The first in our series on the environmental and humanitarian legacy of US uranium mines in The Navajo Nation and abroad. Before we get there, we will need to bring along some history. In this episode, we outline the broader historical context, in which the Navajo find themselves beset by a succession of ruthless settler-colonial empires: first Spain, then Mexico, and finally the United States.
*Content warning* for violence, upsetting content, and reference to SA.
Next episode will be out in a week. Thank you for listening!
Learn more, donate, help out:
The Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment
“MASE is rooted in the experiences of uranium-impacted communities of the southwestern U.S. We are communities working to restore and protect the natural and cultural environment through respectfully promoting intercultural engagement among communities and institutions for the benefit of all life and future generations.”
Southwest Research and Information Center (SRIC, @SRICorg on twitter)
“In the late 1970s, Navajo uranium miners and their families asked for help to show that their lung diseases had been caused by their work in underground uranium mines in the 1940s-1960s. SRIC staff responded with medical and scientific data, in-community education strategies, and legislative support. As a result, Congress adopted legislation in 1990 to compensate former miners and their survivors. Ten years later, with SRIC's on going technical support to advocacy groups, the law was amended to cover virtually all uranium miners who worked before 1971. Currently, the Uranium Impact Assessment Program provides information on mining and community health, the legacy of uranium development, regulatory and policy issues related to remediation of contaminated sites, and current and proposed uranium development.”
Noel Lyn Smith at Inside Climate News (@nsmithdt and @insideclimate on twitter)
Noel Smith has written a ton of really informative pieces on the modern state of uranium mine cleanup in The Navajo Nation- highly recommend giving them a read.
Red Nation Podcast. Uranium Stories: the largest nuclear disaster in US history, 43 years later. Episode link on patreon here.
Sources:
Denetdale, Jennifer Nez. The Long Walk: The Forced Navajo Exile. Infobase Publishing, 2009.
Denetdale, Jennifer Nez. Reclaiming Diné History: The Legacies of Navajo Chief Manuelito and Juanita. University of Arizona Press, 2015.
Sides, Hampton. Blood and Thunder. Anchor, 2007.
Pasternak, Judy. Yellow dirt: A poisoned land and the betrayal of the Navajos. New York: Free Press, 2011.
Voyles, Traci Brynne. Wastelanding: Legacies of uranium mining in Navajo country. U of Minnesota Press, 2015.
Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo by Utah PBS, 2007
Art and Music:
Country music by Alex Black (science_party on instagram)
Ambient music by CALIFORNIA DEATH WORM (@grouchyjerk on twitter)
Cover art by Emily, check out her Etsy page at cicadaxxseason!
If you want to support the show and help pay for books and coffee, you can toss us a couple bucks at patreon.com/sludgefest. If not, no worries- all the eps are free :)
We’ll see you next time. Remember that despair is useless and I love you!