The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from Apaches who want to halt a massive copper mining project on federal land.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Tuesday to hear a Native American group's bid based on religious rights to block Rio Tinto and BHP from gaining control of Arizona land needed to build one of the world's largest copper mines - a project situated on land long used for Apache sacred rituals.

The Supreme Court agreed to consider whether Native Americans can challenge a massive copper mining project in Arizona that would destroy a sacred site used for tribal ceremonies.