Vanessa nosie

San Carlos Apache Tribe, near AZ

My oldest daughter, we had her coming of age ceremony on a mountain called Dzil Nchaa Si An, which is known as Mount Graham, which is outside of jurisdiction and we've been fighting for this mountain for over 30 years.  So she was a first Apache person, Apache girl, to have her coming of age ceremony in over 150 years on this mountain.  Praying.  That's an action.  That's a nonviolent direct action.  So, what we are doing as Apache Stronghold, protecting not only our religious rights as indigenous people, we’re also trying to protect the earth, and we’re doing this for the people. Usen, Nantan the Creator, he knows.  You know, because it’s been too long that we’ve been the dust swept underneath the rug.  Now we’ve lifting the rug and saying no, you have to deal with us, you have to hear us, you have to hear our voices, our cries because what we’re trying to protect, we’re trying to protect you too.