate what others consider scared. Our politicians could care less about the land they are leaving for our great grand kids.
14
Sunday is Bob Schieffer’s adieu on Face The Nation. Fittingly, one of Bob’s guests should be Senator John McCain. Let the good Senator explain his vote to filch sacred Apache ground at Oak Flat and trade it off to a foreign mining company. Will the Senator be truthful…or speak with forked tongue!
23
Here's the only place this fine op-ed went awry: "The land grab was sneakily anti-democratic even by congressional standards."
No, these ARE the current congressional standards. It's all about M-O-N-E-Y. Money is our society's drug. We're all required to partake, we're all addicted, in one sense or another, and only a few control access to the drug, allowing them to enslave the rest of us.
So now they're essentially stealing land from Native Americans. Haven't we taken enough from them? Are the potential profits for this mining company, and their accompanying campaign contributions, really so important as to have the US Congress once again stealing from Native Americans in our name? The unmitigated shame.
No, these ARE the current congressional standards. It's all about M-O-N-E-Y. Money is our society's drug. We're all required to partake, we're all addicted, in one sense or another, and only a few control access to the drug, allowing them to enslave the rest of us.
So now they're essentially stealing land from Native Americans. Haven't we taken enough from them? Are the potential profits for this mining company, and their accompanying campaign contributions, really so important as to have the US Congress once again stealing from Native Americans in our name? The unmitigated shame.
38
well, it has all to do with white people don't care a donut about any culture but the culture of white supremacy. did that selling/buyout deals in all Black communities, then the white people destroyed the properties leaving the neighborhoods in shambles, then later saying that Black people don't take care of the communities; same thing, but much worse happened in Tulsa Oklahoma (1921),where white people did a mass murder of the Black residents of this city. hunted Blacks down, went into houses and dragged Black people (male and female) out and murdered them, bombed this prosperous neighborhood back to the stone ages. yes white people do major damage and destruction where other cultures live and then claim the these cultures don't care about there living spaces. fast forward to the new destruction, idle communities and gentrification cause breakups of families, job loss the displaced people who have nowhere to go, so must now live as street people.
14
"What motivated Congress to give Oak Flat, a sacred Apache site, to a mining company that will certainly destroy it?"
Easiest question of the day. Greed, augmented by arrogant racism.
Easiest question of the day. Greed, augmented by arrogant racism.
35
Money! That's what made Congress give that land away. They're bought and owned by corporate interests. And this is what Citizens United has wrought.
1
from John McCain's official website section summarizing his position on native Americans -- "The federal government has a trust obligation to Native Americans that must be honored. As the longest currently serving member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, John has tirelessly supported the bedrock principles of tribal sovereignty and Indian self-governance and self-determination."
19
HAhahahaha! A new low for Senator McCain - and he's had quite a few of them.
1
McCain & Flake have reputations as thoughtful, moderate men but they are essentially crooks, just like 40 or so other of their fellow senators - much of the legislation that august body passes is designed to make bribery legal, most of the rest is payment for past bribes, and when they aren't writing and passing such legislation they are busy soliciting bribes.
33
The American constitution guaranties freedom of religion. Our leadership speaks on American ideals for political gain and tramples on our rights for financial gain. In this case special interests and our leadership violate our country’s ideals for fast buck. Again, Native Americans loose out to corporate profit.
24
Another example of American Exceptionalism. Why stop hurting the powerless in the interest of the powerful, ve've been doing it for hundreds of years.
33
For anyone who has never seen an open-pit mine (like the one planned for this site), please do a google image search for it. Kennicott Copper mine in Utah is a good example. These mines absolutely destroy any semblance of nature or natural beauty. The land is irrevocably scarred. They annihilate wildlife and habitat. Kennicott has left such a gaping hole in the earth that it's actually visible from outer space. Not to mention, as other comments have pointed out, the tailings are toxic with heavy metals and also require a huge area for disposal. Despicable.
39
My heart sank when I read "Rio Tinto." I have for many years been aware of, and sometimes enmeshed in, Rio Tinto's corporate behavior out in the Southwestern Pacific, on an island named Bougainville. I've lived near and seen what they did there. I've seen the results of their enormous open-pit copper mine: environmental destruction, and (though in no simple way) a ten year secessionist war in which thousands of Bougainvilleans were killed and the island's infrastructure destroyed.
Interested readers can use search terms such as "Bougainville Copper," "Panguna," and "Bougainville Crisis" to get started on any search engine.
Rio Tinto is not known for either playing nice, or playing by the rules. It's distressing that they and their mining (and political) practices may be loosed upon any US lands, much less native lands.
Interested readers can use search terms such as "Bougainville Copper," "Panguna," and "Bougainville Crisis" to get started on any search engine.
Rio Tinto is not known for either playing nice, or playing by the rules. It's distressing that they and their mining (and political) practices may be loosed upon any US lands, much less native lands.
51
Is this not the same appalling nonsense as when ISIS destroys historical sites?
68
Trying to make sense of all this...in April, Indiana passed a law prohibiting gay marriage in the name of religious freedom. Today we learn that it's OK to take away a group's worship space for jobs. What does freedom really mean?
53
How is this current usurping of Native American land any different from any other historical event between the Native Americans and the United States Government? "As long as the rivers will run and there are stars in the sky..." This is a crime against humanity.
46
I live in Arizona now, but not much longer. I learned a lot during my time here about the treatment of the Navajo, the Apache. Look up the story of yellow dust on Navajo land. Full of killing toxins. Look at the tailings left from the town of Jerome, fouling the air and water. And now this. John McCain, with his pristine land outside of Page Springs, should, but won't be, ashamed.
72
The treatment goes way back, Phoebe. If you look at Apache and Navajo Counties in northeast Arizona, each of these long, narrow counties takes in part of the Navajo nation and part of the Apache nation. The counties were deliberately designed to split both nations and reduce any political impact they may have at the county and state levels.
4
This is just one. of many many, reasons why I have come to despise John McCain over the years. He is soul less pathetic excuse for a Senator and a human. He makes me almost ashamed to be in the same species with him.
102
Great article Ms. Millet and thank you. What I can't help but wonder is how on earth McCain and Flake have essentially bullied their way into passing this horrendous land grab seemingly unilaterally, without giving the Apache community the proper legal opportunity to hire opposing legal/political counsel to represent their legitimate interests. Here in NC, over the decades, the Cherokee have forwarded their ethnic, economic interests by cultivating friendships with honest civil and government leaders. Why and how can it be that there is no one in Arizona's legislature who will take up their cause. Outrageous.
30
Lydia Millet, please please please get this into the Arizona Daily Star and the Arizona Republic. Get it out to as many people as possible. Big weekend demonstration/celebration up at Oak Flat this weekend.
48
This News is horrifying AND obscene. Thank you, NY Times and Ms. Millet for getting this on the front page.
Senator McCain and Lobbyist/"Senator" Flake should be held fully accountable to the American Public for their foul, last-minute "rider". By their thinking, they'd sell all of Yellowstone to the highest bidder. These Politicians are urban, and uninformed. There actually ARE some wild and historic places that are not for sale, even to Peabody Coal or Hallibuton.
Our Nation has killed, denied and deprived Native People far too much already. I hope this story will receive much more attention in the NY Times, and in major broadcast media.
My heart is with those good people camped at Oak Flat.
Senator McCain and Lobbyist/"Senator" Flake should be held fully accountable to the American Public for their foul, last-minute "rider". By their thinking, they'd sell all of Yellowstone to the highest bidder. These Politicians are urban, and uninformed. There actually ARE some wild and historic places that are not for sale, even to Peabody Coal or Hallibuton.
Our Nation has killed, denied and deprived Native People far too much already. I hope this story will receive much more attention in the NY Times, and in major broadcast media.
My heart is with those good people camped at Oak Flat.
20
The answer to your lead question, Ms. Millet, is overly simple and I am sure you already know the answer: money. Not to be disrespectful, but the term Holy Land does not exist in the vocabulary of those who want that land, no matter the historical cost. Look at it this way: ISIS in business suits and construction helmets. Right here. Among us. And the people we elect to public office support them, directly or indirectly. I think we, and you, will have to get used to it. We have lost the battle of common sense and respect for the past.........
12
This affair is yet another stark reminder that behind the posturings, genuflection and professions of "faith", the true religion of those calling the shots is craven worship of pieces of paper bearing images of dead presidents.
2
I think we must figure out a way to outlaw the sale of American land and resources to foreign companies.
17
McCain probably wouldn't need the Rio Tinto campaign contributions to put him over the top in the next election? So why is he desecrating the Apache's sacred land? Time for the Apaches to declare war over this and dispatch McCain first and Flake second. They have no sense of decency.
14
Everybody, stop writing to the NYT for a moment, and write to your members of Congress, and Senators, Tweet them and call them as well. Inundate them with objections to this insanity. Do it now. It will take just a few minutes of your time. It will feel as good as voting in a national election.
21
Thank you for the reminder. I just did this.
1
Rio Tinto is the largest mining and mineral holding company in the world. Headquartered in Australia. Owns the largest cooper mine in the world in DRC (Congo).
Some folks believe that Mainland Chinese own a controlling interest in the company and perhaps indirectly the Government. Traded on the London stock exchange. They bought out almost all of Phelps Dodge copper holdings in Arizona about
15 years ago. The stockholders were thrilled with the buy out! I can't believe John McCain was part of this sad deal. He is well educated on Native American rights and was considered a friend for many years.
Some folks believe that Mainland Chinese own a controlling interest in the company and perhaps indirectly the Government. Traded on the London stock exchange. They bought out almost all of Phelps Dodge copper holdings in Arizona about
15 years ago. The stockholders were thrilled with the buy out! I can't believe John McCain was part of this sad deal. He is well educated on Native American rights and was considered a friend for many years.
25
You would think the residences of Arizona would have known about this in the papers. We didn't. The Arizona papers chose not to cover it.
35
The Times needs to dig deeper into this story. It is an outrage beyond belief.
I want to know how I can get involved. We all need to take a stand.
I want to know how I can get involved. We all need to take a stand.
31
This is unspeakably shameful. Although it was Arizona senators who sneaked the deal past the American public, it is a national disgrace that a holy site is sold to a company that provides financial support to these two men. The ways my personal values are offended by this deal are too many for one small NYT comment space. How is this different than Isis selling off religious artifacts in Iraq? I would like to see religious leaders of all denominations take up the cause of protecting the Apache holy site.
39
Deplorable and shady. But given the appalling facts of US political history to say that "The deal is an impressive new low in congressional corruption" has to rate as one of the more colossal overstatements in modern journalism.
8
This is an absolute classic and fortunately appearing in other news outlets as well. We cowboys have never had any trouble with genocide as long as it wasn't our own. But this one is way too close to home. An archetype of the exploitation we must end totally if we are to survive.
20
Let me guess....M O N E Y ???
16
This is what happens when the only true deity is money. Absolutely nothing is as sacred as the almighty dollar, no matter how much hypocrisy we pile on in pretending otherwise. And Congress is the dollar's Vatican. Disgusting. It pains me to think how this will end, and how much more we will tolerate before we do something about it.
22
We have a totally corrupt system of government that draws up and implements laws written by the corrupt. Are there any other questions?
15
Everything about this deal reeks to high heaven. But perhaps the most disturbing aspect of it is the secretive and undemocratic way in which it was done. The greatest democracy the world has ever seen is clearly devolving into oligarchy at an alarming rate.
17
John McCain has a home in Sedona. You can bet your bottom dollar no mining company will ever be allowed to despoil THAT area.
14
It's time for REPUBLICANS to stand up to this kind of crass, undemocratic action. We should ALL take our tents and camp out at Oak Flat.
15
"Stand up" to this sort of thing? That's an awful lot to expect considering they're actually wallowing it it.
It is high time for McCain to retire: personality changes don't occur without reasons. Bad pun: who needs another flake in Congress?
10
I am both White Mountain Apache and San Carlos Apache. My friends have taken on spiritual guidance over their god-daughter at Oak Flats in our sacred coming of age ceremony, and many others have held ceremonies there. My people have been forcible removed from our traditional land, Oak Flats included, but there was some solice in being that it was part of a National Forest, a federally protected land. We've had our human existance challenged, our traditional beliefs challenged, and our rights challenged. We've always understood the importance of balance when it comes to the environment, learning to adapt to survive, and standing up for what is right. We beileve in prayer, and the power of prayer, in our lives. Oak Flats is sacred to us, just like the Vatican is to Catholics, temples to Mormons, Mecca to Muslims, the wailing wall to Jews, etc. Why is it that just because it is not a place that is marked with man's brick and motar, means that this sacred site is less important to others who do not understand why we hold it sacred? Gatherings with the same spiritual intent, a place where good prayers have been built and held there, and a site where we are closer to Creator makes it sacred. To keep on taking and taking, after so much has already been reaped from not only us indigenous peoples all across the Americas, but from our precious Earth itself. Greed and corruption is the motivating factor, and there is no pride for the way in which our own government did us, again.
66
I am deeply ashamed that the U.S. Congress and Senators McCain and Flake have done this. These are not American values, and your eloquent comments emphasize the violation of these sacred lands is a crime of political corruption.
1
Money talks, and you-know-what walks. "We have the best Congress that money can buy" (as per Will Rogers).
17
Call it corruption, call it whatever you want. This is just another sign that our representatives in government serve their large donors and not the people.
19
This place at Oak Flat is of symbolic historical and cultural value, and
historical and cultural means it can't be bought with money once its gone.
Now, Mr. John McCain had said he was staging "a fight to take our government back from the power brokers and special interests, and return it to the people and the noble cause of freedom it was created to serve".
There is not a slightest hint of "noble" in this act where places of cultural value are traded for monetary gains.
If this atrocity is carried out on Oak Flat without Congress doing anything, then you can be sure I for one, will not be supporting Mr. John McCain in anything he says in future.
historical and cultural means it can't be bought with money once its gone.
Now, Mr. John McCain had said he was staging "a fight to take our government back from the power brokers and special interests, and return it to the people and the noble cause of freedom it was created to serve".
There is not a slightest hint of "noble" in this act where places of cultural value are traded for monetary gains.
If this atrocity is carried out on Oak Flat without Congress doing anything, then you can be sure I for one, will not be supporting Mr. John McCain in anything he says in future.
8
We come (uninvited) to their shores. We move them west. We take their land. We sell their land to others. Their religion? What religion? It can't possibly matter since it doesn't have a Bible. They're only savages. Strip-mine their land to profit foreign corporations. We are America. We're good at this. We've done it since we got here.
11
This Congress must be shamed.....on the New York Times Front Page...
and...please name those in Congress you avidly support this shameful
travesty....Name those who would overthrow the wishes of the real GOP
past Presidents....Let History Books defame them...and
then let's ask the Republicans and Democrats now announced as running
for The Presidency in 2016....what their opinions are on this travesty.
Get a forum going New York Times Editors...why..because
the proverbial "cat is certainly...out of the bag now"...
and...please name those in Congress you avidly support this shameful
travesty....Name those who would overthrow the wishes of the real GOP
past Presidents....Let History Books defame them...and
then let's ask the Republicans and Democrats now announced as running
for The Presidency in 2016....what their opinions are on this travesty.
Get a forum going New York Times Editors...why..because
the proverbial "cat is certainly...out of the bag now"...
10
The epitome of modern conservatism: everything is for sale.
“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” Oscar Wilde, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.” Oscar Wilde, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”
12
It's not enough that we engaged in a greater genocide than the Holocaust (~12-15 million Native Americans were slaughtered), forced the remainder to live in squalor on "reservations," and abrogated virtually every treaty we ever signed with them.
When will this end?
When will this end?
15
well, just look here at the US Congress operating at its lowest level of deception...
but, pray tell, why did the President sign it?
does anyone actually read these documents before enacting them?
really?
it would truly be disgraceful, except for the history of this country which continuously denigrates the indigenous peoples who occupied these lands long before the EuroCentric invasion and occupation...simply business as usual...
exceptionalism? practiced to a "T".
shameful
come on NYTimes: please Front Page this now !!!
thank you Ms. Millet
11
The reason the Oak Flat land trade was put into the defense bill is because it was a MUST PASS bill. That is why McCain snuck it in there!
1
Sickening! How can we allow these illegal injustices to take place without consequence to the perpetrators?
11
John McCain once seemed like a man with honor. Now he is just another angry, old, on-the-take politician. For shame, John, for shame.
21
I am shocked -- SHOCKED -- to learn that the politicians behind this giveaway have received contributions from the company receiving the gift!
13
To bad that all of J. McCain's passion about saving the sacred sites endangered by ISIL in Iraq and Syria can't be turned to saving this site sacred to actual voters in his state. This site could be saved without any American military action. Too bad the Apaches at Oak Flat can't just use the "religious freedom" argument so valued by the Arizona cake bakers and florists Flake and McCain support.
23
The Apache own the land. The Supreme Court's opinions to the contrary are a national disgrace, about equivalent to the opinions that upheld slavery.
