Supreme Court Rejects Native American Challenge to Arizona Copper Mine, Paving Way for Controversial Project

The U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear a last-minute appeal by the nonprofit Apache Stronghold, effectively allowing a controversial copper mining project to proceed on federally managed land in Arizona. The decision, handed down Tuesday, ends a legal battle over Oak Flat—an area considered sacred by the San Carlos Apache Tribe and other Indigenous communities, who say the mine would destroy a vital site for religious ceremonies and cultural identity.

The copper mine, planned for the Oak Flat area within the Tonto National Forest, is spearheaded by. . .