WELL, BILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE AT
STAKE, AS WELL AS THE ABBAPACHE
FAITH, AS YOU WILL SEE.
IT IS NOT HARD TO UNDERSTAND
WHY, FOR GENERATIONS, THE APACHE
PEOPLE HAVE CONSIDERED THIS LAND
SACRED.
INSIDE THE TANTO NATIONAL FOREST
IN ARIZONA.
50 MILES FROM PHOENIX.
A CATHEDRAL OF THE WILD.
>> THIS IS THE HOLY AND SACRED
SITE WHERE OUR DEITIES RESIDE.
>> Reporter: DR. WENSLER SAYS HE
WILL LAY DOWN HIS OWN LIFE IF IT
WILL STOP A PROPOSED COPPER
MINE.
>> SAD BUT SOMETIMES IT EVEN
TAKES DEATH FOR PEOPLE TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT’S WRONG IN THIS
WORLD.
BUT WE CANNOT BE AFRAID.
>> Reporter: HE SAYS MINING HERE
WILL EXTINGUISH RITUALS LIKE
THIS SUNRISE CEREMONY.
RARELY SEEN BY OUTSIDERS.
IT MARKS THE COMING OF AGE FOR
APACHE GIRLS.
FOUR DAYS AND FOUR NIGHTS OF
DANCE AND PRAYER.
DR. NOSI HAS BEEN CAMPED OUT
HERE MORE THAN A YEAR, OFTEN
WITH HIS DAUGHTER AND
GRANDDAUGHTERS.
BENEATH THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE
LIES A FORTUNE.
ONE OF THE LARGEST COPPER
DEPOSITS IN THE WORLD.
1.5 BILLION TONS, WHICH THE
COMPANY HAS ALREADY SPENT $2
BILLION EXPLORING.
IT IS HARD TO IMAGINE, IF
SOMEONE FOUND COPPER UNDERNEATH
ST. PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL, THAT
ANYONE WOULD THINK IT’D BE OKAY
TO BLOW UP THE CATHEDRAL IN
ORDER TO GET TO THE COPPER.
>> YEAH.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT’S WHAT
REALLY BOTHERS ME.
HOW IS OUR RELIGION ANY
DIFFERENT THAN ANYBODY ELSE’S?
YOU KNOW, IT’S NOT.
>> Reporter: THE MINING COMPANY,
RESOLUTION COPPER, OWNED BY TWO
FOREIGN MINING TITANS, RESPECTS
THE CONCERNS, SAYS THE ENGINEER,
VICKY.
IS THERE ANYTHING WAY TO PROTECT
IS SACRED AND MINE THE COPPER AT
THE SAME TIME?
>> THAT’S WHAT WE’VE BEEN DOING
SO FAR.
>> Reporter: SHE POINTS TO A
TRIBAL MONITOR PROGRAM PUT IN
PLACE TO FACILITATE DIALOGUE.
>> WE HAVE AVOIDED MANY, MANY
SACRED PLACES AND AREAS.
>> Reporter: INCLUDING APACHE
LEAP, WHERE WARERIORS JUMPED TO
THEIR DEATHS IN THE ’70s TO
AVOID CAPTURE BY THE CALVARY.
DESPITE REASSURANCES, THERE IS
REASON FOR CONCERN.
LAST YEAR IN AUSTRALIA, RIO TIN
TINTO DESTROYED CAVES SACRED TO
TWO ABORIGINAL GROUPS.
IT WAS SO SEVERE, THE CEO OF THE
COMPANY RESIGNED.
HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE THIS IS A
COMPANY THAT WILL RESPECT THIS
AREA IN THE WAY THAT YOU’RE
SUGGESTING IT WILL?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT YOU CAN
LOOK THROUGH AT THE RECORD SO
FAR.
WE RESPECT THAT TRIBES HAVE
INTEREST OUTSIDE OF
RESERVATIONS.