12
Resolution is a very large and high-grade copper deposit that would/will be mined profitably for decades, if not a century or more.
I agree that we should reflect on the sins of the past, protest political corruption, lament environmental degradation, and work to redress them.
We should also remember that there would be no mining if humans did not use the products. The author and the Times used electricity transmitted by copper wiring to publish the article, as did everyone who commented. Apaches use electricity, too. Perhaps half the world’s (growing) population doesn’t have electricity; but wants it. And if we come up with a viable substitute for copper to transmit all those electrons, it would also come out of the earth.
You can complain about about mining companies, but we all use the product. We’re all playing in the band.
I agree that we should reflect on the sins of the past, protest political corruption, lament environmental degradation, and work to redress them.
We should also remember that there would be no mining if humans did not use the products. The author and the Times used electricity transmitted by copper wiring to publish the article, as did everyone who commented. Apaches use electricity, too. Perhaps half the world’s (growing) population doesn’t have electricity; but wants it. And if we come up with a viable substitute for copper to transmit all those electrons, it would also come out of the earth.
You can complain about about mining companies, but we all use the product. We’re all playing in the band.
3
Truly, "The deal is an impressive new low in congressional corruption...." The tactic of slipping an amendment onto a bill at the last minute to escape public review is unethical and should be illegal. Are residents of Arizona happy about this, I wonder?
18
John MCain has shown once again that he's a corrupt, souless politician who will stoop to any low-life tactic to get money. This erases completely any admiration due him for his space missions. He is a cultural and financial thief who should have no place in the Senate of the US, a fair-minded previously democratic nation.
13
"...his space missions..."??? John McCain? You must be confusing McCain with former Ohio Senator and Mercury astronaut, John Glenn.
1
Oak Flat is apparently on the San Carlos Apache reservation. That reservation is not controlled by Congress - it's controlled by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs. Under the June 17, 1963 | [Order No. 2874]
SAN CARLOS INDIAN RESERVATION, ARIZONA
Order for Restoration of Mineral, Oil and Gas Resources in Certain Lands; " by virtue of the authority vested in the Secetary of the Interior by sections 3 and 7 of the act of June 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 984), I hereby find that restoration to the San Carlos Apache Indian Tribe of the mineral, oil and gas resources in all of the following described lands will be in the public interest, and the right, title and interest in and to all minerals, oil and gas resources in said lands are hereby restored to tribal ownership for the use and benefit of the San Carlos Apache Tribe of Indians, and are added to and made a part of the existing reservation, subject to any valid existing rights".
This is a matter for the BIA - it is very obvious that using a Congressional rider is meant to by-pass the one Governmental agency which has the responsibility to enforce treaty rights under law. I'm sure that the San Carlos Apache administration has requested BIA intervention in this land grab attempt - it's utterly shameful that McCain and Flake have been bought off - and to so little ultimate benefit.
SAN CARLOS INDIAN RESERVATION, ARIZONA
Order for Restoration of Mineral, Oil and Gas Resources in Certain Lands; " by virtue of the authority vested in the Secetary of the Interior by sections 3 and 7 of the act of June 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 984), I hereby find that restoration to the San Carlos Apache Indian Tribe of the mineral, oil and gas resources in all of the following described lands will be in the public interest, and the right, title and interest in and to all minerals, oil and gas resources in said lands are hereby restored to tribal ownership for the use and benefit of the San Carlos Apache Tribe of Indians, and are added to and made a part of the existing reservation, subject to any valid existing rights".
This is a matter for the BIA - it is very obvious that using a Congressional rider is meant to by-pass the one Governmental agency which has the responsibility to enforce treaty rights under law. I'm sure that the San Carlos Apache administration has requested BIA intervention in this land grab attempt - it's utterly shameful that McCain and Flake have been bought off - and to so little ultimate benefit.
4
Corruption through campaign donation quid pro quo has become all but embraced within the Beltway and on Wall street. It's time for the DOJ to start sending more congressmen and CEO's to jail.
8
Unfortunately, the Native Americans' respect for the land--and ALL of its inhabitants--has contributed to this theft of, not just their Tribal Lands--but one of their Holiest Places. And it will not stop with Oak Flat. Suppose this referred to Notre Dame or St. Patrick's Cathedrals, Mecca, Masada, etc? Would any of us put up with that?
Where are the minds of those in the Arizona Senators and Congressmen, as well as the rest of Congress? Once again, the Native Americans do not represent the same sort of forceful voting blocks as Evangelical Christians, Jews, Senior Citizens, etc. Also, Native Americans do not have the deep pockets of the various corporations and their respective lobbyists.
http://thetruthoncommonsense.com
Where are the minds of those in the Arizona Senators and Congressmen, as well as the rest of Congress? Once again, the Native Americans do not represent the same sort of forceful voting blocks as Evangelical Christians, Jews, Senior Citizens, etc. Also, Native Americans do not have the deep pockets of the various corporations and their respective lobbyists.
http://thetruthoncommonsense.com
7
Who says campaign contributions don't buy influence? One dollar, one vote. One hundred thousand dollars, one hundred thousand votes. It's easy to calculate.
9
@ Kristine...sorry here's the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/10/opinion/sunday/two-development-project...
1
From the day that Columbus set foot on new land, to The Indian Removal Act, to the Trails Of Tears in every area of this country, America has been built at the expense of Native American oppression and genocide. Just Google the words Indian Wars, and read the truth; And people have the audacity to state that America was built with the "wisdom of God"; "God Bless America"; "IN God We Trust"; How about "In Guns We Trust'? Sure, this is a great country, trying to protect foreign folks from foreign invaders, but let's not forget that our ancestors were also foreign invaders, and Native Americans were referred to as "Savages", only because they were trying to protect their homes, families, their lands, and their cultures, from these European invaders.
Mt Rushmore was stolen from the Sioux Indian Reservation. Who, always, has been the true "Indian Giver'? Who was the fool that coined this phrase?
Mt Rushmore was stolen from the Sioux Indian Reservation. Who, always, has been the true "Indian Giver'? Who was the fool that coined this phrase?
11
Typical Republican pay-to-play. They'll vote for anything as long as the bribe is high enough. What a disgrace. Didn't they use to jail elected officials for corruption? Did that go away with Citizens United?
11
Hey Franz, quit trying to aisle-politicize this - you're wrong. You should have left it at "Typical political pay to play." Democrats are equally dishonest, tricky and corrupt if not more so, than Republicans. It's their devious nature and they've been in charge much longer. (About 75% of the time since 1933 vs. 25% for Republicans. And it's important to know that the vast majority of time when the Republicans had power, it wasn't the conservative Republicans, it was the elitist, "moderate" or liberal Republicans, those who appease the Democrat "Ruling Class".) It is wise to get one's facts straight*...but in watching Democrats/Liberals for many, many years, they will never let a crisis go to waste (thanks Rahm) and they will always seek to demonize or criminalize politics or attack personal traits in debates with the right instead of debate and analyze the policy issues honestly.
*"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan (who I have dubbed as "the last good Democrat")
*"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts." - Daniel Patrick Moynihan (who I have dubbed as "the last good Democrat")
The idea that this land grab is a one off is preposterous. It reflects an old and honored tradition in American values: The strong will prey on and profit from the weak. As for McCain, he is a traitor. Bought and paid for by the military industrial complex and gas, oil, and mining companies, he no more represents the people of Arizona than he does polar bears on Hudson's Bay.
Should the Apache elect to Stand Their Ground and I send them money in support of their efforts, will I be deemed a terrorist supporter?
Should the Apache elect to Stand Their Ground and I send them money in support of their efforts, will I be deemed a terrorist supporter?
17
Q: "What motivated Congress to give a sacred Apache site to a mining company that will destroy it?"
A: Money.
Specifically, the legal right of corporations to openly bribe American legislators, with the consent and sanction of the Supreme Court, particularly Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote "“independent expenditures do not lead to, or create the appearance of, quid pro quo corruption.” That is, a corporation can spend, or threaten to spend, millions for or against a legislators' election, and get laws like this one passed, but this does not create even the appearance, much less the reality of corruption.
Yes, it's hard to hold one's laughter, but that's what Kennedy wrote.
A: Money.
Specifically, the legal right of corporations to openly bribe American legislators, with the consent and sanction of the Supreme Court, particularly Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote "“independent expenditures do not lead to, or create the appearance of, quid pro quo corruption.” That is, a corporation can spend, or threaten to spend, millions for or against a legislators' election, and get laws like this one passed, but this does not create even the appearance, much less the reality of corruption.
Yes, it's hard to hold one's laughter, but that's what Kennedy wrote.
21
Wow. The same white men who berate Isis for destroying ancient sites in the Middle East pushed this through? And to foreigners? Why do we not have a ban on selling mineral rights to foreign agents?
66
Yes, but ISIS is only doing it for their false religion. The US and the corporations are doing it for money, which they more sincerely worship than ISIS worships its god, I am sure.
1
I am again horrified and ashamed for my people. I cannot avoid this. My father's father's people came to the Carolinas from Germany long before the Cherokee were sent off on the Trail of Tears to the Oklahoma Territory. My mother's father's people - originally from Switzerland - moved to western Ohio onto a Civil War land grant that had been seized not long before from the Miami. Those deeds are undoable now. But that means that those of us whose people came to this continent after the First People and upended the lives of their ancestors and their lives to this day owe an immense debt that we should not be adding to.
47
Of course I meant "NOT undoable" in my penultimate sentence. Oops.
3
I am not sure I completely agree with you. Native peoples often displaced other native peoples, themselves. However the racism that has plagued this question and which made many actions such as the Trail of Tears possible is abominable.
Many of native cultures in the South East, for example, where all the tribes on the Trail of Tears came from were farmers who were more than willing to buy into the practices of European land ownership. Nonetheless after they cultivated their plots white settlers would move in and simply take the land.
For my perspective this was the preventable tragedy, i.e. not the infringement the cultural practices of native populations which always must be "evolving" in relationship to environment and is never in reality static, but rather the racism that prevented them from fully integrating into our society even when they were willing.
Certain cultures, like species, are more invasive than others; that appears to be just a fact of nature. However the discrimination that permanently doomed native populations to reservation life is truly, truly deplorable and a debt of injustice for which every American is responsible.
However this isn't a question about reservations. This particular site predates recorded history. Even still the deeper issue here is the cynical sale of U.S. property, period, to foreign interests for the sole enrichment of some politicians, since it is apparent that no other Arizonans, Apache or otherwise, will benefit.
Many of native cultures in the South East, for example, where all the tribes on the Trail of Tears came from were farmers who were more than willing to buy into the practices of European land ownership. Nonetheless after they cultivated their plots white settlers would move in and simply take the land.
For my perspective this was the preventable tragedy, i.e. not the infringement the cultural practices of native populations which always must be "evolving" in relationship to environment and is never in reality static, but rather the racism that prevented them from fully integrating into our society even when they were willing.
Certain cultures, like species, are more invasive than others; that appears to be just a fact of nature. However the discrimination that permanently doomed native populations to reservation life is truly, truly deplorable and a debt of injustice for which every American is responsible.
However this isn't a question about reservations. This particular site predates recorded history. Even still the deeper issue here is the cynical sale of U.S. property, period, to foreign interests for the sole enrichment of some politicians, since it is apparent that no other Arizonans, Apache or otherwise, will benefit.
53
We should be grateful that the land is sacred to someone. We should all learn from this situation, and see the irony of stealing land to exploit it from people who hold the land sacred. This is a metaphor for all that is wrong with our species on this planet. All the land is sacred, and all of us need to protect it.
6
And exactly why, sacred lands aside, are we selling off more of OUR country's resources to foreign concerns? And sacred lands front and center, how dare we take any more from those who we left with crumbs of the land they once called their own?
70
Appalling. We rape the earth and expect there not to be consequences, just to please the wealthy.
History is full of examples of hubris handing power to elites and leading to collapse and breakdown.
Tragic.
History is full of examples of hubris handing power to elites and leading to collapse and breakdown.
Tragic.
53
Disgusting! It is akin to selling off Arlington National Cemetery for hydro-fracking purposes. This is what we get when we vote in a republican majority in the House and Senate. Shame on us!
37
We must remember that under the sovereignty of capitalism anything worth money is, by definition, NOT truly sacred.
21
Or money is the only thing truly sacred!
1
As a resident of Arizona, I am disgusted and dismayed by John McCain and Jeff Flake. They should hang their heads in shame, not only for betraying the First People of their state, but also the vile underhanded way they did it. Arizona, let's vote them out of office at the next opportunity!
1
Moral scruples and American patriotism are as foreign to J. McCain (e.g. Sarah Palin) as that of the Ayatollah Khomeini! Like the past deeds of America to our Native Americans, McCain brings shame upon us all.
46
Australian mining companies have an abysmal track record, and their activities are being curtailed in their own country. It's disgusting that the Republicans are going to allow them to continue their destruction here.
41
Our government's continued shameful treatment of native tribes continues unabated in the 21st Century. Disgusting.
John McCain, especially, should be ashamed of himself for the sell-out he has become.
John McCain, especially, should be ashamed of himself for the sell-out he has become.
68
He's been a sell out for a long time.
1
Focus on the fact that all of this "sacred" and "holy" land stuff is once again a mythological belief system being used to impede activity deemed appropriate and supportive of public policy. Put the "mining" issue to the side, that is just a red herring. It should not matter that in some fairy tale story Odin or The Sacred Coyote spent the night at this "sacred spot". Grow up and focus on reality and debate issues based on their actual merits.
2
The problem started when this land was not included in a "reservation" rather than National Forest. That can be and should be the fix.
21
Your point about "mythological belief" systems is well-taken. Clearly, given the real estate value of Arlington National Cemetery, there is no need for us to honor the mythological belief system called "Patriotism". That clap-trap about sacrifice and service is really a red herring. The dead can be buried somewhere else.....the Arizona desert?.....and Arlington converted to its highest and best value as luxury condos, thereby serving public policy by converting the land to a revenue-producing commodity. And isn't there an old house once owned by George Washington somewhere around there? We should grow up, focus on the merits, and discuss how best to capitalize on the location of that prime real estate. Assume you can hardly wait for Donald Trump to jump into the Republican party nomination race.
118
Do you feel the same about Christian holy places?
8
Surprise, surprise! Not really when one considers Arizona as a 'Racist Desert Wasteland' where Racial Profiling, against the very large Hispanic population, would consider any Native American tribe worthy of RESPECT!
Senator Flakes activity in this is no surprise to me. However, Senator McCains is quite surprising to me. He has always been raher Hawkish in views, and, he went hard on the Veterans Admisnistration when it came to the Abuse of Veterans in VA Hopitals. He is a Combat Veteran who serve honorably. Find it hard to believe that his actions in this matter would have been different as the Indian Nations have historically sent many of the Members of their Tribes to serve in the Armed Forces, - during both War and Piece! Senator Flake, however is a far different individual. Often feel that his last name fits him when it comes to his actions in the Senate. His Family is now suing the Maricopa Counties District Attorneys office for 8 Million dollars stating that his Son should have never been charged in the death of Dozens of Dogs at a Animal Boarding Kennel, where his Son and Daughter in Law were 'In Charge". Only the Owners of the Kennel were charged even though they were out of State on Vacation at the time! (They left Mr. and Mrs flake in charge, - Mrs Flake was the daughter of the owners, Senator Flakes Son was her husband. Political Power? Have they NO SHAME)!
Senator Flakes activity in this is no surprise to me. However, Senator McCains is quite surprising to me. He has always been raher Hawkish in views, and, he went hard on the Veterans Admisnistration when it came to the Abuse of Veterans in VA Hopitals. He is a Combat Veteran who serve honorably. Find it hard to believe that his actions in this matter would have been different as the Indian Nations have historically sent many of the Members of their Tribes to serve in the Armed Forces, - during both War and Piece! Senator Flake, however is a far different individual. Often feel that his last name fits him when it comes to his actions in the Senate. His Family is now suing the Maricopa Counties District Attorneys office for 8 Million dollars stating that his Son should have never been charged in the death of Dozens of Dogs at a Animal Boarding Kennel, where his Son and Daughter in Law were 'In Charge". Only the Owners of the Kennel were charged even though they were out of State on Vacation at the time! (They left Mr. and Mrs flake in charge, - Mrs Flake was the daughter of the owners, Senator Flakes Son was her husband. Political Power? Have they NO SHAME)!
28
I strongly support legislation to undo this deceitful land grab.
