Uranium Mill Protest on Native American Land

This week’s show features recordings from the Ute Mountain Ute Native American protest against the White Mesa Uranium Mill on their land. Interviews with White Mesa Community Leaders Priscellna Rabbit and Ephraim Dutchie, an attorney Marie Ann Tapp and Dinah women Leona Morgan.  Rad show co-producer K-A met them in April this year while participating in the protest walk from the White Mesa Community to the White Mesa Uranium Mill only 3 miles down the road.  Priscellna Rabbit, from the White Mesa nation, speaks to the officer at the gates of the Uranium Mill about contamination.  Euphraim Dutchie spoke to me after the protest about his concerns and the struggles of his people to have authentic participation in decisions about their land.  Anne Mariah Tapp is an Attorney for the Grand Canyon Trust and provides law and policy advice. She provides an incredible overview to the situation on White Mesa land and the people's struggle.  In the final part of the show, an amazing activist Leona Morgan, a Dine women, from Dine No Nukes, talks about her organisation and the extraordinary work they are carrying out on the dangers of uranium mining and the impacts that uranium mining has had on the Dine lands.  From the Southwest region of the US she has worked as a community organizer and educator on uranium issues since 2007. She has worked primarily to help prevent water contamination from a proposed ISL facility. In 2014, Morgan co-founded Diné No Nukes (DNN). DNN is an initiative focused on education about the entire Nuclear Fuel Chain with a special interest in the lands with the Diné Four Sacred Mountains.