The Copperwood project is an underground copper mine that Highland Copper Company Inc. wants to build and operate in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The mine would be located right on the southern edge of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and just two miles upstream from Lake Superior.

Mine opponents say 40 million tons of waste material, including mill tailings polluted with toxic metals, would be stored in a disposal facility and could reach Lake Superior if the containment dam failed. Even in normal operations, the mine would discharge up to 500,000 gallons of treated wastewater into streams every day.

Opponents also warn that the project would bring air, noise and light pollution, heavy truck traffic and habitat fragmentation to an unspoiled corner of the Upper Peninsula, which is home to a diverse wildlife population and one of the last old-growth forests in Michigan.

The main objectives of the encampment were to build solidarity, honor local land and water, maintain a persistent physical presence and allow visitors to experience the area firsthand along the North Country Trail, according to Tom Grotewohl of Protect the Porkies, one of the principal groups opposing the mine.

The vigil was a cooperative effort led by Charlotte Loonsfoot of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. Attendees traveled from across North America and internationally, including Minnesota (Twin Cities), Madison, Kalamazoo, Hancock, Houghton, Calumet, Wisconsin, Canada, Mexico and Argentina.