On May 7, 2025, Apache Stronghold returned to federal court in Phoenix, Arizona, in the ongoing fight to protect Oak Flat—Chi’chil Biłdagoteel—from destruction by Resolution Copper. I was there, alongside my daughter, nieces, and relatives, singing Apache songs and standing in solidarity. This episode brings you the uncut voices from that day: speeches from Nizhoni and Wendsler Nosie before the hearing, and from Vanessa Nosie, attorney Luke Goodrich, Naelyn Pike, and Wendsler Nosie again after court.

We close with two Apache songs—offered in prayer, strength, and spiritual resistance.

The judge has said a decision will come no later than May 14 at 5 p.m. Until then, we continue to fight for our existence.

In this episode of Fight 4 Our Existence, we have a powerful conversation with my niece Naelyn Pike, a Chiricahua Apache youth leader and lifelong defender of Chi’chil Biłdagoteel, also known as Oak Flat.

Naelyn shares the spiritual and cultural significance of this sacred site, and why she continues to stand with Apache Stronghold in resistance to Resolution Copper — a foreign mining company attempting to desecrate Apache holy land in Arizona.

We talk about what it means to carry tradition, fight for the right to pray, and protect sacred land for the generations yet to come. This is more than a political fight — it’s a spiritual one.

Apache Stronghold Website

https://www.apache-stronghold.com/

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Wendsler Nosie Sr. of Apache Stronghold to discuss the latest developments in the legal battle to protect Oak Flat, known to the Apache as Chi'chil Bildagoteel. Wendsler shares insight into the recent court rulings in Apache Stronghold v. United States, the Forest Service’s plan to republish the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), and the sacred significance of the land under threat from the proposed Resolution Copper mine. This conversation dives deep into the spiritual and legal dimensions of Indigenous land defense and the urgent need to stand in solidarity.

Apache Stronghold Website

http://apache-stronghold.com

Apache Messenger Newspaper

https://www.apachemessenger.com

In this episode of Fight 4 Our Existence, we shed light on an urgent Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) case. We share the story of the missing, the impact on their loved ones, and the ongoing fight for justice. Through firsthand accounts and discussion, we aim to raise awareness, honor the voices of those affected, and highlight the systemic issues contributing to the MMIP crisis.

Thank you to families of Bessie Walker, Nick Patterson, and Paul James Jr.

Listener discretion is advised, as this episode contains discussions of violence and sensitive subject matter. If you or someone you know has information about an MMIP case or needs support, please seek help from the appropriate resources.

Families seeking help, click on link below.

https://www.indigenousjustice.org

I had the privilege of sitting down with Morning Star Gali to discuss a variety of pressing Native issues today. We talked about her roots in the Bay Area, the Alcatraz Sunrise Gathering, the fight to protect land and water, and much more. Morning Star is the founder of Indigenous Justice, and you can connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.

This introduction is on www.indigenousjustice.org

"Morning Star Gali is a member of the Ajumawi band of Pit River Tribe. From 2016-2018 she was a Rosenberg Leading Edge Fellow focusing on the disproportionate impact of the criminal and juvenile justice systems on Native Americans. She has worked as the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Pit River Tribe. She continues to lead large-scale actions while helping organize Native cultural, spiritual, scholarly, and political gatherings throughout California. Morning Star is deeply committed to advocating for indigenous sovereignty issues such as missing & murdered indigenous women, climate justice, gender justice and sacred sites protection on behalf of the tribal and intertribal communities that she was raised within."

Great discussion with my sister Sinetta and Dwight over Native Health, including wellbriety and mental health. Sinetta is a Behavior Counselor and works for Native Health in downtown Phoenix, Az. She just great work with our Native community to help them get on the right path.

Dwight Francisco is an enrolled member of the Tohono O’odham Nation. As a spiritual advisor, he helps to provide cultural and spiritual healing to many of our relatives in the Phoenix area including coordinating an effort to build a sweat lodge at the Patina Mountain Preserve, a substance abuse treatment center. Dwight has graciously facilitated many of the Phoenix Indian Center’s Gathering of Native Americans (GONA) through our Prevention Program and through the Urban Indian Coalition of Arizona.

Contacts:

Sinetta Brown Lopez

Email: slopez@nachci.com

Contact Native Health at (602) 279-5262.

Dwight Francisco

Email: Dwight.a.francisco@gmail.com

Nice sit down with Raven from Colorado about the MMIR crisis in the state of Colorado and across the country. Raven is President of the Missing, Murdered, Indigenous Relatives Task Force of Colorado.

Official Website

https://mmirtaskforceco.com

Donate to MMIR

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/MMIRTaskforceCO?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US

Official Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/MMIRofColorado

I had the chance to sit down with my Uncle Wendsler for another conversation before he heads out on his Prayer Journey to DC, Today Wendsler and the Apache Stronghold is leaving for Thacker Pass in Nevada. They will make 14 stops across the country until they make their final stop in Washington DC on September 11th to the Supreme Court.

For more info on the Prayer Journey, click the link below.

http://www.apache-stronghold.com