Apache Stronghold Visits First Congregational Church (Albuquerque)

By John Maddaus

Our church, in cooperation with Albuquerque Mennonite Church, Monte Vista Christian Church, and Interfaith Power and Light of New Mexico and El Paso, hosted Apache Stronghold on their prayer journey to Washington, DC, from Sunday evening, August 18 to Wednesday morning, August 21. Apache Stronghold, in turn, blessed us with their presence, prayers, ceremony, and message.

On Tuesday evening, August 20, we joined in a prayer gathering ceremony in our sanctuary. Members of Apache Stronghold processed into the sanctuary singing. After prayers for the success of their journey and their appeal of their case to the U.S. Supreme Court, and a land acknowledgement, Sr. Joan Brown of Interfaith Power and Light of New Mexico and El Paso led a water ceremony, assisted by Rev. Clara Sims and Rev. Ryan Tate. A water ceremony consists of the mingling of waters from different parts of the country with prayers for healing (see photo). Apache Stronghold will carry this water with them to Washington, DC. We sang “May the Circle Be Re-woven”, containing lyrics written for Apache Stronghold. The song expresses hope for “right relations with all creation” and an appeal to “stand up for the earth today.” Rev. Ryan presented Apache Stronghold a gift of a mojo bag, which he had made and prayed over for success at the Supreme Court. Members of Albuquerque Mennonite Church presented a gift of a quilt, which was wrapped around the shoulders of the 3-year-old granddaughter of Apache Stronghold founder and leader Dr. Wendsler Nosie Sr.

Dr. Nosie  thanked us for fulfilling the dreams of his late mother, who experienced the imprisonment of her Apache people on what became the San Carlos Apache Reservation. As late as 1974, Apache people could not leave the reservation without checking in with a white case worker. The U.S. Army persecuted male Apache religious leaders, but Apache religion was preserved by the women, including his mother.

Referring to the water ceremony, Dr. Nosie described his experience of visiting the base of the Hoover Dam across the Colorado River, and hearing the sound of water passing through the turbines. When he described this sound to his mother, she cried, and explained to him that the sounds he heard were of the water crying. In Apache belief, everything created by God is a living being that can experience emotions, including pain when being harmed. The proposed copper mine at Oak Flat would destroy billions of gallons of water in the aquifer.

Dr. Nosie explained that when he talks with other Indigenous people, they often express anger at the harms perpetrated by Europeans and their descendants. He replies that Europeans are indigenous people too, but that the evils that they first experienced in Europe were brought with them to North America. European descendants also have experienced harm from the colonial capitalist system, and we all need to be in the struggle together to heal ourselves and Mother Earth.

The U.S. government, consistent with the 1872 Mining Act, wants to exempt Resolution Copper from all laws that would protect the sacred land of Oak Flat, and the water and the air. If the water we need for life were given first priority, everything else would also be protected.

As Apache Stronghold processed out of our sanctuary, drumming, singing, and dancing, they carried our prayers that the Supreme Court justices will open their hearts and minds to their case to protect Oak Flat and Mother Earth, and defend Indigenous religious freedom.