17
"If Oak Flat were a Christian holy site, or for that matter Jewish or Muslim, no senator who wished to remain in office would dare to sneak a backdoor deal for its destruction into a spending bill---no matter what mining-company profits or jobs might result. But this is Indian religion. Clearly the Arizona congressional delegation isn't afraid of a couple of million conquered natives." And so, Ms. Millet, author and op-ed contributor, nails this nation's tawdry religious "freedom" bias. McCain/Flake? Just two more Republican panderers to fossil fuels with total disregard of the peoples from whom we stole this land. And place this exquisitely written essay with news in today's Times from North Carolina, where Republican governor, Pat McCrory, has vowed to veto a bill which "would allow magistrate judges 'to recuse from performing all lawful marriages' if they harbored 'any sincerely held religious objection." And so, our nation continues to suffer from the SCOTUS decision in the Hobby Lobby snafu that has given us the Orwellian "sincerely held" as though it was handed down by Moses as a tablet addendum. GOP, in reality, stands now for Group of Panderers. These trolls insist on confusing "freedom from religion" with "freedom of religion." They couldn't care less about some poor Indians in god-forsaken Arizona but the bible-banging evangelicals are, as Huckster Huckabee puts it, "don't have to follow the Supreme Court as they follow a Supreme Being." No shame? Sad!
19
To see the landscape at Oak Flat and learn more about this issue, please see this short film at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiME3XWEPjU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiME3XWEPjU
4
Thanks for the link. I think the video brings up a lot of important points. The reality, right or wrong, is that we don't, generally speaking, care about native american sacred sites.
What people really need to understand about this is a couple of politicians just privatized public land for a deal which no doubt personally benefits them while also hurting the citizens of Arizona and the more generally the U.S.. It will cost them not only precious water resources but also tourism dollars, while denying the rest of us the opportunity to experience what draws in those tourism dollars in the first place (apparently tourism brings in 3 times the revenue to Arizona than does mining).
What people really need to understand about this is a couple of politicians just privatized public land for a deal which no doubt personally benefits them while also hurting the citizens of Arizona and the more generally the U.S.. It will cost them not only precious water resources but also tourism dollars, while denying the rest of us the opportunity to experience what draws in those tourism dollars in the first place (apparently tourism brings in 3 times the revenue to Arizona than does mining).
1
The article's headline has cause some commenters to think the land in question belongs to the Apache. However, it does belong to the Apache. It belongs to the United States, which acquired it from Mexico. The Apache protestors traveled to the site from their reservation headquarters, which is 45 miles away.
2
If I recall correctly, the settlements imposed on the Apache people by the US came after the Civil War whereas the acquisition of the southwestern territory from Mexico came before the Civil War. It's not like the Apache were asked to sit down and draw the border of the area they wanted to have as their reservation.
6
Agreed the real reason this is an outrage is a foreign company has been enriching the lives of legislators at both the State and National level to exploit resources that are owned by the American people.
There is no doubt the Apache's had most of their land stolen a long time ago and their claim isn't germane to the real issue. What we can thank the Apache's for is their emotional, spiritual and historic claim to the land that has brought this theft of the American people's land to light.
There is no doubt the Apache's had most of their land stolen a long time ago and their claim isn't germane to the real issue. What we can thank the Apache's for is their emotional, spiritual and historic claim to the land that has brought this theft of the American people's land to light.
1
That is really not the point, actually. Yes this land apparently predates recorded history as a sacred place for the Apache, and yes arguments can be made in regards to the right they have to it as a consequence. However the real point here is this cynical actions of couple of senators for their sole enrichment, as this deal doesn't seem to offer any other benefit to the citizens of Arizona or the U.S.
This deal seems to be solely about politicians enriching themselves, privately, off of the public treasury. I hope there is still enough understanding of virtue left in our culture to appreciate this is a serious vice.
This deal seems to be solely about politicians enriching themselves, privately, off of the public treasury. I hope there is still enough understanding of virtue left in our culture to appreciate this is a serious vice.
2
Congress did this, did they? Did the President sign the bill, or did the President not sign the bill?
5
Had to sign the bill. It was the funding bill for the whole Department of Defense. Imagine the problems if he had not signed. That's one of the many problems with a form of government where we can end up with one party controlling the legislature and another the executive branch. I know there are also problems with parliamentary democracy, where the MPs in the majority appoint their party leader as PM, but at least there is clear accountability.
5
I think it would have been wonderful if the funding bill for the bloated Department of Defense had been rejected. No stealing of Apache holy land and maybe a more realistic and leaner Pentagon as a result.
1
The actions of McCain and Flake are abhorrent and they should be sued by the Apaches. It is shocking to realize that there are so many whores in the public service sector. Today they are selling out Apaches, tomorrow, they'll sell out their constituents, which is what they've done anyway, by allowing the public land to be destroyed by mining. Did the Times look into their recent account statements? Wonder how much they got to get the deal through in such an sneaky manner.
26
I feel sick. How can these people do this? And what's with John McCain? He's old and decrepit and has more money than God now. What does he need with more? There are more than a few drops of Cherokee blood in my veins, though my ancestors denied their heritage to survive in these United States. Perhaps that's why this article has upset me so. What, if anything, can a lone old woman do to help?
19
Excellent article on what is going on with Saving OAK FLAT Campground - It is the age old story of greed and corruption taking over the sacred and meaningful land and rights of the natives. Don't think that the white man has ceased its over 600 year long war on the natives of this land we call America... they have only become more sophisticated in how they wage war and reap cultural genocide and perpetuate trans generational oppression of the people.
I will be going tomorrow to this site with the Spiritualution media crew to speak to, and learn from the people to help educate others about how to protest such injustice.
I will be going tomorrow to this site with the Spiritualution media crew to speak to, and learn from the people to help educate others about how to protest such injustice.
11
This is disturbing. Why am I only now hearing about this?
6
I guess nobody thought of outbidding the mining company. Considering the spiritual value of the land, raising the money should be no problem.
2
It doesn't sound like there was open bidding with the provision that the winning bidder could get this kind of Congressional end run.
6
Now there's a Mephistophelian idea! What is your asking price for your soul, young man?
2
Must we assign everything a dollar value so that we can auction off our heritage? Given that only a handful of Congressmen pushed this effort, Isis's treatment of sacred and historic places looks majoritarian by comparison.
1
thank you for reporting on this very important issue. the land will be destroyed forever. Not only is it a sacred area for the Apache, it is also an extremely beautiful and endangered riparian area. Eisenhower wisely saw the importance of this land. taxpayers will not benefit from the wholesale destruction of our precious resources and lands but Jeff Flake's former employer, the Australian mining company Tinto will reap a huge gift from what is increasingly being treated like a third world country, the USA.
24
Write your Congress people now. Contact them on-line and speak for the sacredness of our land.
7
As a native of the Mesabi Iron Range (Minnesota), I could argue that the mineral rights that were (are) owned by United States Steel, and other mining companies, were effective in creating wealth for the people of The Range, and with its rich deposits of iron ore, for assisting our great country in winning WWII and supporting the burgeoning national economy after the Great War. Today, the story is a bit different. Certain mining interests are no longer US-only, owned. China is on The Range. India is on The Range. PolyMet Mining Corporation (a Canadian firm) and Twin Metals LLC (a Chliean owned firm) are working to obtain all the necessary permits to begin mining operations in pristine forest and lake ares of Northeastern Minnesota. The rationale for such ventures is the same as it is in Arizona - economic development, jobs, and the always, "we will be responsible stewards of the natural environment." Maybe. Maybe not. One thing is for certain, in my view - if/when these projects are allowed to occur, the changes to these locations will be permanent. One only needs to see the great holes in the ground of The Range to fully understand the potential, ultimate impact.
20
Thank you for this important disclosure. This is what journalism is all about and there is too little of it these days. The indians were not confused about the true source of life and hopefully it's not too late for us to learn from them on how to truly live on this earth. By the way, the messenger is Altair, the wounded eagle (Jupiters Cup), and she in this case has delivered the good word home.
26
This theft of a National Forest recreation site by our Congressmen (including McCain, Flake, Ann Kirkpatrick, and Paul Gosar) goes beyond being simply another travesty in governmental treatment of Native Americans.
It's also precedent-setting. If congressmen can easily transfer ownership of federally-protected land to overseas companies (aka privatizing), then nothing is safe. National parks and other public lands that are coveted by the industrial resource extraction complex can simply be bought. Democratic process be damned!
Pres. Obama has the power to declare Oak Flat a national monument, and it is a worthy landscape based on scenic, cultural, and recreational merits.
It's also precedent-setting. If congressmen can easily transfer ownership of federally-protected land to overseas companies (aka privatizing), then nothing is safe. National parks and other public lands that are coveted by the industrial resource extraction complex can simply be bought. Democratic process be damned!
Pres. Obama has the power to declare Oak Flat a national monument, and it is a worthy landscape based on scenic, cultural, and recreational merits.
87
this makes me sick and it also sickens me that i ever voted for mccain
6
This exposes the bottomless of our congresses corruption. Thanks to this immorality of fives guys in black robes who proclaim Catholicism as a cover for devotion to Corporatism. Democracy was murdered by these fraudulent masqueraders with Citizens United. Then burnt in effigy with Hobby Lobby corporate preference over individual choice. Occasionally our enemies of democracy and our constitution find religious justification for further the Corporate States of America.
16
This is outrageous and wrong.
24
my response to the op-ed, sent to Senator Brown: Friday 29 May 2015
The office of Senator Brown - Jonathan McCracken
It is certainly true that we made a mess of moving native Americans west, as with the Delaware Indians who came not by choice to east central Ohio (where about a hundred men, women, and children, Christian Delawares and Moravian missionaries were massacred by the pagan US troops). To give us more land, our gov't later moved the remainder of the Delaware Indians out of Ohio, even further west.
But we continue to destroy their land, at the hand of congress.
The New York Times op-ed today, "Selling Off Apache Holy Land" certainly paints McCain and Flake as idiots, but it reflects on all of congress and all Americans.
Certainly many people have found financial benefit in voting in supporting the business interests in utilities/natural resources, but selling off Oak Flat in Arizona damages both the land sacred to the tribe as well as our own credibility.
Writer Lydia Millet said it all in her final paragraph, "The [Oak Flat] deal is an impressive new low in congressional corruption, unworthy of our country's ideals..."
The office of Senator Brown - Jonathan McCracken
It is certainly true that we made a mess of moving native Americans west, as with the Delaware Indians who came not by choice to east central Ohio (where about a hundred men, women, and children, Christian Delawares and Moravian missionaries were massacred by the pagan US troops). To give us more land, our gov't later moved the remainder of the Delaware Indians out of Ohio, even further west.
But we continue to destroy their land, at the hand of congress.
The New York Times op-ed today, "Selling Off Apache Holy Land" certainly paints McCain and Flake as idiots, but it reflects on all of congress and all Americans.
Certainly many people have found financial benefit in voting in supporting the business interests in utilities/natural resources, but selling off Oak Flat in Arizona damages both the land sacred to the tribe as well as our own credibility.
Writer Lydia Millet said it all in her final paragraph, "The [Oak Flat] deal is an impressive new low in congressional corruption, unworthy of our country's ideals..."
20
As a boy, I lived near this proposed mining site high above the town of Superior, near Top-of-the-World, in the 1950s. We lived in an old adobe stage station on the Craig Ranch off the highway to Globe-Miami. We were surrounded by old overgrown apple trees & oaks. Mr. Craig himself had planted, the first commercial apple orchard in Arizona. He was in his 90s in the early fifties. His family had lived amicably in Apache land for years. We had an ancient cork oak in the front yard & we witnessed the Apaches appearing unexpectedly in season to gather acorns silently under that monolith. Carrying huge gunny sacks we viewed them through the windows; they with heads down gathering acorns & we giving them space & peace.
The Apaches, a once fierce protector of their land, now as peaceful a people as one could imagine, must triumph over this planned desecration of a holy site near the famed Apache Leap, where rather than submit to white conquerors, a group threw themselves off the mountain. Their pride will not allow this mining monstrosity.
The Apaches, a once fierce protector of their land, now as peaceful a people as one could imagine, must triumph over this planned desecration of a holy site near the famed Apache Leap, where rather than submit to white conquerors, a group threw themselves off the mountain. Their pride will not allow this mining monstrosity.
37
Send a message to mccain by sending money to his opponent, Rep. Kirkpatrick
17
Kirkpatrick also has signed onto this disgraceful and disrespectful land grab. She's as disgusting as McCain and Flake. I hope Democratic voters in her district will see her for what she really is, another dirty, money-grubbing politician.
1
I wouldn't want to be that first man to shove steel into the earth and start the desecration. I've seen "Jeremiah Johnson"...
2
Yet, Arizona will reelect Mccain in 2016, when he doesn't deserve to be anywhere near Congress. Pathetic. Lets hope the Democrats can somehow pull off an upset.
18
McCain should have been out years ago. I suspect this was bi-partisan legislation and the President has a veto. Are you suggesting that either McCain or Flake together or by themselves are the only ones responsible? This is bi-partisan legislation. Bi-partisan because there is enough for both sides of the aisle to make it worth their while.
there is another way that Oak Flats can be saved- the antiquities Act. When Congress passed the Act in 1906, they gave the president authority to act to conserve areas like Oak Flats at his discretion. Congress debated whether to require it sign off on monuments as well, but ultimately decide that would defeat the purpose of fast action. time has proven that Congress to be wise and far-sighted. something we cannot say about this current Congress. If the president acts to declare Oak Flats a monument- it will nullify the provision. Can the president do this? Yes, the President power to create monuments is equal to that of Congress as long as the land is federal. the courts have upheld every monument that has been challenged in the courts, including Jackson Hole in Wyoming, Carters monuments in Alaska and Grand Staircase Escalante in Utah. Now, while Congress has intended to transfer the land, the transfer has not taken place due to the tribes protest. the courts have said that an area can become a monument so long as the feds retain some control over it, and since the control over the land is disputed, the feds still retain control. a monument declaration by the president would be upheld as courts have very limited review of monument creation by the president- they can only check to see if the declaration is a legitimate use of discretion. In this case, it would clearly be a matter of discretion, and the courts would uphold it, under the Cameron vs US precedent.
56
What motivated Congress to sell land to a mining company? Corruption and legal forms of bribery.
30
...will all of those legislators who find fault with the Washington "Redskins" please stand up and be counted....
5
Our shameful Congress needs a sabbatical for moral and mechanical restructuring.
24
Our shameful Congress needs to be disbanded, all their staffs fired, and every single current member of Congress barred from ever seeking public office again - each and every single one should be barred from even running for local school boards. We need a clean start.
2
The legacy of brutal US colonialism continues, with accompanying genocide and general dehumanizations of the "savage".
Let us celebrate the beautiful land and honor it as the American Indians and native peoples everywhere do. Connection with earth, with self, with others and with All.
Thank you for raising awareness on this misdeed done in our name. Which of our Congress will step up to overturn this decision? Senator Warren?
Let us celebrate the beautiful land and honor it as the American Indians and native peoples everywhere do. Connection with earth, with self, with others and with All.
Thank you for raising awareness on this misdeed done in our name. Which of our Congress will step up to overturn this decision? Senator Warren?
15
Our history of dealing with the red man is one of our breaking one promise after another. We whittle the Indians back to a lesser agreement, only to whittle them back more later.
Almost none of us believe in ghosts, but even whites do not disturb burying grounds unless they are Indians' sacred lands with minerals, water, pasteurage.
Teddy Roosevelt would have a stroke.
Almost none of us believe in ghosts, but even whites do not disturb burying grounds unless they are Indians' sacred lands with minerals, water, pasteurage.
Teddy Roosevelt would have a stroke.
34
I guess we now know the answer to that age-old question, Does it never end?
No. It never does end.
In the same way that the south continues to attempt to fight the Civil War, the American government continues its centuries-long war against Native Americans.
No. It never does end.
In the same way that the south continues to attempt to fight the Civil War, the American government continues its centuries-long war against Native Americans.
49
This angers me and the fact that I voted for McCain in 2008 gives me the chance to say I'm glad he lost the presidential election. In fact, as more of this unfolds I'm sensing he's opening his entire congressional record to more scrutiny around kick-backs. He's lost touch with what's important to Americans, including respect for our religious freedoms and traditions. Hope this turns into a lesson for him and others of his ilk who enrich themselves in public office.
5
I believe John McCain had "lost his marbles", a my mother used o say. While I know he went through hell in a prison camp..he wasn't the only one. It's time to look at what he is, not who he is.
1
"Three hundred people, mostly Apache, marched 44 miles from tribal headquarters to begin this occupation on Feb. 9."
How will our government meet the challenge of this affront to everything we hold dear i.e. mining interests and corporate campaign contributions: military advisors, drones, or boots on the ground?
How will our government meet the challenge of this affront to everything we hold dear i.e. mining interests and corporate campaign contributions: military advisors, drones, or boots on the ground?
5
Let's get this thing reversed. A travesty.
13
The irony is that it was a GOP president who first preserved the lands from mining; then another GOP president who extended the ban. That today's GOP snuck this into a national defense funding bill to benefit no one but the corporate board members of a foreign company is proof positive of how the GOP has been hijacked by corporate money and lobbyists. Neither Nixon nor Eisenhower was looking for glory when they did the right thing-- they just did the right thing. Today's GOP crooks and their crimes put those of tricky dick on par with stealing a pack of gum. And yet today's voter continues to elect these scoundrels. Today's MSM has Mccain onTV every week as an expert-- on WHAT?
