As the country looks for new energy sources, Indigenous communities are sounding the alarm on the potential risks of nuclear power. Arizona Mirror reporter Shondiin Silversmith traveled a 320 mile uranium haul transport route, speaking to Indigenous communities along the way about their concerns. Our Living Lands Producer Daniel Spaulding spoke to her about the experience.
The route travels through or near many Indigenous communities, including the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, the Havasupai Tribe, and large parts of the Navajo Nation. In January, the Navajo Nation signed an agreement with Energy Fuels, the company operating the mine and trucks, but the details of that agreement have not been made public. Silversmith reports that tons of uranium are being hauled every day, despite objections from many Indigenous people along the route.
“To your eyes, this is a mountain and shrubs and trees,” Havasupai Traditional Practitioner Dianna Sue Uqualla said about land near the start of the route. “But for us, it's not like that. This is all medicine. And when I look at that, I'm overwhelmed because these are gonna die. They're not going to exist or we can't use it anymore because of the contamination.”
