| Following World War II, the U.S. Government became the sole purchaser of uranium mined
across America to be used for atomic power and weaponry (Brugge & Goble, 2002). Much of the
uranium was mined on Navajo Lands, done in large by Navajo miners who were paid artificially
low wages. The private mining companies the U.S. Government allowed to mine on Navajo
Lands failed to inform the Navajo miners, mostly able-bodied men who did not speak English, of
the dangers of working with radioactive elements, nor did they provide them with the proper
safety equipment. As a result, many of these miners passed away from cancer and other ailments
caused by their exposure to uranium (Brugge & Goble, 2002; Markstrom & Charley, 2003).
The uranium mines in the Navajo Nation closed in the 1980s, but the mining encounter is
ongoing. Today, over 500 abandoned Uranium mines within the Navajo Nation are near homes
and water sources (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2024). This research aims to uncover
the lasting impacts of uranium mining on local Navajo communities, how this legacy has
impacted subsequent generations, and the cultural ramifications of this mining encounter. This
will be done by collecting oral histories that uncover Navajo residents' community change,
cultural change, and coping strategies. I will use an Indigenous framework to guide my research
and emphasize the importance of Indigenous voices and perspectives. While my research is
focused on Navajo residents, it may be relevant to other Indigenous communities coping with the
legacies of radioactive mining encounters.
Keywords: Uranium mining, Navajo, environmental justice, cultural impacts, Indigenous
approach, native anthropology |