14
@karen: "Today's MSM has Mccain on TV every week as an expert -- on WHAT? On how to be a scoundrel, a hypocrite and a thief. That about covers it doesn't it? Oh, and let's not forget that, among so many of his sins, he brought us the Palin.
1
If every one of the traitorous criminals who voted for this atrocity were voted out of office next November, Washington would gain an equal number of lobbyists two months later.
This is a crime and needs to be seen and treated as such. This is genocide of the Apache culture. The white man does indeed speak with a forked tongue.
This is a crime and needs to be seen and treated as such. This is genocide of the Apache culture. The white man does indeed speak with a forked tongue.
11
Yet another insult to Native American dignity in the name of "the economy." Political power as the lackey of corporate greed doesn't think twice about turning sacred places into desecrated places. Hopefully the citizenry will think twice before it's too late. How about a follow-up piece on the front page?
10
The practice of tacking on riders to unrelated bills needs to be abolished. Congress has been exploiting this tactic for too long, coat tailing controversial bills that would certainly be defeated on their own with critical must-pass ones. Each bill sent to vote should pertain to a specific issue.
16
Three months of protests and I have seen nothing about this from any local media here in the Phoenix area. Shame.
14
I suppose this is the US Congress saying, "As a measure of our gratitude for the pivotal assistance of our Native American citizens in launching D-Day, we will now set about to desecrate and destroy your hallowed grounds. Let the crater serve as a permanent reminder of our indebtedness."
12
Superior, Globe, Miami all mining towns in N.E. Az. I drove up and down those towns in the 50's and copper was king. It led down to Apache Junction, very tribal. What modern Americans do to the Tribes in Az. is deplorable. Hopi, Navaho are treated so poorly in this country it is deplorable. Another insult to our Native Americans.
15
They experienced our immigration, then they were culled, and then they were forcibly walked to empty spaces. In an age of another awakening to human rights, it is shameful that we continue to exploit native Americans.
12
"By doing this, Congress has handed over a sacred Native American site to a foreign-owned company for what may be the first time in our nation’s history."
Let's not forgot that our nation was founded by foreign companies taking away Native American land!
Let's not forgot that our nation was founded by foreign companies taking away Native American land!
12
No racial group has endured abuse, murder, robbery, more than the American Indian. The legacy of those crimes are seen everyday. This latest stab in the back by Senator McCain is par for the course.
19
Either the Apache Nation didn't donate enough to someone's re-election campaign, or they weren't able to offer members of Congress lucrative 7 figure salaries as lobbyists, after they leave office.
This is the reality of "American Exceptionalism".
This is the reality of "American Exceptionalism".
16
Millions of dollars are given to Washington lobbyists and congressmen out of native American assets to protect native American interests. The money is pocketed and little effort is made on their behalf.
Stop that Environmental report, tie it up in court, do everything possible to stop this McCain/Flake atrocity.
The NYTimes recently referred to McCain as a war hero! Was that for the plane crashes, including one of the greatest peacetime naval disasters in our history, or is it for violating protocols and crashing another plane in Vietnam? Or is it just because his father and grandfather were admirals and honor is heritable? Or is it for marrying mafia money after divorcing the woman that stood by him? Some hero. And now this.
The NYTimes recently referred to McCain as a war hero! Was that for the plane crashes, including one of the greatest peacetime naval disasters in our history, or is it for violating protocols and crashing another plane in Vietnam? Or is it just because his father and grandfather were admirals and honor is heritable? Or is it for marrying mafia money after divorcing the woman that stood by him? Some hero. And now this.
19
Freedom of religion vs Freedom of Speech
Corporate persons speak with money
Money speaks louder than religion
Religion loses to Speech
Corporate persons speak with money
Money speaks louder than religion
Religion loses to Speech
8
Everyone seems to have missed that Rio Tinto is proudly named after a river that was desecrated by mining waste over 5,000 years ago. They are proud of their environmental destruction and flaunt it with the name of their company. Of course they hide most of what they do through subsidiaries and an arcane corporate structure that also serves to protect them for the inevitable lawsuits over the purposeful environmental destruction that they cause.
5
It seems that the GOP and their concerns of religious protections really translates to Christianity-yes, not Christianity-no.
3
So the legislation was slipped through in an un-democratic manner and violates the religious freedom of our citizens and benefits some big corporation; Sounds like the health care law.
This time, Mr. McCain and Mr. Flake have finally, publicly, shown not only their corruption, but also their racism! The Oak Flat legislated 'deal' needs to be overturned quickly, and openly. There also needs to be an end to placing riders on 'must pass bills' at the last minute by any of 'our' representatives. For shame on McCain and Flake!
8
If, as it is apparent, our Congress finds it necessary to get a bill of this nature passed, ceding Native American land use to foreign entities in the manner it has used, hiding it behind the skirts of Mother Military's Mandate, how can we regardless of party affiliation think we are safe from any intrusion by these greed heads?
It is truly sickening that we and our fellow Americans elect people who turn their backs on all of us and especially grievous that without regard they continue to steal from our original inhabitants.
Regardless of race we are all being exploited. It is time we stopped asking miscreants to change their ways, refuse to buy their campaign lies and elect honest citizens who actually work for their money and are not beholden to any master.
Congratulations to the Times for publishing Ms. Millet's incisive thoughts.
It is truly sickening that we and our fellow Americans elect people who turn their backs on all of us and especially grievous that without regard they continue to steal from our original inhabitants.
Regardless of race we are all being exploited. It is time we stopped asking miscreants to change their ways, refuse to buy their campaign lies and elect honest citizens who actually work for their money and are not beholden to any master.
Congratulations to the Times for publishing Ms. Millet's incisive thoughts.
10
So glad John McCain isn't our president. Deals like this allow us to plainly see how corrupt Mr. McCain is.
8
In addition to shabby treatment of the Apache, this bypasses any royalty fees that would be paid to the government since the land is being swapped away. In effect a Federal Government handout to one of the largest mining conglomerates in the World. At one time McCain portrayed himself as being opposed to "pork barrel" politics. What does a land swap have to do with the Defense Budget? The Senators who initiated this are NOT looking out for the best interests of the constituents nor our country. What part of the oath that includes "Honor, Duty, Country" has fallen by the wayside for a few sheckles?
9
The problem here is the shady nature of the transfer. The land should be put up for public auction and sold to the highest bidder. The same should be done for the vast majority of Federal land holdings.
There is nothing new ,that surprises us, when you talk about Congress. And for that matter the rip off of the land that belongs to the real owners of North America. Can you imaging Mr. McCain as president? If he is able to sell land of his state, that belongs to private people by the way, to the multinationals without trembling of his hand, no doubt he as president would have had parceled the rest of the Country, for the benefit of a few. But, as the opinion page says, he is not alone. He is in the company of a bunch of individuals who have forgotten, long ago, that the purpose of the legislative branch is to serve and protect the interests of the community, not a system of cronyism to serve the interests of the legislators involved. History tells us that when the people looses confidence in their government catastrophic solutions are ensued. And unfortunately, there is not a leader in the horizon, that shows the charism necessary to stop and reverse the trend in which we live.
4
Sen. McCain has a long history of exploiting Native Americans and undermining(if you will pardon the pun) indigenous rights and resources. Thank you for the national attention on this travesty. Where do your individual federal senators and representatives vote on this issue?
16
Today the Apache at Oak Flat, tomorrow some of our best grandkids shipping out to Syria.
That’s just McCain. In the big picture, the ideas floating around Congress and K-Steet have no apparent limits.
What form of political dementia seizes most of those four hundred and thirty-five, entitling each of them to claim legislative proprietorship of our national assets and labour.
They become elected rentiers, embedded by disconnected voters into the priviledged .01%.
That’s just McCain. In the big picture, the ideas floating around Congress and K-Steet have no apparent limits.
What form of political dementia seizes most of those four hundred and thirty-five, entitling each of them to claim legislative proprietorship of our national assets and labour.
They become elected rentiers, embedded by disconnected voters into the priviledged .01%.
11
No battle is ever won in America.
ACA? Ongoing.
Obama's election? Ongoing.
The Civil War? Ongoing.
The message is loud and clear: If you don't have the wherewithal to dominate opposition for eternity, expect your accomplishments to be immediately revoked, and your resources repurposed in the most disrespectful, wasteful manner imaginable.
The USA doesn't have enough hours in the day to refight every dimension of society continuously, eventually something has to stick so we can move on.
ACA? Ongoing.
Obama's election? Ongoing.
The Civil War? Ongoing.
The message is loud and clear: If you don't have the wherewithal to dominate opposition for eternity, expect your accomplishments to be immediately revoked, and your resources repurposed in the most disrespectful, wasteful manner imaginable.
The USA doesn't have enough hours in the day to refight every dimension of society continuously, eventually something has to stick so we can move on.
4
Conquer or be conquered. That is the world we live in. They were conquered. End of discussion. Go smoke your peace pipe on the protected land that was GIVEN to you.
1
?survival of the fittest economics? Economic determinism
"GIVEN"? I believe it belonged to the natives first and it will always.
2
And the evils perpetrated by the United States against the first people of this continent continue unabated. I fear that the only thing sacred in this country any more is money. I don't see any repentance or reparations for the myriad sins of our nation happening in my lifetime, so all there is to do is continue to work for justice and pray for mercy.
12
Remember that old John was one of the Keating Five. He beat that charge by claiming, probably with some justification, simple stupidity.
18
When I lived in northern Minnesota 40 or so years back, I saw a goodly number of pickups and logging trucks with a bumper sticker that read: "Trees are pretty. Stumps are beautiful."
The sentiments of Jeff Flake, John McCain and the folks at Rio Tinto follow the same vein (pun intended): Mountains are pretty. Holes in the ground are beautiful.
The sentiments of Jeff Flake, John McCain and the folks at Rio Tinto follow the same vein (pun intended): Mountains are pretty. Holes in the ground are beautiful.
7
Sell off. Laughing out loud. It was given away to a foreign company. Given away. No royalties, no nothing. A mining engineer friend of mine says there may be a trillion dollars worth of ore in that deposit. At a normal 15% royalty rate that is $150 billion dollars given to the Australians and Chinese. Even by Congressional standards this is breath taking corruption.
8
I find one thing a bit confusing --- how did they add what is essentially a land transfer for mining to a defence bill? Wouldn't that be easily noticed as out of context?
It happens all the time: unrelated pieces of legislation, that either would never pass on their own if subjected to scrutiny and debate or are uncontroversial but just never got a hearing, are attached to "must-pass" bills, that no one in Congress will vote against nor the president veto.
The process undermines our democracy.
The process undermines our democracy.
1
The key words are "last minute". I'm guessing it also had a misleading title. And that the land to be swapped was uniquely identified but not in such a way as to call attention to its particular value.
1
This is so wrong, I thought our government was past these stinky, sneaky tricks against Native Americans. Shame, shame, shame! It doesn't bode well for the 2016 election--AND a foreign, too! What is Congress thinking? Mr. McCain I thought much better of you than that!!!
2
There is another way this land can be saved- via the Antiquities Act. Under that 1906 Act the President can, at his discretion create monuments on federal land. in order to qualify the land but be federal, and the land must contain objects- called Antiquities" of historic or scientific importance. the courts have deferred to the president on monument creation consistently since the Supreme Court ruled in its 1920 decision in Cameron vs Us that the Act was legal. that act upheld TRs creation of Grand Canyon national monument in 1908, and set the stage for other large monuments to follow. the courts have since clarified that as long as the federal government has some control over an area a monument can be created in that area. a disputed area like this, remains federal until the tribes are evicted. thus if the president were to act and declare the area a monument the provision would be nullified. Rio Tinto would sue naturally, but the courts have upheld every monument that has been challenged, and the courts would not look kindly on the underhanded way in which this provision was passed. the courts have stated they have very limited review, they can only determine whether the Presidents use of the act was a legal use of discretion, and not arbitrary and fickle. as long as the president gives a clear reason as to his action, the monument will be upheld.
8
Shame on these two hucksters for their sneaky and sordid behavior. This is a clear example of elected officials selling their offices for personal gain. And, it's a foreign owned company that's doing the buying. The President could veto the defense bill, but Congress would easily override his veto. There's simply too much pork in that obscenely bloated bill that no doubt has delivered tons of defense corporate donations into the coffers of most if not all Congressmen.
The Supremes' Citizens United decision plays into this story, including the absence of transparency of monies, domestic and foreign, that find their way into PACs, Super Pacs, and "Dark Money."
The stink of political corruption will not go away until the public finds the will to push through a constitutional amendment restricting campaign financing to public funding. Of the five Supremes who continue to deny that Citizens United is not destroying our democracy, one has to wonder if they are even aware of what is happening outside their courtroom.
The Supremes' Citizens United decision plays into this story, including the absence of transparency of monies, domestic and foreign, that find their way into PACs, Super Pacs, and "Dark Money."
The stink of political corruption will not go away until the public finds the will to push through a constitutional amendment restricting campaign financing to public funding. Of the five Supremes who continue to deny that Citizens United is not destroying our democracy, one has to wonder if they are even aware of what is happening outside their courtroom.
3
perhaps the indians should follow the example of that "rancher" in Nevada who showed up with thousands of gun totting supporters and forced the federal authorities to back down from taking (legally) his cattle for not paying grazing fees.
2
A note on media coverage. I just searched the Washington Post site and found exactly one article on this issue written over FOUR years ago. Its no wonder this got passed; apparently nobody in DC was talking about it! WaPo, you need to shed some light on this!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/health-environment-science/arizona_plan_fo...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/health-environment-science/arizona_plan_fo...
2
Bash McCain and Flake all you want to on this. Their behavior, sort of undefined in the article, is likely despicable. IF they authored the rider, shame on them. Shame on them for representing the interests of a corporation over their home state.
BUT!!! Who signed this legislation into law? Did President Obama or one of his Cabinet even bother to read the legislation before he put his pen to it? IT takes more than a couple of greedy senators to make a law in America.
C'mon NYTimes editors. This "coin" has two sides to it.
BUT!!! Who signed this legislation into law? Did President Obama or one of his Cabinet even bother to read the legislation before he put his pen to it? IT takes more than a couple of greedy senators to make a law in America.
C'mon NYTimes editors. This "coin" has two sides to it.
4
This article shows us that there is something really wrong with
our government.
our government.
4
Of course John Sidney McCain and his cohort republican Jr. so called AZ Senator Flake, who at the 11 hour slipped in land swap deal in the DOD spending bill, are on the take for the campaign contribution for their reelection. Plus, as usual for these malignant narcissists, chronic scapegoating, grab bagging yahoos, the Apache Indians and their land no matter the significance can be sacrificed with simple coercion with impunity. That folks has always been the republican manifesto modus operandi, in stealing Nation Indian Lands. As usual all the US Congress is, a self interest, self righteous, corrupt to the hilt, unrepresentative, totally undemocratic millionaires club that careless for the nation and the people. To that end the conservative republican menace will once again invoke their own and that of the like minded self importance.
3
Keep in mind that this area is known as Oak Flat Campground and is part of the Tonto National Forest. The area has been popular with 4-wheelers, off-road motorcyclists and rock climbers for decades. Although I cannot speak authoritatively about the claims and usage by the Native Americans, I know that I have never seen any Native American activity in the area, despite having ridden motorcycles there dozens of times over the span of 20 years. I too am very frustrated by our government's actions, but have not been aware of any prior actions by Native Americans to protect this land from the existing uses.
1
Is anyone surprised?
The man who brought us Sara Palin stands for nothing.
Another example that Lord Acton got it right.
Sadly.
The man who brought us Sara Palin stands for nothing.
Another example that Lord Acton got it right.
Sadly.
11
Excellent piece. Disgusting action. Pasting one relevant section of the UN Declaration on Right of Indigenous Peoples for reference:
source: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf
Article 11
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to practise and revitalize their
cultural traditions and customs. This includes the right to maintain,
protect and develop the past, present and future manifestations of
their cultures, such as archaeological and historical sites, artefacts,
designs, ceremonies, technologies and visual and performing arts
and literature.
source: http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf
Article 11
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to practise and revitalize their
cultural traditions and customs. This includes the right to maintain,
protect and develop the past, present and future manifestations of
their cultures, such as archaeological and historical sites, artefacts,
designs, ceremonies, technologies and visual and performing arts
and literature.
1
John McCain used to be a friend to the Native Americans, now he's friend to no one except the typical Republican base.
1
It's all about the money to these guys, but even for them this is a new low. Just when are we going to stop terrorizing the American Indian? Havent we done enough already?
1
This will be the end of our country. This is so despicable there just aren't the right words for me to explain how awful a thing this is, it just, to me, destroys the soul of of our land. Please repeal the rider.
1
One of the reasons a prior Congress mandated environmental impact statements was to allow a process for investigation and serious consideration of the impact of development. Yet, it appears that when it is "inconvenient" Congress exempts projects from the process. This is another troubling aspect of the Oak Flats rider and one that helps me see this action as a "backroom" deal.
