Tackling the Toxic Legacy of Uranium Mining; a Tale of Navajo Activism

This thesis tells the tale of the toxic legacy of uranium mining, which has been casting a shadow over the lives of the Navajo people for over seven decades. Due to the rising tension between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, a nuclear arms race developed. In the United States, the government’s interest in uranium became a matter of top priority, which resulted in a mining boom. At first, the mining boom seemed like a blessing since it created many jobs. Especially for the Navajo people, a Native American tribe indigenous to the southwestern United States where uranium could be found in abundance. However, the initial excitement about these work opportunities was soon to be overshadowed by the toxicity of the work environment. For more than a decade, Navajo miners worked in this environment without any proper protection from the life threatening effects of uranium. And only in the 1960s, when the years of unprotected mining started taking its toll, was it...Show moreThis thesis tells the tale of the toxic legacy of uranium mining, which has been casting a shadow over the lives of the Navajo people for over seven decades. Due to the rising tension between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, a nuclear arms race developed. In the United States, the government’s interest in uranium became a matter of top priority, which resulted in a mining boom. At first, the mining boom seemed like a blessing since it created many jobs. Especially for the Navajo people, a Native American tribe indigenous to the southwestern United States where uranium could be found in abundance. However, the initial excitement about these work opportunities was soon to be overshadowed by the toxicity of the work environment. For more than a decade, Navajo miners worked in this environment without any proper protection from the life threatening effects of uranium. And only in the 1960s, when the years of unprotected mining started taking its toll, was it that the Navajo people started to become aware of these dangers. What followed were three decades of organizing and activism on the part of the Navajo people, which eventually led to the passing of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) in 1990. Though this was a crucial moment for Navajo anti-uranium activism, it does not necessarily mean that the story of Navajo activism ends here. Nevertheless, little scientific work has been dedicated to the development of the story after 1990. Therefore, this thesis will shift the focus towards the direction that Navajo advocacy against the toxic legacy of uranium mining has taken after the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act was passed. Such post-1990 types of activism mainly focus on three concepts; compensation, cleanup and remembrance. When it comes to compensation, the main goal is the inclusion of post-1971 uranium workers for compensation under RECA. Current eligibility criteria exclude those employed as uranium miners after 1971, which is when the United States government stopped being the sole purchaser of uranium ore. However, those in favor of amending the Act to include post-71 workers are arguing that this date only signified the end of government liability, but not the end of the inadequacy of radiation standards. Another cause for activism is the immense impact that the uranium industry has had on the environment. Many abandoned uranium mines exist on Navajo lands and environmental issues range far beyond the impact of these mines alone. Additionally, President Trump’s 2017 Executive Order on Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth has fueled fears of uranium mining returning to Navajo lands. In response, the Navajo people are trying to remind the nation of the disastrous impact of the industry and the toxic legacy that it has left behind. The possibility of uranium mining returning to Navajo lands, the exclusion of post-71 workers and the continued risks due to environmental contamination are all part of the toxic legacy against which the Navajo people are still fighting today. The telling of the tale of the Navajo people and the toxic legacy of uranium mining as done in this research sheds light on the historic and current relevance of recognizing the impact of uranium mining and the need for solutions.Show less

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Tackling the Toxic Legacy of Uranium Mining; a Tale of Navajo Activism