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Apache Stronghold v. United States of America (9th Cir.)

Our Clinic filed an amicus brief in favor of religious liberty protections for Oak Flat, an Indigenous sacred site in Arizona being threatened with destruction.

Case Documents

• Amicus Brief of the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, the MICA Group, and a Tribal Elder in Support of Plaintiff-Appellant's Petition for Full En Banc Rehearing (Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals) (April 25, 2024)
• En Banc Ninth Circuit Opinion (Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals) (March 1, 2024)
• Amicus Brief of the National Congress of American Indians, a Tribal Elder, the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, and the MICA Group in Support of Plaintiff-Appellant and En Banc Rehearing (Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals) (Sept. 13, 2022)
• Amicus Brief of the National Congress of American Indians, A Tribal Elder, and Other Federal Indian Law Scholars and Organizations (Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals) (March 25, 2021)
• Amicus Brief of Ramon Riley, the Morning Star Institute, and the MICA Group (U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona) (Feb. 10, 2021)

Press Releases

• "Apache Stronghold Seeks Full-Court Rehearing to Save Sacred Land" published by Notre Dame Law School (May 1, 2024)
• "Divided Ninth Circuit rejects Apache religious challenge to mine development on sacred land at Oak Flat" by Arienne Calingo, published by Notre Dame Law School (March 4, 2024)
• "Religious Liberty Clinic  participates in oral argument to defend Oak Flat" by Arienne Calingo, published by Notre Dame News (May 3, 2023)
• "ND Law's Religious Liberty Clinic participates in oral argument before the en banc Ninth Circuit to defend Oak Flat" by Arienne Calingo, published by Notre Dame Law School (April 28, 2023)
• "Notre Dame defends religious freedom in Oak Flat oral argument" by Anna Bradley, published by Notre Dame Law School (March 21, 2023)
• "ND Law's Religious Liberty Clinic files amicus brief supporting en banc review in Apache Stronghold v. United States" by Anna Bradley, published by Notre Dame Law School (Sept. 14, 2022)
• "Notre Dame Law School Religious Liberty Initiative files amicus brief in support of Apache Stronghold in Oak Flat litigation" published by Notre Dame Law School (Feb. 11, 2021)

Commentary and Other Media Coverage 

• "Judges weigh religious rights issues in a hearing over proposed Resolution copper mine" by Debra Utacia Krol, published by AZ Central (March 21, 2023)
• "Apaches tell court court copper mine would harm sacred sites" by Anita Snow, published by AP News (March 21, 2023)
• Recording of oral argument in front of the en banc Ninth Circuit (March 21, 2023)
• "A fight in Arizona over sacred land and a mine raises a big issues" published by The Economist (March 19, 2023)
• "Apaches get rehearing in fight to preserve Oak Flat, a sacred site in Arizona" by Alejandra Molina, published by Religion News Service (Nov. 17, 2022)

Meet the Team

1. 

   Stephanie Barclay

   Faculty Director, Religious Liberty Initiative
   Professor of Law

2. 

   Francesca Genova Matozzo

   Legal Fellow, Religious Liberty Clinic

3. 

   Alexandra (Allie) Howell

   2020-21 Student Fellow

4. 

   Athanasius Sirilla

   2022-23 Student Fellow

5. 

   Billy Eisenhauer

   2022-23 Student Fellow

6. 

   Daniel Judge

   2020-21 Student Fellow

7. 

   Dan Loesing

   2020-21 Student Fellow

8. 

   Hadyn Pettersen

   2020-21 Student Fellow

9. 

   Jared Huber

   Student Fellow

10. 

    Olivia Lyons

    Student Fellow

11. 

    Olivia Rogers

    2021-22 Student Fellow
    2022-23 Student Fellow

12. 

    Timothy Steininger

    Student Fellow

13. 

    Will Clark

    Student Fellow