Shareholders in Rio Tinto time to protest too. The company takes credit for its ethical awards here: http://www.riotinto.com/aboutus/ethical-indexes-and-awards-4337.aspx
Perhaps enough protest directly to the corporate leadership can help.
Shareholders in Rio Tinto time to protest too. The company takes credit for its ethical awards here: http://www.riotinto.com/aboutus/ethical-indexes-and-awards-4337.aspx
Perhaps enough protest directly to the corporate leadership can help.
1
Lots of luck.
To be sure Apaches will get rolled over by the forces of entrenched greed. It is not just the Apaches who will suffer but all the people of Arizona who are struggling to keep the state from being converted into one gigantic combination open pit mine, car dealership and strip mall.
1
While McCain takes a break from encouraging young Americans to wage battles all over the planet (always to preserve the dominant role of minerals, oil, gas and coal as the cheapest, most toxic industrial sources ever) though even the Arab deserts are (like California) also dying from lack of water partly due to CO2 and methane pollution--and while the Senator ignores even the state of Oklahoma's admission that fracking is not only corrupting water supplies but also creating deadly man-made earthquakes--he now has serious competition for his next and last run for the Senate in the form of Democratic Rep. Anne Kirkpatrick. In addition the Superstition Mountains, ancient home of the Apache Thunder God, are watching and looming over this proposed desecration day and night.
2
Even in the 21st century we continue our anti indian policy while condemning othet nations that surpess their minorities.
And mc cain right in the middle?
Who would have thought?
Mott
And mc cain right in the middle?
Who would have thought?
Mott
1
Fascinating how members of congress, elected by the people, do such a good job at representing the interests of a foreign company (and taking bribes, ooops, campaign contributions from that company) so it can subvert the interests of some of the people who elected them in the first place. Washington seems to have been doing the bidding of business interests to the detriment of ordinary citizens for some time now. I wonder when or if Americans will ever wake up to what's going on here.
3
Leave Native American lands, holy sites and culture alone. Isn't the hunfreds of years of genocide enough?
As an American I think America needs a Sorry Day. A day to recognize the incredible depth of the wrongs committed against Native Americans since the arrival of Colombus.
The Australians have done this to recognize the wrongs committed against the Aboriginal peoples. Isn't about time we did the same?
As an American I think America needs a Sorry Day. A day to recognize the incredible depth of the wrongs committed against Native Americans since the arrival of Colombus.
The Australians have done this to recognize the wrongs committed against the Aboriginal peoples. Isn't about time we did the same?
6
Let's face it. No decent human being would do something like this. Only a politician would.
4
And maybe mining company executives. And ordinary workers who allow themselves to be convinced to vote against their own interests because they are all too willing to believe that the "real problem" is people worse off than themselves.
Shameful outrageous behavior by McCain and Flake, only adding to the crimes we've committed against Native Americans
4
There is no such a thing as "holy land". What? Does mythological god live there? If they have some special attachment to this piece of land they should buy it and do what they want with it. Probably their representative in Congress can help them out with this.
As far as American Indians go, they and their Indian ways have been given a pass for far too long. They are not "native" Americans. They did not drop from the trees or sprout up from the ground. They came from someplace, most likely Asia by crossing the Bering Straits. At best they are "prior settlers". If they want their piece of the pie they'll need to take part in the prevailing political process just like everyone else. If they choose to exclude themselves that's a problem of their own making.
I am a Native American. I was born in NYC. You don't get more native than that.
As far as American Indians go, they and their Indian ways have been given a pass for far too long. They are not "native" Americans. They did not drop from the trees or sprout up from the ground. They came from someplace, most likely Asia by crossing the Bering Straits. At best they are "prior settlers". If they want their piece of the pie they'll need to take part in the prevailing political process just like everyone else. If they choose to exclude themselves that's a problem of their own making.
I am a Native American. I was born in NYC. You don't get more native than that.
1
Exactly the kind of attitude that gives rise to such cruelty. A complete lack of any inner awareness, and connection with others.
Mine, mine, mine. Like the seagulls in Finding Nemo. So very tedious and sad your life must be.
Mine, mine, mine. Like the seagulls in Finding Nemo. So very tedious and sad your life must be.
I guess then that since all people are descended from a small group in Africa, there are no other 'native' peoples. These 'native peoples' have only been in the Americas for about 14,000 years-hardly any time at all. And, if there are no 'holy places' start taxing the lands and income associated with churches, mosques, temples etc.
I spend time on Native land in northern Arizona, where uranium was mined to provide for our nuclear arsenal. Few people understand the devasation that mining has caused for the people who live on this land. Uranium in the water, on the land, affecting people's health for generations. Yet, the same people honor the code talkers of WW2 and are very patriotic. The US is constantly trying to usie native land for dumping nuclear waste and mining. This has to stop. As native culture is ruined so we see the world as a whole become degraded. Please make our voices heard on this!
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Besides that the Mining Act written in the 19th century to encourage development of western resources should be updated. It allows foreign interests to lease and destroy public land for virtually nothing. It's grand theft from the tax payers.
6
It's doubly awful to McCain one of the drafters of the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) that has caused thousands of artifact to be given back to the Native American owners to do something like this. Do Republicans care about ANYTHING but money? When will they sell America to China for a buck?
6
McCain and Flake need to be called out - replaced. Especially McCain, he's become a self absorbed, garrulous old man.
7
MONEY will buy anything from our Congress. Attaching a rider to sell this land to a 'must pass" bill shows the need to prohibit such actions and require that each bill must be judged on its own merits. DoJ needs to see who got paid for doing that and indict him to make an example of him/her. It should be obvious who presented this rider to the bill. - Congress and the US never had respect for the natives who lived in America before Europeans invaded and took their lands.
No wonder Israel has no compunctions about taking Palestinian lands. They are just doing what the US has done for hundreds of years. What a precedent. Those that agreed to give the Apache land away for money probably are vigorous supporters of Israel and their land grabs.
No wonder Israel has no compunctions about taking Palestinian lands. They are just doing what the US has done for hundreds of years. What a precedent. Those that agreed to give the Apache land away for money probably are vigorous supporters of Israel and their land grabs.
13
Is there nothing The American People can do against these corrupt and evil thieves? My anger is boiling over!
7
Support Republicans. This is what you get. Every time.
5
And so our nation takes another step on its protracted journey toward elimination of its native people.
9
And the genocide continues . . .
8
When Mangas Coloradas aka Red Sleeves, who was the greatest and most powerful Apache chief ever, made the mistake of trusting and respecting Americans it cost him his life. Mangas did not care for either Texans or Mexicans. But he had no problems with Americans.
Unable to defeat him on the battlefield they lured him under the pretense of a truce to talk where he was provoked and brutally murdered. His son-in- law Cochise, his top lieutenants Victorio, Pedro Azul, Coletto Amarillo, Cuchillo Negro, Delgadito, Nana and Geronimo learned a valuable lesson that bathed the Southwestern U.S.A. in blood and turmoil for another generation.
The white European illegal invasion, occupation and theft of Native American land was accompanied by the killing, wounding and displacement of men, women and children. A unique American holocaust that balanced theft and enslavement of Africans to America that mark American claims of being a land of the free and home of the brave as cynical inhumane hypocrisy.
That this new theft happened under the nose of the first Black POTUS is disheartening. That the white Arizona local, state and federal officials approved is expected. That Native Americans have the semi-autonomy to be treated like chaff by corporations posing as people speaking with their money is bad enough if they are American. But to be subject to depredation and predation by plundering barbarian foreign corporations and plutocrats is disgusting.
Unable to defeat him on the battlefield they lured him under the pretense of a truce to talk where he was provoked and brutally murdered. His son-in- law Cochise, his top lieutenants Victorio, Pedro Azul, Coletto Amarillo, Cuchillo Negro, Delgadito, Nana and Geronimo learned a valuable lesson that bathed the Southwestern U.S.A. in blood and turmoil for another generation.
The white European illegal invasion, occupation and theft of Native American land was accompanied by the killing, wounding and displacement of men, women and children. A unique American holocaust that balanced theft and enslavement of Africans to America that mark American claims of being a land of the free and home of the brave as cynical inhumane hypocrisy.
That this new theft happened under the nose of the first Black POTUS is disheartening. That the white Arizona local, state and federal officials approved is expected. That Native Americans have the semi-autonomy to be treated like chaff by corporations posing as people speaking with their money is bad enough if they are American. But to be subject to depredation and predation by plundering barbarian foreign corporations and plutocrats is disgusting.
8
The Apache leaders Juh, Ulzana, Taza and Naiche ,contrary to white supremacist Hollywood myth, were also hunted and hounded primarily by black Buffalo Soldiers and black cowboys. Being a cowboy was a dirty dangerous job bedeviled by natives and nature. Two despised American minorities were left fighting over and for scraps. "Elvis never was a hero to me. Missouri Farmer him and John Wayne" Public Enemy.
Side note: Unfortunately the POTUS and his people in the executive branch don't have much control over the final provisions of legislation these days. He gets an up or down on the final version and has to pick his battles.
Just when you think Republicans can't get any slimier or more corrupt, another outrageous example of their total lack of ethics comes to light. Sneaking the "fine print rider" into the National Defense Authorization Act shows malice aforethought and cynical planning to get this despicable robbery of land sacred to the Apache Nation passed through the worst Congress in American history.
10
How much did they all get paid to commit this crime?
To do this to the San Carlos Apache shows the corrupt infection that is this Congress, which represents only the patrons of the prostitutes that call themselves Senators and Representatives.
8
Now here are politicians who deserve to go to jail for approving this "rider."
Interview these Congressmen from both parties. When they "lie" to federal agents, arrest them, like former House Speaker Hassert.
Have to build a new minimum security golf club for all these boys and girls.
Interview these Congressmen from both parties. When they "lie" to federal agents, arrest them, like former House Speaker Hassert.
Have to build a new minimum security golf club for all these boys and girls.
6
I'm having a very difficult time composing a comment that the NYT will allow.
John McCain, of all people! Even his Hanoi imprisonment and torture do not mitigate my disgust at his instigation of and participation in this atrocity. I believed this man was true hero, even though our political philosophies differed. He would have been the first Republican to receive my vote for President, had GWB not maligned him to win the Republican primary in 2000. No more.
As for Jeff Flake, his name is everything one needs to know about him. Truth in advertising, if you will.
I have written of the hypocrisy of the white man, the ultimate "illegal alien" on this continent, multiple times in comments submitted to the NYT, usually in regard to immigration, specifically the Republican Party's draconion "solutions."
But this is hypocrisy on a whole new level. This differs only in degree and not in kind to the genocide of the people who lived in, understood, and loved the pristine wilderness that was their home. The place that John McCain, Jeff Flake, and every representative or senator who voted for this sickening act are continuing to rape and ruin in the manner of their ancestors. And do so for the equivalent of 30 pieces of silver.
John McCain, of all people! Even his Hanoi imprisonment and torture do not mitigate my disgust at his instigation of and participation in this atrocity. I believed this man was true hero, even though our political philosophies differed. He would have been the first Republican to receive my vote for President, had GWB not maligned him to win the Republican primary in 2000. No more.
As for Jeff Flake, his name is everything one needs to know about him. Truth in advertising, if you will.
I have written of the hypocrisy of the white man, the ultimate "illegal alien" on this continent, multiple times in comments submitted to the NYT, usually in regard to immigration, specifically the Republican Party's draconion "solutions."
But this is hypocrisy on a whole new level. This differs only in degree and not in kind to the genocide of the people who lived in, understood, and loved the pristine wilderness that was their home. The place that John McCain, Jeff Flake, and every representative or senator who voted for this sickening act are continuing to rape and ruin in the manner of their ancestors. And do so for the equivalent of 30 pieces of silver.
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There are not enough harsh and vile words to describe the people, like John McCain, who continue to abuse our Native People, with complete impunity.
Head's up, folks! A similar desecration is pending with the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. How much tribal land and burial sties will be desecrated by that monstrosity? And, as we've been witnessing in Santa Barbara, oil companies don't care an iota for the environment, wildlife or people. Nothing is sacred but Almighty Dollar. How sad!
10
If one actually reads the Defense Authorization act I wouldn't get overly exercised over this small insult to the idea of a clean and transparent government. This bill should be vetoed out right by the President.
If one reads this bill the only conclusion you could come to is the US government is a subsidiary of private arms dealers created to destabilize the world for the purpose of distributing weapons around the world.
If one reads this bill the only conclusion you could come to is the US government is a subsidiary of private arms dealers created to destabilize the world for the purpose of distributing weapons around the world.
9
Our nation is a long litany of cruel acts perpetrated in the pursuit of money. What has been done to the Native Americans is genocide. We have never really owned up to it. See "Washington Redskins" or Cleveland "Indians" with that insulting caricature of a logo. Time is on the side of those with unlimited funds and patience, as in this instance where this heinous legislation languished for years until finally, "enough money was spent". Have we not as a nation punished the Native American enough already? I embrace class warfare (which is what the rich call it) and support the Native American against the powerful and cruel. Let it begin immediately, before it is too late. "They came for my neighbor and I did nothing.........."
10
If the conservative economic elite thought they could get away with it , they WOULD sell off Christian and Jewish sites to their real god - the highest bidder.
11
This is just wrong. Where is US AG?
17
This news should be on the front page of the NY Times. We are once again breaking our word to Native Americans. They should resist this move, with force if necessary to raise awareness of there plight. Most people in America have no idea of this Congressional action. I bet most Congress-people were unaware of it also.
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I wouldn't excuse any of them it is their job to know what is being legislated.
It saddens me each time I read or learn about a transaction that involves money without thoughtful reasoning. Not only is this a travesty to the Apache but the idea of mining in the area, at all, should be prohibited.
29
How can Congress sell any right to federally-protected public land to a foreign-owned company? How is this legal? Seriously. If anyone has an explanation, I would appreciate it. If it is legal, does that mean Congress could sell such rights to say, the Grand Canyon?
57
Re the Grand Canyon. They almost did in a way by actually considering putting a dam up there after WW2. The plan was dropped in 1968 due to potential environmental damage and protests to that effect. They private sector would have done quite well with that project.
The federal government isn't selling land to the mining company. It is swapping 2,422 acres of National Forest land in exchange for 5,344 acres of privately land. Nationally, about 24.2 million acres of privately held farm and forest land were owned or leased by companies with foreign investors. American companies also own land in other countries. If Congress approved, the federal government could sell the Grand Canyon. It's unlikely Congress would approve.
Because Article IV., sec. 3 of the US Constitution says: "The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States ..."
1
Republican legislators care about 2 things: money, and the wish lists of their rich benefactors. Everything has a price tag. Even the future of the planet is sold away.
51
And they all claim to be "christian". Perhaps that is why another culture's spiritual beliefs matter not to them.
1
The ability of clever congressmen to slip bad riders onto important legislation at the last minute, is one of the primary causes of disrespect for government. That this is bas is obvious, but that congress continues to do this simply means that they don't care and like it this way. And this and other slimy practices will continue until we get campaign finance reform and term limits. Wake up America.
20
I am ashamed to say I didn't know about this. FWIW, (literally) I will post this on Facebook and write to McCain and Flake to protest this corruption of democracy. The native people continued to get screwed by the U.S. Government.
44
How ironic! Republicans argue for the rights of so-called Christians to deny insurance for contraceptive coverage to their female employees or businesses to discriminate against same-sex couples. So much for Thomas Jefferson's Wall of Separation between Church and State, while at the same time to McCain and Flake, the spiritual beliefs of American Indians don't count because they aren't part of the Judeo-Christian tradition. There has been little coverage of this scandalous land swap in national media with the exception of this Op Ed piece and public radio. I had assumed that Republicans in Congress have behaved so badly in recent years that nothing they could do would shock me anymore, but obviously I was wrong.
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There is a long, sordid history of cheating Native Americans out of their land, not to mention cruel, physical abuse. See Unreal City by Judith Nies, for instance. Multinational corporations work hand-in-glove with the U.S. government in the pursuit of profit over all else.
33
McCann is a sad piece of work. Hopefully the people of Arizona will realize this guy was no war hero and has been a member of the privileged class his entire life. I read an article about his return from POW status. It was mentioned he was the only one of all POWs that looked very well fed getting off the plane. Since becoming a Senator he has been fed well by the corrupt corporations and Wall Street.
47
There were doubtless substantial campaign contributions involved.
Prosecute that as the bribery it is. Time to draw a line.
Prosecute that as the bribery it is. Time to draw a line.
111
Two points: Would McCain or Flake have sponsored a bill to allow desecration of the National Cathedral or their place of worship? There will be zero consequences for either of these yahoos. The people of Arizona will continue to reelect them and the lobbyists will continue to pay them.
41
I haven't seen anything to indicate the selling off of our country by politicians regardless of political party is based on anything other then a purely capitalist model. The more visible the theft the higher the price to play.
Tax policy, public education, national defense, public lands, private property, religious institutions, paid in SS and Medicare benefits, privacy rights, even acts of war are for sale. Why wouldn't a National Cathedral or a personal place of worship be up for sale?
