Emory oak grove at Oak Flat, AZ – Image credit: Copyright © 2020 Elias Butler Photography All Rights Reserved – CC-BY-SA-4.0
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear a challenge from Apache Stronghold, a Native-led nonprofit seeking to stop a copper mining project in Arizona that would destroy Chíchʼil Bił Dagoteel (known in legal references and wider media as Oak Flat), a sacred site for Indigenous People of the area.
Chíchʼil Bił Dagoteel/Oak Flat, located in the Tonto National Forest about 70 miles east of Phoenix, has been used for generations by the Western Apache tribes for ceremonies such as the Sunrise Ceremony and sweat lodges. The area is referred to as a “blessed place,” and the Indigenous community has cared for and revered the space before recorded history.
The site is home to Ga’an (guardian/messenger) spirits, hosts spiritual ceremonies, has medicinal plants, and holds ancient petroglyphs. Protected in 1955 by Eisenhower, the site was acknowledged in an 1852 U.S. treaty with the Apache people, wherein the U.S. Government promised to protect the area in perpetuity.
Apache Stronghold argues the mine would obliterate the site, violating their religious rights under the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
The U.S. Supreme Court decision allows the Resolution Copper mine—backed by the Trump administration and powerful mining interests—to proceed.
The Supreme Court offered no explanation for rejecting the appeal. Justice Samuel Alito did not participate. Justices Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas dissented, with Gorsuch calling the decision a “grievous mistake” and noting, “Just imagine if the government sought to demolish a historic cathedral… we owe the Apaches no less.”
A 2014 law transferred Chíchʼil Bił Dagoteel/Oak Flat from federal control to Resolution Copper, a joint venture between Rio Tinto and BHP. The company says the mine could supply up to 25% of the nation’s copper, essential for renewable energy and electric vehicles.
Lower courts sided with the government, concluding the land transfer did not “substantially burden” religious practice, partly because the land was federally owned.
Apache Stronghold vowed to continue the fight. “Our struggle is far from over,” said member Wendsler Nosie Sr. Religious liberty groups, including Becket, mainline Christian denominations, and many groups within Paganism, have supported the Apaches, warning the decision sets a dangerous precedent for religious minorities.
For TWH’s earlier reporting on Chíchʼil Bił Dagoteel, see Analysis: Oak Flat and “Substantial Burden.”
Oxford Academics Drank from Human Skull Chalice According to New Book
Worcester College (Oxford University) founded in 1283 as Gloucester College, 1542 as Gloucester Hall, and 1714 as Worcester College. East side of Main Quad. [Photo Credit: Andrew Shiva CC BY-SA 4.0
LONDON- In a shocking story of colonialism and privilege, academics at Oxford’s Worcester College- for years- drank wine and later served chocolates from a chalice made from a human skull, according to Every Monument Will Fall, a new book by Prof. Dan Hicks and covered by the Guardian last month. The skull-cup, crafted from a sawn and polished braincase mounted with silver, was used at formal dinners until 2015.
Hicks, curator of world archaeology at the Pitt Rivers Museum, was invited in 2019 to investigate the object’s origins. Carbon dating placed the skull at around 225 years old. While the identity of the person remains unknown, Hicks believes it likely came from the Caribbean and may have belonged to an enslaved woman.
The chalice was donated to the college in 1946 by George Pitt-Rivers, a former student, eugenist, and known fascist sympathizer interned during World War II. His grandfather, Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers, founder of the Pitt Rivers Museum, had acquired the skull-cup in 1884 at a Sotheby’s auction. It was originally sold by Bernhard Smith, a lawyer and collector whose father served in the Caribbean with the Royal Navy.
Hicks highlights the object as a symbol of colonial violence and the erasure of those who suffered under it. “The dehumanisation and destruction of identities was part of the violence,” he said, contrasting the anonymity of the victim with the well-documented lives of the British men who owned her remains.
The cup was quietly retired from use a decade ago. Worcester College now stores it permanently in its archives, inaccessible to the public. Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy called its use “sickening,” saying it reflects the broader legacy of colonial exploitation still embedded in elite institutions.
