Difference between revisions of "Limited Sovereignty: The Lasting Effects of Uranium Mining on the Navajo Nation"

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Revision as of 15:08, 15 May 2014

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Case Description
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Geolocation: 36° 47' 7.9955", -108° 41' 13.3159"
Total Population .1414,000,000 millionmillion
Total Area 7100071,000 km²
27,413.1 mi² km2
Climate Descriptors Semi-arid/steppe (Köppen B-type)
Predominent Land Use Descriptors industrial use
Important Uses of Water Domestic/Urban Supply, Livestock, Mining/Extraction support

Summary

The Navajo Nation is a mostly sovereign Native American state located in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico; the tribe has 250,000 people, over 140,000 Navajo live on Navajo land.

Holding an estimated 25% of the nation’s uranium, Navajo Nation became an attractive uranium-mining site in the 1940s. With the threat of the Cold War, uranium was seen as a necessary element for US security. The US Atomic Energy Commission promised to procure the entire supply of uranium from 1948-1971; this inspired corporations to reap the potential profit by opening mines throughout the Navajo Nation. Even though, research as early as the 1930s found a correlation between lung cancer and uranium, no environmental or occupational regulations were in place for uranium mining.

Over 43 years more than 1000 mines were developed on the Navajo Nation. Water contamination wasn’t a concern early on until the Church Rock dam broke in 1979; this caused the largest nuclear spill in U.S. history. Later on, the Navajo people and the US government realized that in addition to lung cancer, uranium contamination in water led to increased rates of kidney disease and many other negative health impacts.

Though uranium mining stopped on the Nation in the 1980s, there continues to be unremediated open mines, uranium pilings and wastewater. Multiple cases have been filed against the US government and mining corporations. As explained below, because uranium was mined for US security, seeking retribution has been difficult.

This case explores the power inequities between the US government and the Navajo Nation. It offers insights that could be used for future Navajo cases and for other Native American cases. This history is important at this moment because uranium mining is once again becoming popular for US energy independence. While the Navajo Nation banned uranium mining in 2005, there is question of whether that decision will be respected both internally by leaders throughout the Navajo Nation and externally by the US government and corporations.



Natural, Historic, Economic, Regional, and Political Framework

Issues and Stakeholders
Stakeholders Position/Role Key Issues
Navajo Leaders and People Protect the Navajo people, environment and the animals; act in the best interest of the Navajo people
  • Safety of future uranium mining
  • Retribution for past damages
  • Greater sovereignty for greater control of their destiny
  • Economic threat or opportunity
Example Example Example
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Tagged with: Native American Navajo Mining Native American Navajo Mining





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