Tax policy, public education, national defense, public lands, private property, religious institutions, paid in SS and Medicare benefits, privacy rights, even acts of war are for sale. Why wouldn't a National Cathedral or a personal place of worship be up for sale?
1
If some one gave them enough money? Possibly.
How is this any different from ISIS destroying heritage sites in the Middle East? They do it for radical ideology, McCain does it for money.
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which is his radical ideology.
It's different because ISIS destroys heritage sites in the Middle East ostensibly out of religious zeal, no matter how misguided. In the case of Oak Flat, the motivator is mucho money.
The world considers ISIS a terrorist group. Does the world consider Senator McCain a terrorist?
1
ould this happen? Two word answer: Republican Coingress.
23
Native Americans have a certain independence from federal controls that allow their leadership to further victimize those who live on reservations. Alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and the abuse of children continue at epidemic levels. That separate and unequal status quo benefits a few at the expense of the many but is seemingly immune to proactive intervention by federal and state authorities. Selling off a sacred site to benefit a private company bankrolling politicians is just the latest indignity Native American must apparently endure. Looking for the "win" Indians have traded for their tattered independence remains an ephemeral search. They need more transparency and outside help to stop the heartbreak that only solidifies their second-class, throwaway society. Who speaks for their children?
7
Mr. Case,
Care to cite your racist views? Indian trust was created to protect Indigenous peoples from settler colonialists who used illegal racist constructs to steal lands. Your purposeful silencing of history pre-contact is connected to fundamental settler colonialist Doctrine of Discovery where claiming ownership of other peoples' history and knowledge gives you the right to be the only expert. The typical "because I said so" ethic of privilege. Your contrarian corporatocracy rhetoric misses the most important point. The land was set aside and as a public trust in a water drought region, McCain had no legal right to give it away to another country. By "othering" the original peoples of this region you hope to divert the eyes of racists in Arizona from facts that harm their own rights to those clean waters. Pre-contact, the Navajo as well as many other Tribal Nations called Oak Flats, sacred. Treaty promised to protect it for as long as the waters run and sun shines in the sky. Not to protect the wallets of McCain and his bedfellows. As a Native person and Natural resource sustainability scientist I can say that this act is not sustainable and puts Arizona at risk that will affect many generations to come. The cost will be insurmountable and the mining company, nor McCain will never be held accountable for the environmental and ecosystem degradation left behind.
Care to cite your racist views? Indian trust was created to protect Indigenous peoples from settler colonialists who used illegal racist constructs to steal lands. Your purposeful silencing of history pre-contact is connected to fundamental settler colonialist Doctrine of Discovery where claiming ownership of other peoples' history and knowledge gives you the right to be the only expert. The typical "because I said so" ethic of privilege. Your contrarian corporatocracy rhetoric misses the most important point. The land was set aside and as a public trust in a water drought region, McCain had no legal right to give it away to another country. By "othering" the original peoples of this region you hope to divert the eyes of racists in Arizona from facts that harm their own rights to those clean waters. Pre-contact, the Navajo as well as many other Tribal Nations called Oak Flats, sacred. Treaty promised to protect it for as long as the waters run and sun shines in the sky. Not to protect the wallets of McCain and his bedfellows. As a Native person and Natural resource sustainability scientist I can say that this act is not sustainable and puts Arizona at risk that will affect many generations to come. The cost will be insurmountable and the mining company, nor McCain will never be held accountable for the environmental and ecosystem degradation left behind.
1
How underhanded. Way to undermine the will of the people. It's hard to remember that Congress is supposed to work for the voters.
16
Native American advocates who want to keep Native Americans mired in the reservation system label any land designated for industrial use as "holy" or "sacred." The Oak Flat Campground isn't an ancient Apache "holy site," it is a federal campground open to the general public. The United States created the nearby San Carlos Reservation and and begin moving Apache bands there from Eastern Arizona and New Mexico in 1872. The United States also settled various other tribes, including a Chippewa band from Montana but originally the Great Lakes, at San Carlos. The San Carlos Apache operate a casino (Apache Gold) and a golf course (Apache Stronghold Golf Course) on their own land. Only land off the reservation is deemed holy or sacred. Despite the casino and golf course, San Carlos Reservation is one of the poorest Native American communities, with an annual median household income of about $14,000. The copper mine would create about 3,500 jobs. The San Carlos Reservation has 15,000 resident. According to the New York Times, 300 are protesting the copper mine.
5
You claim the mine would create 3,500 jobs; the article says 1.400. Given typical corporate hype, I tend to believe the actual number will be under 1.400. And getting three hundred people together to protest anything the Federal government does is a major feat. Would you feel the same if the Feds gave, say, the Alamo to a mining company?
48
The number of permanent jobs over the 40 year life of the mine will be 400 jobs. The construction of the mine us where the 1400 jobs figure comes in. Many of these initial jobs will be contracted labor and they are not permanent jobs. The area is also the second largest riparian area on the U.S. all of which will be destroyed by a FOREIGN mining company. The copper will not be smelted in the U.S. either but shipped out of the country fir the smelting process. The final copper product will be sold to China. The southwest is in a severe drought. The mining process will be depleting precious groundwater. The toxic tailings from the mine will literally be mountain high and will be placed just outside the town limits of Superior. The patent company, Rio Tinto, had a long list of human rights violations and environmental violations. All for 400 jobs?
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The feds don't own the Alamo. Texas owns the Alamo. I would object if Texas decided to give the Alamo to a mining company, but I would not object to Texas swapping other state-owned land to a mining company in exchange for a larger slice of land which is owned by the mining company, as is the case in Arizona. The Oak Cliff Campground is a public picnic and camping area, not a historic shrine.
John McCane has proved himself to be a man without honor, bought and paid for by a foreign corporation. We should remember that when he does his usual vent about President Obama or whines about Hillary and the Clinton Foundation. The usual "do as I say, not as I do" I suppose except the Clinton Foundation actually does good. McCane's cronies just destroys the environment and holy sites to enrich slimy foreigners.
15
This is just another sign of the future of our public lands. Greed and profits rule over everything . Even private lands aren`t safe from this type of takeover for profits. Homes have already been lost to the profits first crowd using eminent domain. And with the next trade pact coming down the pike the international corporations will be able to sue because we are stopping their ability to profit from every square foot of our lands.
16
Best Congress money can buy!
18
a true american hero, mc cain last year tried to pass a bill to take away
water rights from the Navajo Nation.
water rights from the Navajo Nation.
33
It is shocking that our government and society allows foreign entities to use, exploit and destroy our natural resources for their personal greed. It is unbelievable that John McCain would be a proponent of this legislation. This country is no longer a true democracy when this sort of deal making is going on behind closed doors and the people that we have entrusted our good faith in exploit that trust for personal greed and power. How could this happen? Very sad and glad it is coming to light. Too late but at least it is coming out.
16
I agree with you, Rain, but think about the fact of what we do to exploit the natural resources of so many other countries. We devastated Iraq for our oil addiction and that's the tip of the iceberg. Chile, venezuela, Iran were all our victims through recent history of exploitation.
This is just part of what we do and who we are as a country.
This is just part of what we do and who we are as a country.
1
Besides the desecration of a Native American holy site, are the British/Ausies going to give The tribes fair compensation for the minerals they are going to take?
Are they going to give fair compensation to the people of America for the runiation of environment caused by their roads and digging and heavy transportation in a national park WE THE PEOPLE OWN?
ALL of Washington is guilty of the overthrow of the American Democracy and should be sent to federal penetenturies for treason.
Are they going to give fair compensation to the people of America for the runiation of environment caused by their roads and digging and heavy transportation in a national park WE THE PEOPLE OWN?
ALL of Washington is guilty of the overthrow of the American Democracy and should be sent to federal penetenturies for treason.
17
The senators from Arizona are responsible for what happened. They planted the deal in the fine print. They should pay a price. Proposing that "All of Washington is responsible for the overthrow of American Democracy" is a way to whitewash the deeds of the senators from Arizona. Spreading guilt around is a way to insulate the principal actors from the consequences of their actions.
1
If the rest aren't guilty, why has not one of them spoken out to oppose the rider?????
A very important issue raised here is our system of allowing totally irrelevant adendas to be tacked onto legislation as a form of bribery: "Vote for major item A and automatically you give me minor item B," or in this case, "You have to vote for item A, so I can guarantee the passage of item B". Mr. McCain in particular must be very aware that the Rio Tinto deal has nothing to do with National Defense. We have already curtailed earmarks as a form of political bribery, we should also require that amendments to bills relate to the substance of the bill.
As for this particular bill, the land grab amendment should be reversed, now that it has been placed in full sunlight. But since lobbyist money counts more than previous Presidential protections, I doubt that it will be.
As for this particular bill, the land grab amendment should be reversed, now that it has been placed in full sunlight. But since lobbyist money counts more than previous Presidential protections, I doubt that it will be.
44
I was wondering too just when and how that practice started and why it is not a major issue in elections, or for that matter the daily news. It is as onerous a practice as any resorted to by Congress.
1
The ability of a a foreign owned multinational to obtain a specially crafted piece of legislation and have it inserted covertly in a military funding bill is a national disgrace and a situation ripe for an in depth investigation of all those involved. Wake up Ms. AG there is a lot of fraud and bribery happening in the US and in the US Congress. The Soccer Scandall may give some DOJ employees the opportunity to travel to interesting places on the taxpayers dime but congressional corruption should be the priority.
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Wait, I thought this was a free speech issue. There's certainly no quid pro quo by Mr. McCain and Mr. Flake. Just because Rio Tinto "donates" money to them and there is later the legislation "benefitting" is purely coincidental. And to think, he was the GOP's presidential choice.
4
We are experiencing a similar underhanded mining controversy right here in Mariposa County, California, where a Conditional Use Permit is being overridden (or proposed to be overridden) by three members of our Board of Supervisors. Is this a trend?
11
Destroy the Export-Import Bank along with American jobs and global competitiveness in the name of politically correct free market purity. Destroy on the QT a native American nation's holy area in the name of staying bought by the mining lobby that bought you. Anyone see a pattern here?
15
To the GOP Native Americas are just another group of people of color and the GOP could care less about people of color. The only way the GOP would protect this land if it was sacred to the White Evangelicals because those are they only people other than the rich that the GOP cares about.
32
What a shame! I knew that this congress was ineffective, but I did not realize that they were so morally corrupt.
18
We knew they were morally corrupt & ineffective but didn't know they were actually evil... they were not blind to what they did...eyes wide open to their cruelty
"The deal is an impressive new low in congressional corruption, unworthy of our country’s ideals no matter what side of the aisle you’re on."
How is this deal any different in principle than Putin's theft of Crimea? In both cases, "national interest", that age-old euphemism for gain at someone else's expense, is invoked as a pretext for land theft. Is McCain pro-Putin as well?
How is this deal any different in principle than Putin's theft of Crimea? In both cases, "national interest", that age-old euphemism for gain at someone else's expense, is invoked as a pretext for land theft. Is McCain pro-Putin as well?
14
Thank you for publicizing this story. It is amazing Congressional politicians still get away with such land grabs, mostly due to the story not getting enough attention.
I will repeat my comment to Gail Collin's 12/13/14 column "Dinner Party Political Primer" on Omnibus bill:
How about the Apache land grab for Rio Tinto included in the bill? A federal land swap that will make a copper mine out of a sacred Apache site (where warriors flung themselves from a cliff rather than be captured by the U.S. Army) enriching the company that provides Iran with their uranium supply. Why dwell on the past when there is money to be made? Really, it's just a repeat of consistent national policy of land appropriation. Historically, Congress has sided with the multinational mining conglomerates over the native peoples as a matter of course. It has been very profitable, so let's do it again!
see: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/stop-apache-land-grab
I will repeat my comment to Gail Collin's 12/13/14 column "Dinner Party Political Primer" on Omnibus bill:
How about the Apache land grab for Rio Tinto included in the bill? A federal land swap that will make a copper mine out of a sacred Apache site (where warriors flung themselves from a cliff rather than be captured by the U.S. Army) enriching the company that provides Iran with their uranium supply. Why dwell on the past when there is money to be made? Really, it's just a repeat of consistent national policy of land appropriation. Historically, Congress has sided with the multinational mining conglomerates over the native peoples as a matter of course. It has been very profitable, so let's do it again!
see: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/stop-apache-land-grab
19
Thanks for the link to that petition! The petition is marked "Closed" and the response from the WH is appalling: While criticizing the transfer and the use of a rider in an unrelated bill, the WH spokesperson says the WH will work with the Rio Tinto company to mitigate the Apache concerns. (Not a direct quote, but it gives the idea.) What mitigation? Money for the tribe? A smaller hole in the earth? Congress had no right to do this with public land in the first place. The only acceptable "mitigation" is for President Obama to rescind the transfer of American public land to a foreign company and establish the area as a national monument.
When I was a small boy I had dinner with Barry Goldwater at Goulding's in Monument Valley. He flew in his own airplane for an evening of what I now see was recreation. Dinner was served family style and although I was too young to know who Barry Goldwater was, I'll never forget how he spoke of the land, the people and the heritage of Arizona. Too bad John McCain didn't inherit some of that.
11
Barry Goldwater was at least as corrupt and dishonest as McCain. Don't be fooled by his rhetoric!
2
Very true--native people here had no love for him!
The argument that the minerals mined will serve a greater purpose to the general public than the preservation of a religious site of a minority group is discredited by the fact that the mineral resources can be found in equally productive alternative locations, but the significance and sanctity of the site to the minority group cannot. The unique status of Oak Flats is sacred ground and is irreplacable, and supercedes the argued profitabilty and important purpose of the minerals below.
15
Not to mention that in monetary terms it is apparently to be given away on the super cheap.
Shame on you and your whole party, Senator McCain! You've scored another point for that Lobby of Weasels that funds American politics.
31
Is there a petition somewhere that I can sign to protest this?
10
Shannon: Yes, there is one at https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/President_Obama_SAVE_OAK_FLAT_FROM_...
If not, maybe you can start one and let us all know: www.change.org
Excuse me, what does "Holy Land" even mean? I can see that it's important to some people, but "holy"? How does that work? Does the NYT have some registry of holy stuff, managed by staff angels and spirits?
Also, In the middle east, they are constantly waging holy wars because they think the land his holier to some than to others. Maybe the problem is that people assign too much "holiness" to tracts of dirt and rocks, not enough to human lives.
Also, In the middle east, they are constantly waging holy wars because they think the land his holier to some than to others. Maybe the problem is that people assign too much "holiness" to tracts of dirt and rocks, not enough to human lives.
4
Or maybe people assign to much value to extracting resources than a cultural heritage spanning generations.
4
Or maybe the problem is that a rich corporation wants to take over and destroy land that doesn't really belong to them. As the article notes, "the Apache have been here 'since well before recorded history,' according to congressional testimony by the Society for American Archaeology." They have a prior claim; I don't have to approve of the purpose they attach to the place. Protecting what little land the Apache and other peoples have left seems like a small price to pay for the genocidal efforts to which they were subjected by invading Europeans. It's natural for humans to migrate into new territories and look for new opportunities and resources, but that doesn't justify theft and extermination. There are modes of coexistence other than domination and exploitation. I would like to be part of a visionary future where we try some of those.
3
Typical attitude of a city slicker. The "tracts of dirt and rocks" you refer to have deep meaning to the Apache culture. That tract of "dirt and rocks" is the equal of the World Trade Towers, a man made buildings. The country was able to replace the WTC with a new structure, but the country cannot rebuild the dirt and rocks that are endearing to Native Americans. Rio Tinto is a greedy company and what it does to Mother Earth is not pretty. McCain and Flake should be put on trial. Come West and "Walk in Beauty", then you will understand.
2
Just one more routine desecration
By us, of the Apache Nation,
No acknowledging blame
Or acute sense of shame,
A gross Holy Land mutilation!
By us, of the Apache Nation,
No acknowledging blame
Or acute sense of shame,
A gross Holy Land mutilation!
25
Perhaps, what is most troubling is the way it was done by adding a last minute non-germane rider to an important piece of legislation, presumably with the intention of having the rider go unnoticed and become enacted into law. This alone should be cause for Congress to revisit this matter.
This also begs the obvious question as to why both houses of Congress and the President were asleep at the switch. Didn't anyone know what was going on?
This also begs the obvious question as to why both houses of Congress and the President were asleep at the switch. Didn't anyone know what was going on?
39
Good question, and no! Better yet, what Democrats from Arizona were aware, and what did they do??
1
Desecrating a holy site - no matter the religion - is reprehensible. The Congress made a grievous error that should be corrected immediately. What is left of our Native Americans' cultures must be preserved, as it is a link to their ancestors and intrinsic to the history of this land. Shame on those who would defile these sites.
30
It's just yet another spinning planet in deep space though, 1 that came (for) free to boot for crying out loud!
If anything g traditional heritage is nothing but rich fantasy holding everybody in hostage.
I can't have the slightest bit of respect for any of it, let alone when man-dated.
