At the southern edge of the South Bay in Santa Clara County, where the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains meet the town of Gilroy, there is a grassy pasture. Here, a small stream runs through acres of land while cattle graze and birds fly above.

This piece of land is a proposed mining site—but it's also traditional ceremonial ground for the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band.

For over 200 years, the Amah Mutsun have been unable to access one of their most sacred sites, known as Juristac.

"Juristac translates to the place of the Big Head. Our most important ceremonies were Big Head ceremonies. And so this location is where our ancestors, for thousands and thousands of years, held Big Head dances and ceremony," says Valentine Lopez, chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band.

For the last seven years the tribal band has organized support from the local community, religious leaders, conservation groups and nearby city councils to stand in support against the development of the Sargent Quarry project, a proposal to use the land for mining purposes.

The Santa Clara Board of Supervisors is currently reviewing the proposed mining project's environmental impact report.

This week we hear from Valentin Lopez , the tribal chairman of the Amah Mutsun, speak about the historical and spiritual significance of Juristac, and the movement to protect the land for the Amah Mutsun.

Read the episode transcript.

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