June and the Goddess Juno: A Month of Protection, Power, and Partnership
Juno Sospita. Photo Credit: Biser Todorov CC BY-SA 4.0
TWH— The month of June takes its name from the Roman goddess Juno, a powerful and complex deity who held a central place in ancient Roman religion. As the queen of the gods, Juno was the wife and sister of Jupiter (the Roman equivalent of Zeus) and was honored as the protector of the Roman state, women, and marriage.
Juno’s influence remains far-reaching. She is revered not only as a regal consort but as a sovereign goddess in her own right, embodying authority, dignity, and guardianship. Her aspects are numerous—she is invoked as Juno Regina (Queen), Juno Moneta (Advisor or Warner), and Juno Lucina, the goddess of childbirth and light, who brings infants safely into the world.
In Roman Religion, Juno watches over every woman from birth to death, guiding the transitions of life such as marriage and motherhood. Her presence remains especially strong during the summer season, which is why June became the traditional month for weddings—it was thought that marriages begun under Juno’s blessing would be prosperous and fertile.
Temples dedicated to Juno stood throughout Rome, with offerings and festivals held in her honor. Her sacred symbols include the peacock, the cow, and the scepter, each representing aspects of sovereignty, beauty, and nurturing.
Today, June continues to reflect Juno’s legacy as a time of union, protection, and empowerment, especially for those drawn to her timeless attributes of strength, guidance, and sacred feminine power.
Announcements
Archdruid Jazz Smudgeson [Courtesy]
The Tribe of the Oak is excited to announce the election of Jazz Smudgeson as Archdruid for the Order.
Tribe of the Oak, a Celtic Reconstructionist Druid Order that seeks to preserve and pass on the traditions of the ancient Celts, was founded on Samhain, 2014, by Ellen Evert Hopman, an author of numerous books on Paganism, Druidic practice, and Herbology, and a longstanding Druid priestess. The Order is a hybrid group, with an online study program involving members from across the globe and in-person Grove meetings and seasonal rites (mostly in Western Massachusetts) for those who are initiated.
Jazz has been an active Druid for more than twenty years. He was initially drawn to the path because he wanted a personal connection with the divine and did not feel comfortable with orthodox forms of Christianity. As Archdruid, he seeks to help everyone in the Tuatha achieve the Third Law of the Gauls – Lorg do bhuadhan – to follow their endowments. “Sometimes we walk the path alone and sometimes we walk with others. No matter what you follow, I will try my best to help you develop along your chosen path.”
Pagan Spirit Gathering
The 45th anniversary of Pagan Spirit Gathering will be held June 15th to 22nd in northern Wisconsin, USA. The gathering will include a variety of rituals, workshops, concerts and vendors along with an assortment of other activities.
Our Pagan Leadership Institute will host workshops by Pagans from diverse traditions. This year, they have three notable presenters from the UK: musician Damh the Bard, writer and artist Cerri Lee, and author Kristoffer Hughes, Chief of the Anglesey Druid Order. In addition, High Priestess, Rev. Selena Fox will be presenting a three-part program, Creating and Leading Tree Rituals, which will focus on tree ceremonies, meditations and spiritual attunement with individual trees and with forest ecosystems.
Pagan musicians will be sharing their music through concerts and other performances throughout the week. In addition, there will be more than 150 other program activities.
To attend some or all of this year’s Pagan Spirit Gathering, advance registration by Friday, June 6 is required. To learn more and register visit: paganspiritgathering.org
More Events at our new Events Calendar
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Tarot of the Week by Star Bustamonte
Deck: The Star Tarot by Cathy McClelland, published by REDFeather, Mind, Body Spirit, an imprint of Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
Card: Knight of Cups
The next seven days are apt to offer up a tide of emotions that reinforce following one’s heart and innermost desires, and even wearing one’s heart on their sleeve. The energy of the week is also likely to produce a strong tendency towards channeling creative energy into new projects or taking a fresh approach to those projects that have sustained obstacles or blockages. Additionally, the potential for an added emphasis on trusting the intuition as it may manifest via prophetic dreams, meditations, or visions is indicated.
Contrarily, daydreaming about a future that is simply unobtainable and completely disconnected from reality is more likely to undermine plans rather than offer a new way forward. Allowing negative emotions to swamp the psyche has the potential to create an inner maelstrom that not only completely derails the focus, but can also end up being externalized to bleed over on to others and even cause actual harm. Staying grounded and making use of touchstones that are grounded in reality is emphasized.
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