If anything g traditional heritage is nothing but rich fantasy holding everybody in hostage.
I can't have the slightest bit of respect for any of it, let alone when man-dated.
1
This is the same nonsense as Senate Amendment 838, which Lisa Murkowski is sponsoring to selll of federal lands and waters - such as the Cape Cod National Seashore and the Tsongass National Forest to business to do as as they please. Trees, animals, waters all at risk.
53
Not for nothing is the practice of politics held in such contempt by so many Americans. Like commissioned sales, we may accept that it's necessary but we don't have to like its inevitable manifestations of occasional sleaze.
But the author merely asserts a higher priority to protecting a religious totem than to enacting what to some was an important defense appropriation bill -- that affects not only our security but the livelihoods of millions of Americans who provision military needs. Now, she has every right to accord higher importance to that religious totem, but there are a lot of people who would disagree with her.
If 1400 people are to be involved in the mining effort, I doubt that they'll all be flown in from either Australia or Britain. And repealing the rider likely would be regarded as an unacceptable bait-and-switch, even by congressmen who disagree with it -- and that strikes at the heart of congressional deal-making that allows us to move forward on contentious legislation. Perhaps a better solution is to modify the rider so that it requires that a certain (high) percentage of the labor force be sourced locally, and that the appropriate organization within our federal Dept. of the Interior supervise mining activities at Oak Flat.
Certainly, Resolution should be prevailed upon to support ways that BOTH interests can use the land, and that when it's done with it that "meteor crater", if not healed, is at least harmonized with the general landscape.
But the author merely asserts a higher priority to protecting a religious totem than to enacting what to some was an important defense appropriation bill -- that affects not only our security but the livelihoods of millions of Americans who provision military needs. Now, she has every right to accord higher importance to that religious totem, but there are a lot of people who would disagree with her.
If 1400 people are to be involved in the mining effort, I doubt that they'll all be flown in from either Australia or Britain. And repealing the rider likely would be regarded as an unacceptable bait-and-switch, even by congressmen who disagree with it -- and that strikes at the heart of congressional deal-making that allows us to move forward on contentious legislation. Perhaps a better solution is to modify the rider so that it requires that a certain (high) percentage of the labor force be sourced locally, and that the appropriate organization within our federal Dept. of the Interior supervise mining activities at Oak Flat.
Certainly, Resolution should be prevailed upon to support ways that BOTH interests can use the land, and that when it's done with it that "meteor crater", if not healed, is at least harmonized with the general landscape.
3
All that you state is fine but let's face it, if the site had any relevance for or connection to Judaism, the sale of Oak Flat would be out of the question.
3
Perhaps your distance from the area is the reason for your lack of understanding of this issue. I understand that there are beautiful places in your state. Oak Flats is a high desert location filled with trees and beautiful rock formations. It has been a special place for many Arizona residents throughout this state's history. The move to give this land to Rio Tinto was opposed before the legislation passed. But, McCain and Flake work diligently for their constituents- big business. Meanwhile, another sacred place is destroyed so that a few, very few, just two, Arizona visitors will profit.
3
will:
It's an unhappy truism that we reserve our greatest tokens of respect for cultures that despite immense odds have survived. There remain about 50,000 Apache in the world, and about 14 million Jews in the world (both numbers from Wikipedia).
It's an unhappy truism that we reserve our greatest tokens of respect for cultures that despite immense odds have survived. There remain about 50,000 Apache in the world, and about 14 million Jews in the world (both numbers from Wikipedia).
Why would the brave patriotic maverick John McCain do this? Because he has a single directive, to remain in the role of the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee and he is up for re-election in 2016. And why is 6 more years essential for a man that has been in the Senate for so very long? Every other week you can find the Senator on Face The Nation or Meet the Press. Last year he appeared on these programs over 40 times. And every appearance he makes is a call for military conflict. Just last week he was calling for combat troops to return to Iraq. Many veterans learn the horror of war but the Senator seems to find the lack of conflict to be intolerable. And we can see what he will sacrifice to these ends.
34
Clear bribery and treachery and John McCain at the center of it all. Another example of why our government has no legitimacy or validity. They rule only from the barrel of a gun and are more than willing to demonstrate that as we are seeing almost daily.
28
Do you really need to ask why? The site is not Christian. It rightfully belongs to the indigenous population of the area. And it has the potential to line Senator McCain and his buddies' billionaire pockets with more lucre.
How is this any different from ISIS destroyed the ancient sites in the Levant? Or the Taliban toppling the great Buddha statues in Afghanistan?
It's not.
Welcome to the new American reality.
http://wifelyperson.blogspot.com/
How is this any different from ISIS destroyed the ancient sites in the Levant? Or the Taliban toppling the great Buddha statues in Afghanistan?
It's not.
Welcome to the new American reality.
http://wifelyperson.blogspot.com/
54
And yet these are the same people who make it difficult for women to obtain contraception and for same-sex couples to marry, all under the guise of "religious freedom".
How does this differ from Israeli Jews denying Christians and Muslims the right to return to and occupy their New Testament and Quran sacred holy lands in Israel, Gaza, West Bank, Golan Heights and East Jerusalem by violent apartheid colonial Jim Crow ethnic sectarian supremacist terrorism? Or those who were already there when Abraham arrived from Ur, Sumer without invitation or provocation.See Deuteronomy 20:10-16
Buddhists slay Rohinga Muslims. Hindus and Muslims slaughter each other. Protestants and Catholics kill each other with glee. Protestants and Catholics slay Jews and Muslims. Muslim slay Buddhists. Shia Muslims slay Sunni Muslims and vice versa.
The universality of racial ethnic sectarian hate and love should be shamefully humbling and humiliating and empathetic for any and all members of the one and only biological human race. But some of us can not resist adhering to their own precise particular chosen superior morality without sin and divinely designated to judge the rest of us.
Buddhists slay Rohinga Muslims. Hindus and Muslims slaughter each other. Protestants and Catholics kill each other with glee. Protestants and Catholics slay Jews and Muslims. Muslim slay Buddhists. Shia Muslims slay Sunni Muslims and vice versa.
The universality of racial ethnic sectarian hate and love should be shamefully humbling and humiliating and empathetic for any and all members of the one and only biological human race. But some of us can not resist adhering to their own precise particular chosen superior morality without sin and divinely designated to judge the rest of us.
Greed.
16
Yes, John McCain - an American "Hero". He just goes On & On & On & .......
Somebody must continue electing this Blight on our Nation.
"John McCain appears to be a thoughtful man with honor, with dignity." -
APPEARS - that is the Key word. Appears to be.
How could anyone in their Right mind continue to make these kinds of statements?
Somebody must continue electing this Blight on our Nation.
"John McCain appears to be a thoughtful man with honor, with dignity." -
APPEARS - that is the Key word. Appears to be.
How could anyone in their Right mind continue to make these kinds of statements?
17
John McCain is not a hero in my book. Got to where he is because of his family and has made every wrong decision. Start with getting shot down, advocating Iraqi invasion, nominating Sarah Palin, more troops in Iraq and now this fun & games.
The guy is terrible and thank god he never became President!
This sellout is really terrible after all we have done to the Native Americans.
The guy is terrible and thank god he never became President!
This sellout is really terrible after all we have done to the Native Americans.
Is this information an opinion piece instead of being a banner on the front page because it is about American Indians or because sports corruption is so much more important? Seems Congress is not the only institution that should be feeling shame. Thank you, 'ms Millet, wish you had gotten much better placement for this important piece.
47
We have acted with a morality of evil since our earliest encounters with Native Americans. This is just the latest shameful example of it. We the people of the United States can never hope to free ourselves of this horrendous legacy until we not only stop all current and future actions against Native Americans but also make sufficient amends for the past. One sign of remorse for our past behavior would be to stop this action against the Apaches now. Have we no shame? Have we no shame?
23
The NYT has a huge readership so why don't we all call the Arizonia Office of Tourism (602-364-3700) and tell them you will not be visiting their beautiful state until they remove Resolution Mining from Oak Flat. Also, let's all call Governor Ducey's office (Phoenix 602=542-4331, Tucson 520-628-6580) and tell him the same. We can do it ! Tourism is a huge part of the economy in Arizonia
76
A tragic irony. Prior to colonization, Native Americans had actually found a sustainable way to live with nature. Now our greed and lack of connectedness with nature is causing us to destroy our oceans and atmosphere. That we should now desecrate sacred ground of those who showed far greater wisdom than us in how to live in the world is predictable. But I doubt those behind these actions realize that this may be a fitting headstone for humankind, which seems hell bent on devouring the worlds resources with no thought of other creatures or future generations.
16
When will we get a leader who will clean up the vast cesspool that our Congress has become? Thank you for bringing this absolutely corrupt gaming move by McCain and Flake to our attention. Unfortunately that is what America's electorate puts into office today: gamers. Now we have a Congress of millionaires, elected by citizens they consider rubes, who game the system and the psychology of voters to place all political power in the hands of the billionaire class. Both political parties are deeply involved, and until we can break the two-party system that eliminates voter choice (the only choice is always between two evils) we are going to continue our descent, leaving all the ideals America once stood for on the alter of personal greed and corporate profits. Shame on McCain and Flake. They should be publicly flogged. But shame on us for allowing such corruption to go to Washington in our names. The time is ripe for a reformer to emerge, but alas, I don't see any Teddy Roosevelt on the roster. As in our Revolutionary days, when freedom of the press was a value we fought and died for, it is time for our media to take off the gloves and start calling for the blood of traitors. Unfortunately, our media no longer exhorts its readers to tar, feather, and hang the scumbags who represent foreign/corporate powers over those of the People. If I was Apache, I would be sharpening the sights on my rifle and no mining equipment would get anywhere near this site so long as I was alive.
4
Yes, and we know what happened to those brave Apaches who tried to hold on to their sacred lands in the past. If I were also an Apache similarly informed, I would probably join you.
Shameful. But then McCain and Flake have no shame. Not only have they "sold" this sacred land they have sold their souls in the bargain.
I hope every paper in the country and every tv and radio news program features this story.
Just when you think our government can't get any worse there are stories like this one.
I hope every paper in the country and every tv and radio news program features this story.
Just when you think our government can't get any worse there are stories like this one.
39
With this new low in Congressional corruption you can be confident of one thing, they will go even lower the next chance they get.
21
Haven't we stolen enough land and integrity from our ancestors? And we want to sell it off to foreign nations? DISGuSTING and SHAME on those doing this.
27
I would have thought that after centuries of illegal and immoral treatment of Native Americans the US Government might finally be above this type of action. I guess I was wrong.
There was a time when I felt that John McCain was a man of honor, but he has spent a number of years now disproving that to me. Selling out the Apache people to a foreign company is despicable and shows his true colors.
I need to investigate what an ordinary American citizen such as myself can do to right this grievous wrong, if that is even possible to do so at this point in time.
The US should not lecture other countries on how to conduct themselves when we behave without honor on so many occasions.
There was a time when I felt that John McCain was a man of honor, but he has spent a number of years now disproving that to me. Selling out the Apache people to a foreign company is despicable and shows his true colors.
I need to investigate what an ordinary American citizen such as myself can do to right this grievous wrong, if that is even possible to do so at this point in time.
The US should not lecture other countries on how to conduct themselves when we behave without honor on so many occasions.
42
Have you no sense of decency, Senator McCain, and Senator Flake?
54
Who can we write to? How can we stop this?
17
Four months after the Apache tribe started their Feb. 9 protest, a NY Times contributing opinion writer gives us the news with an apologetic "This time, the giveaway language was slipped onto the defense bill by Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona at the 11th hour. The tactic was successful only because, like most last-minute riders, it bypassed public scrutiny." It seems to me that the Washington Press Corps should start checking "last-minute riders" to stop anything from bypassing public scrutiny.
224
Why doesn't the Washington Press Corps stay through the night in the event such things may occur?
6
Welcome to a Republican Majority Congress looking to destroy anyone who is not white. The best you can they can do is head to federal court because it is not their land to give away.
23
Sen. McCain's time has come and gone. Time for him to stop riding on his own POW coat-tails and do something for the people for a change. As for Flake - it's all there in his last name.
2
How can we call this democracy? US peace treatys are just as meaningless as political campaigns!
18
If you think you can trust the government, ask an Indian.
20
Chief Red Cloud (paraphrase): "The government promised to take our land and they did."
In response to other comments, yes, go to the federal courts. Congress is under a different management these days. Even President Nixon signed into law an expansion of the Taos reservation so the tribe controls Blue Lake, a sacred lake in their culture!
Folks, the fight never ends against corruption and greed-heads. Shame on Congress.
In response to other comments, yes, go to the federal courts. Congress is under a different management these days. Even President Nixon signed into law an expansion of the Taos reservation so the tribe controls Blue Lake, a sacred lake in their culture!
Folks, the fight never ends against corruption and greed-heads. Shame on Congress.
2
Outrageous!
8
Tweet to @JeffFlake and @SenJohnMcCain to express your outrage. I did.
3
After 500 years of methodic genocide against the native inhabitants of our continent, is it really necessary to continue to lie, cheat and steal every last remaining square foot of space, to stamp out every last piece of dignity these few survivors have? John McCain appears to be a thoughtful man with honor, with dignity. I am disappointed in him and our Congress, of our system of "slipping" language into major funding bills. This is our modern method of further desecration of the once great native civilizations that ruled this land. Have we no shame? After all that's been destroyed of their culture and homeland, isn't it time we said enough is enough?
19
The use of "moral mettle" and "congress" in the same sentence must have slipped past the editors.
8
The Indian Removal Act of the early 1830s established a permanent "Indian Territory" comprised of most of the land west of the Mississippi River that was U.S. territory. But in the late 1840s the U.S. acquired the rest of the west in a staged war against Mexico, gold was discovered in California and elsewhere in the newly acquired territory, and permanent Indian territory disappeared with the cries of "Go west young man!" What we did to the original Americans from 1492 onward isn't just in the past. The past isn't over as we continue to brutalize Native Americans - and others on the margins - through the commodification of all that is defined only by the green back dollar.
23
Is this all about money? Doesn't McCain have enough?
We have treated the Native American population so poorly, what can the rest of the world think of us? We condemn different factions in the Middle East for their treatment of minorities, but what have we done?
Reverse this. It's wrong.
We have treated the Native American population so poorly, what can the rest of the world think of us? We condemn different factions in the Middle East for their treatment of minorities, but what have we done?
Reverse this. It's wrong.
44
Desensitized as I am (as most of us are) to these revelations of corruption, I am perversely relieved that my stomach went woozy as the implications of this backroom deal began to sink in. We should all ask, every time one of these sleazy corporate/governmental trysts occurs, exactly how much more emboldened the perpetrators will be by our present inaction. Remember, this travesty is not being inflicted upon the Apache because they are non-whites, but because they have very little econ/politico/media clout. Any one of us could wake up to a copper mine in our front yard if the rewards were worth the risk.
55
This is the quid pro quo for John McCain, donations for a piece of Apache heritage, passed surreptitiously on an unrelated bill.
Unconscionable. But my question is, does anyone, anyone read our legislation? Why did no one catch this? Not one Democrat? Not one Republican? No veto? Why did no one in the President's office at least shame McCain & Flake? I guess no one is minding the store, and we are paying all their salaries, every legislator, every legislative assistant. Everyone who voted on this bill without objection is responsible and should speak out now, else they are equally complicit and will have this on their conscience forever. A question on this issue should be a must for the upcoming debates!
Unconscionable. But my question is, does anyone, anyone read our legislation? Why did no one catch this? Not one Democrat? Not one Republican? No veto? Why did no one in the President's office at least shame McCain & Flake? I guess no one is minding the store, and we are paying all their salaries, every legislator, every legislative assistant. Everyone who voted on this bill without objection is responsible and should speak out now, else they are equally complicit and will have this on their conscience forever. A question on this issue should be a must for the upcoming debates!
148
I fear you are right. Nobody has time to read legislation. Too busy raising money 24/7. Or campaigning for another office. Besides, Republicans have outsourced actual legislating to an outfit called ALEC, freeing them up to attend to more important matters. See today's article on Hastert, Dennis.
1
John McCain, a man of honor.
OOOPPSS!!!! Guess not! Just another slimy politician.
OOOPPSS!!!! Guess not! Just another slimy politician.
55
Great article, Ms. Millet. But please tell us what we can do in favor of getting this bill overturned!
159
Tweet to @JeffFlake and @SenJohnMcCain. Express your outrage.
Email, Tweet, and call your representatives, now.
I just wrote to all my representatives. MAYBE somebody will listen but I have my doubts. Theoretically this is a democracy. It is worth a try right?
This doesn't surprise me, as despicable and sneaky as it is. Oak Flat is public land, it should remain available to all, not given as a gift to a mining company.
43
To the editors of the New York Times. Please have a front page article exploring exactly who, where and why this was done. Let the world know how we shamefully some in our country regard the American Indian.