WE’LL ALSO BE HIGHLY REGULATED
UNDER FEDERAL LAW.
>> Reporter: I WOULD JUST POINT
OUT, RIO TINTO ALSO PROMISED
THEY WOULDN’T DESTROY THE AB A
ABORIGINAL CAVES, AND YET THEY
DID.
>> WE’D GET PERMISSION.
>> Reporter: THEY WANT TO
EXTRACT 40 BILLION POUNDS OF
COPPER OVER 40 YEARS.
25% OF U.S. DEMAND AND CREATING
MORE THAN 1,000 JOBS.
THE ARIZONA ECONOMY COULD RAKE
IN $1 BILLION EVERY YEAR FOR
DECADES WITH BILLIONS ALSO
GENERATED IN FEDERAL TAXES.
BUT THERE IS A PROBLEM.
CAVE-BLOCKED MINING MEANS THAT,
OVER TIME, THE GROUND WILL
SIMPLY COLLAPSE, LEAVING A
MASSIVE PIT NEARLY 2 MILES WIDE
AND 1,000 FEET DEEP.
DEEP ENOUGH TO HOLD THE EIFFEL
TOWER, REPLACING THIS MAJESTIC
LANDSCAPE.
DR. NOSI SAYS THE PIT WILL SWOL
SHALLOW UP THESE.
>> THIS IS OUR BOOK, THE BOOK OF
LIFE.
BECAUSE WE’RE NATIVES, IT’S NOT
IMPORTANT TO THEM.
>> Reporter: VANESSA NOSI SAYS
SHE’S WORRIED THIS LAND WILL NO
LONGER BE HERE WHEN HER DAUGHTER
COMES OF AGE.
>> WE’RE ASKING FOR THE UNITED
STATES TO RECOGNIZE US.
WE’RE ASKING FOR JUSTICE ON OUR
RELIGION.
WE’RE ASKING THEM TO PROTECT A
HOLY SITE.
>> Reporter: TWO DAYS AGO, THEY
GOT WHAT MAY BE GOOD NEWS.
EVERYTHING IS COMING TO A HALT
FOR AT LEAST A COUPLE OF MONTHS,
AS THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE
ABRUPTLY WITHDREW THE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
REQUIRED FOR THE LAND TRANSFER.
WE’VE HAD EXTENSIVE
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE NOSI
FAMILY.
I DON’T KNOW IF YOU’VE HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO MEET THEM YET.
>> I HAVE NOT HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY TO MEET MR. NOSI,
BUT WE WOULD LOVE THAT.
>> Reporter: THAT, SAYS DR.
NOSI, IS NEWS TO HIP.
HE TOLD US IF SHE WANTS TO TALK,
SHE KNOWS WHERE TO FIND HIM.
AT OAK FLAT UNTIL THE VERY END.
YOU’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE?
>> I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
>> Reporter: ONE OF DR. NOSI’S
LAWYERS TOLD US YESTERDAY THAT
THEY STILL CONSIDER OAK FLAT ON
DEATH ROW, DESPITE THE FOREST
SERVICE ACTION EARLIER THIS
WEEK.
THEY SAID THEY’RE JUST CHANGING
THE EXECUTION DATE.
BY THE WAY, AN UPDATE ON THE
ABORIGINAL CAVES DESTROYED IN
AUSTRALIA THAT WE MENTIONED IN
THE PIECE.
THE PARLIAMENT OF AUSTRALIA SAID
THAT RIO TINTO, QUOTE, KNEW THE
VALUE OF WHAT THEY WERE
DESTROYING BUT BLEW IT UP.
YESTERDAY, IN LIGHT OF THIS,
LATE YESTERDAY, THE CHAIRMAN OF
THE BOARD OF RIO TINTO, AND
ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER, STEPPED
DOWN IN LIGHT OF WHAT THEY
CALLED THE TRAGIC EVENT.
OH, AND BY THE WAY, THE PRICE OF
COPPER SOARED LAST WEEK.