845
To the Times Editors: Ask Obama through his Interior Secretary to ban mining there as did Nixon and Eisenhower. If past Interior Sec'ys banned it, legislation does not trump executive authority to do so. And why did Obama not object to this rider? Did he simply not know it was attached to The Defense Authorization? And, are the Apache's pursuing legal actions?
1
Not gonna happen. This desecration isn't within the NorthEast.
from Arizona Mining Reform Coalition website:
Oak Flat is a prime recreation area, especially for rock climbing and bouldering with more than 2,500 established climbing routes. Oak Flat is also a rare desert riparian area and in Arizona, less than 10% of this type of habitat remains. The land exchange would allow mining companies to avoid following our nation’s environmental and cultural laws and would bypass the permitting process all other mines in the country have followed. It is the only bill in front of the US Congress that would privatize a Native American sacred site on public land. It would mean the largest loss of rock climbing on public lands ever, and would bypass the normal process for permitting mines on public land. Since 2005, 11 land exchange bills have been introduced and all have failed.
Concerned citizens are worried about the loss of Oak Flat Campground, a very popular recreation area. Birders, climbers, campers, canyoneers, bikers, and hikers enjoy the area throughout the year, all of whom would be greatly harmed if these lands were forever taken from public access. Native Americans have traditionally used the area for cultural, spiritual purposes, and for sustenance. The land exchange would include Apache Leap, a cliff where more than 80 Apache warriors chose to leap to their deaths rather than surrender to the US calvary.
Oak Flat is a prime recreation area, especially for rock climbing and bouldering with more than 2,500 established climbing routes. Oak Flat is also a rare desert riparian area and in Arizona, less than 10% of this type of habitat remains. The land exchange would allow mining companies to avoid following our nation’s environmental and cultural laws and would bypass the permitting process all other mines in the country have followed. It is the only bill in front of the US Congress that would privatize a Native American sacred site on public land. It would mean the largest loss of rock climbing on public lands ever, and would bypass the normal process for permitting mines on public land. Since 2005, 11 land exchange bills have been introduced and all have failed.
Concerned citizens are worried about the loss of Oak Flat Campground, a very popular recreation area. Birders, climbers, campers, canyoneers, bikers, and hikers enjoy the area throughout the year, all of whom would be greatly harmed if these lands were forever taken from public access. Native Americans have traditionally used the area for cultural, spiritual purposes, and for sustenance. The land exchange would include Apache Leap, a cliff where more than 80 Apache warriors chose to leap to their deaths rather than surrender to the US calvary.
3
The morals of a cockroach! Oops, pardon the slur to cockroaches.
David Treuer's 'Rez Life' is out in paperback-- read it!
David Treuer's 'Rez Life' is out in paperback-- read it!
28
This is the same John McCain who wants to bring "democracy" to oil-producing countries like Iraq by the barrel of a gun, whether the Iraqis are willing to fight for it or not, whether they want his top-down imposition of his predatory loopholes for undemocratic politics. The Bureau of Indian Affairs ought to nix this usurpation of Apache tribal land, but can and will it do so?
34
Is this the same Senator McCain who run for president of the United States of America as a super patriot?
This article raises the question whether McCain is really a patriot or a traitor deprived of any moral scruples. I hope McCain personally reverses himself on what appears to be grotesque corruption.
This article raises the question whether McCain is really a patriot or a traitor deprived of any moral scruples. I hope McCain personally reverses himself on what appears to be grotesque corruption.
569
Actually, this deal ANSWERS the questions as to whether McCain is really a patriot or a traitor deprived of any moral scruples. It is the latter.
26
McCain and Flake -- disgusting -- absolutely. But they alone cannot make law. The Senate signed on without protest. Obama signed the Bill. If he and his staff cared at all about Human Rights or preventing gross perversion of what's left of American Democracy, he would have vetoed the Bill and told Congress to send the bill back clean. Obama knows better, but alas his legacy will be eight years of being a cipher for special interests.
12
I could not agree with you more, Jana - although I would stipulate that McCain is not "deprived of moral scruples," but rather devoid of them. That has been the case with him for far too many years, and unfortunately, he is hardly alone. This is typical Republican hypocrisy and shameful dissembling, all while piously proclaiming their "family values" , "patriotism," and "moral superiority" to so-called "godless liberals." Sadly, when it comes to Native Americans, this nation has hundreds of years of collective shame and guilt for which we have never been held to account - McCain and Flake have now added themselves to this disgraceful hall of shame.
14
Government of the people-NOT!
Disgraceful behavior by McCain and Flake. And another example of how the lack of transparency and presence of gimmicks are sadly endemic in Congress.
I wonder how close to the vote the rider was added and whether anyone actually read it except the perpetrators.
Disgraceful behavior by McCain and Flake. And another example of how the lack of transparency and presence of gimmicks are sadly endemic in Congress.
I wonder how close to the vote the rider was added and whether anyone actually read it except the perpetrators.
67
Despicable. And completely unsurprising.
40
The Apaches are brown skinned, poor and therefore not deserving of anything according to the current GOP lead Congress. They are not a big business who will fill the pockets of these elected officials and their campaigns.
And Religious freedom only applies to white God fearing Christians.
Get with the picture people.
And Religious freedom only applies to white God fearing Christians.
Get with the picture people.
105
depressing, depressing!
it will truly never stop, this arrogance of the in-power.
it must be so satisfying to wield your power for money and more power.
but surely no peace in the soul.
it will truly never stop, this arrogance of the in-power.
it must be so satisfying to wield your power for money and more power.
but surely no peace in the soul.
19
When a rider is attached to a bill as described, it is not attached by Congress. It is attached by a Congressman or Congresswoman. Why don't you OUT the Congressman who did this? We need someone to protest, to focus our anger and disappointment, in order for the system to change. Until we hold more members of Congress specifically, individually accountable for these travesties, they will continue. Which member of Congress did this?
23
I guess you missed this part:
"This time, the giveaway language was slipped onto the defense bill by Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona at the 11th hour. "
of course unless you happen to live in either of their districts you can forget about emailing them, and if you try calling their office the staffer who may answer your call likely won't even report it to the senator.
"This time, the giveaway language was slipped onto the defense bill by Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona at the 11th hour. "
of course unless you happen to live in either of their districts you can forget about emailing them, and if you try calling their office the staffer who may answer your call likely won't even report it to the senator.
29
This is the new American Way, everything has a price, and our elected officials decide what that price should be. Of course, the fact that this land is sacred to a group of people that is not of the Judeo-Christian tradition, makes allowing it to devastated by a mining company all the more sweeter for those member's of congress, that see themselves carrying out God's Will. We are, after all, a " Christian Nation" If this were a private company, selling mineral rights to a piece of property, that at one time may have been the site of a televangelist's studio, Washington would be brimming with legislation to prevent such a transgression of a " Holy Site"
Tom Franzson. Brevard. N.C.
Tom Franzson. Brevard. N.C.
297
I hope this makes the front pages of the New York Times and Washington Post. The whole country needs to know just how corrupt these two senators are.
349
what organization may one donate to to support the protesters at oak flats. where may one write to support the apache and demand the land be protected. thank you.
41
Familiar story. The US promised the Lakota Sioux that the Black Hills would be theirs forever. Then gold was discovered there. Treaty? What treaty?
64
Another rider should be attached to the bill allowing Rio Tinto and Resolution the right to eviscerate Mr. McCain's and Mr. Flake's houses of worship.
60
That would be the foyers of the homes and offices of the Koch brothers, Sheldon Adelson, et al.
5
The best government money can buy.
20
The worst government money can buy.
1
Well written Ms. Millet. Thank you NY Times for publishing this astonishing bit of news. May the flood lights stay on.
119
We like to pretend that we have stopped oppressing Native Americans, that the sins of earlier administrations were appalling and thankfully we don't do that any more. As we see here, the US government continues to steal whatever it wants from Native Americans, whenever some corporation or wealthy individual decides there is a chance of financial gain involved.
John McCain should have been sent out to pasture decades ago. He has proven himself to be a man of no moral character, a man who selfishly pushes his own agenda with no thought for others. We thought he would regret having imposed Sarah Palin on this nation, but like a true Republican, the man has no regret. He continues to holler for more American lives to be lost in endless wars, and he continues to look upon non-whites as "others" who should not be given the same consideration or rights as people of his own race and class. He is just another disgusting example of what is wrong with this country, what has always been wrong with this country, and the blight on our national character for not living up to our professed ideals.
John McCain should have been sent out to pasture decades ago. He has proven himself to be a man of no moral character, a man who selfishly pushes his own agenda with no thought for others. We thought he would regret having imposed Sarah Palin on this nation, but like a true Republican, the man has no regret. He continues to holler for more American lives to be lost in endless wars, and he continues to look upon non-whites as "others" who should not be given the same consideration or rights as people of his own race and class. He is just another disgusting example of what is wrong with this country, what has always been wrong with this country, and the blight on our national character for not living up to our professed ideals.
173
Democracy, what democracy? We don't need no stinking democracy! ( McCain and Flake)
88
This is what you call " Machiavellian Democracy".
14
Great article.
Our nation has treated the American Indian, so poorly.
Our forebears basically exterminated this once proud and humble people, to the tune of 160 million victims.
John McCain, some war hero!
Our nation has treated the American Indian, so poorly.
Our forebears basically exterminated this once proud and humble people, to the tune of 160 million victims.
John McCain, some war hero!
214
If the Indians had 160 million people they'd have won.
1
Very good article telling readers what Uncle Sam did. I believe the answer may be easy. It's one of the usual appalling errors. It was done because greedy corporations, the 1% wealthy, banks and wall street see dollar signs. So, it's very easy for them to send their lobbyists to get a done deal. Nothing meaningful has CHANGED - although President Obama as a candidate promised CHANGE twice. Haven't the American Indians suffered enough throughout our nation's history? I think so.
It's business as usual from the awful 8 years of the Bush/Cheney administration.
Perhaps the 2016 candidates both parties will keep their promises when President Obama turns over the front door keys to The White House to the next new guy or woman. I'm not holding my breath for it but I'm praying the next President will clean up all the deals like this one mentioned in the New York Times article so our nation can make real CHANGE and clean up the wheeling and dealing between lobbyist and government agencies.
It's business as usual from the awful 8 years of the Bush/Cheney administration.
Perhaps the 2016 candidates both parties will keep their promises when President Obama turns over the front door keys to The White House to the next new guy or woman. I'm not holding my breath for it but I'm praying the next President will clean up all the deals like this one mentioned in the New York Times article so our nation can make real CHANGE and clean up the wheeling and dealing between lobbyist and government agencies.
29
You really have to get over the Bush presidency.
"It's business as usual from the awful 8 years of the Bush/Cheney administration."
Nonsense. The selling off of the environment began under Ronald Reagan and continues through Bush/Cheney all the way to President Obama, who has given the green light to open the Arctic to oil drilling,
Nonsense. The selling off of the environment began under Ronald Reagan and continues through Bush/Cheney all the way to President Obama, who has given the green light to open the Arctic to oil drilling,
4
I - for one - will "...get over the Bush presidency." on the same day that the damage that that Presidency has caused - ends!
2
This is shameful. Unfortunately, these Senators are also shameless. And it's another demonstration of why we need a rule in both houses - one bill, one subject. No riders other than those with a direct bearing on the primary bill.
665
If that had been the case a few years ago there would have been no Obamacare. It was a rider attached to a military housing bill.
2
We don't need a rule, we need a law, an amendment to the constitution if need be. A law that says that if a bill deals with more than one subject, any laws enacted under that bill are automatically and retroactively null and void, no matter how many pens the president has used to sign the bill. The determination that the bill dealt with more that one subject would of course fall to the courts, and the process would be ugly, but so be it.
And bring back the rule of dueling to the death with guns to resolve affairs of legislative "honor".
Congress would not allow this "landgrab" if the lands in question were sacred to Jewish or Christian groups. So why does Congress think it's okay to oppress Native Americans? Haven't they been oppressed enough?
310
Bring back Occupy Wall Street. It is time to storm the Bastille.
244
Tell me when and where. I have been getting my riot gear together for some time now. Seriously, does 'writing your Congressman' really help anymore?
4
A STEALTH ATTACK ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Those two wildly radical liberals, Eisenhower and Nixon, signed legislature protecting the holy sites at Oak Flats. But the so-called Conservatives in Congress are going to override that protection. Perhaps an Executive Order or an emergency court injunction could prevent the Oak Flat sacred site from being desecrated. But the larger public would do well to rally behind the tribe that holds the land sacred. For, as Tammy Faye Bakker said, in explaining her support of gay rights, that if the civil liberties of one group are removed, that puts the civil liberties of all of us at risk. A clear example of the violation of the rights of a more general public are those who live near natural gas wells and have had their air and water poisoned by fracking that neglects to observe environmental safeguards. Why would the mining companies perpetrate such crimes? Would they like it if they and their families had to live with the poisining they cause others? The answer is clear: Corporate greed. If it costs more to protect the lives of citizens, then it is, as is usually stated, "too much of a burden for the corporation to bear." Right--too much of a burden not to poison other citizens so the corporations can line their pockets with ill-gotten gains. And, as happened in PA under the regime of Corbett, the mining companies (who asked to be taxed) will have poisoned others and get off scott free! Not even contributing one cent in taxes!
185
What a disgrace! Even after all these years we still treat Indians as second class citizens. As if I needed a reminder why I voted for Barack Obama instead of John (I-never-met-a-war-didn't-want-to-get-into-)McCain. I agree that if it were a "Christian" holy site this would never have happened. We should all be screaming from our roof tops!
360
I have to quibble with your assertion that the U.S. treats Indians as second class citizens.
Frankly, we don't even treat them that well. We treat them like animals. No rights. Just herd them around.
Frankly, we don't even treat them that well. We treat them like animals. No rights. Just herd them around.
13
When Eisenhower was president it was a different country, a simpler time. It was a time when our public were respectful of the property of others. It was a time when politicians did not sell their opinions, their responsibilities, and the very country of their constituents to the highest bidder.
In Congress today, everything is for sale. Why should any citizen be called a traitor when our legislators set the example?
How can we change this religious belief that money is the reason our legislators are elected? Is there any organization or individual left to turn to who will fight to regain the country for the people who are not corporations?
Haven't we done enough to the Apache nation? Doesn't our history still show the fading scar of our ethic cleansing of Native Americans?
Is there any hope of changing the policy that everything is for sale?
Michael Robert Schloss, retired in Israel
Proud American Citizen who misses what his country was.
In Congress today, everything is for sale. Why should any citizen be called a traitor when our legislators set the example?
How can we change this religious belief that money is the reason our legislators are elected? Is there any organization or individual left to turn to who will fight to regain the country for the people who are not corporations?
Haven't we done enough to the Apache nation? Doesn't our history still show the fading scar of our ethic cleansing of Native Americans?
Is there any hope of changing the policy that everything is for sale?
Michael Robert Schloss, retired in Israel
Proud American Citizen who misses what his country was.
159
will w: Why would you think that I ran off anywhere? Where will you go when you retire? Will you go to family to relax for your last years or will you stay at home to be alone and zealous? You really should think before you comment.
5
This is a sad commentary on the perverse, corrupt, callous attitudes of those who have been elected into public office.
Our elections have become mere auctions thanks to our supreme court and greedy politicians and corporations are raping the land and the citizens they have sworn to serve.
It makes me nauseous to think about how they mistreat military personnel who sacrifice their lives denying raises and the support to their families while they never miss a raise or benefit.
The pain and suffering we have caused will be a poor legacy to pass on to our children, but if we don't wake up soon that's all that they will have to work with.
God has been extremely kind to America, but we have taken his kindness for approval and have sown the wind and we will, unless we wake up; reap the whirl wind...
Our elections have become mere auctions thanks to our supreme court and greedy politicians and corporations are raping the land and the citizens they have sworn to serve.
It makes me nauseous to think about how they mistreat military personnel who sacrifice their lives denying raises and the support to their families while they never miss a raise or benefit.
The pain and suffering we have caused will be a poor legacy to pass on to our children, but if we don't wake up soon that's all that they will have to work with.
God has been extremely kind to America, but we have taken his kindness for approval and have sown the wind and we will, unless we wake up; reap the whirl wind...
67
The silence is defining! What a national disgrace.
123
Simply outrageous. Selling a holy site that is public land to a private mining company that will reduce it to a crater? Nothing is worth that injustice and desecration. Certainly not money. Shame on John McCain and Jeff Flake. Stop this outrageous and corrupt land grab now!
16
Anything for a profit.
52
We should all have long since gotten over being surprised that our senators and representatives at both state and federal levels will trade citizens rights for cash. As individuals many are probably decent people, but acting as a group they are merely venal.
47
What makes you think they are decent people? Would you act like that? I know I would not.
13
Imagine if John were president.
Makes Barak look even better.
Makes Barak look even better.
48
Obama could have vetoed it.
15
Of course, it is Obama's fault. Everything is.
4
He is out numbered, there is no point.
1
Material wealth obtained from mother earth is worth more than
the sacred spirit of the land that holds the wealth. Have we no shame...........................................