Navajo activists recall risks of coal and uranium mining, ask council to protect people

Yahoo

29-04-2025

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — When Evie Tsosie walks, her limp is noticeable, something that wasn't always the case. She recalls the day it all changed. She was working at the Peabody coal mine on the northern part of the Navajo Nation when a front-end loader collided with her truck, injuring her and damaging her back.
Tsosie became disabled while working at the coal mine and is now fighting cancer for the third time — a battle that may be linked to her years of working in the uranium mines operated by Kerr-McGee in Churchrock, N.M., and in the Ambrosia Lake mining district near Grants.
'It's probably because my dad used to work in the uranium mine for the war but he entered World War II from there,' said Tsosie, talking about why she decided to work in the uranium mines. She told her story on a day when she and others pleaded for more accountability from the Navajo Nation Council.
She said she took the job at the coal mine to be closer to her parents, who lived between the Navajo communities of Kayenta and Dennehotso. Over the years, she's endured the physical toll of working in both uranium and coal mines, both on and off the Navajo Nation.
But beyond the physical impact, she also faced another burden — harassment from male coworkers. In the male-dominated mining industry, she and the few other women at the uranium sites were often targets of inappropriate behavior.
'It was rough working in mines with nothing but men,' said Tsosie. 'There was a lot of harassment … even from supervisors.'
Tsosie attended the second day of Navajo Nation Council with other former uranium miners and family members of uranium miners, who traveled to Washington, D.C., on a 38-hour bus ride last fall to advocate for the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). Some of those, like Tsosie, who traveled on the bus were also battling stage four cancer.
Council Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty recognized the miners and the families of those who have died from illnesses linked to uranium mining.
'The federal government has an obligation to our miners — not only to provide medical care, but also to compensate them for their pain and suffering,' she said.
In Congress: Navajo uranium miners, many with cancer, just lost new compensation in defense bill
These acknowledgments took place on April 22 — Earth Day — a time dedicated to honoring Mother Earth. This year marked its 55th anniversary, yet in the weeks leading up to it, many have viewed recent executive orders from President Donald Trump as a direct attack on the Earth, particularly on the Navajo Nation and other tribal communities.
Some of the orders aim to revive uranium and coal mining on tribal lands — extractive practices that communities have spent decades working to shut down.
Outside the council chamber were demonstrators from various community organizations who came together, concerned about Navajo President Buu Nygren and the Navajo Nation Council, and what they see as a neglect to prioritize Navajo water and failure to protect it from continued waste and pollution by industry.
'Our Navajo Nation does not have an energy plan,' said Leona Morgan, co-founder of the group Haul No! 'Our Navajo Nation does not have a plan to clean up all the more than 500 abandoned uranium mines. Our Navajo Nation does not have a plan for us, for our future, so we need to work together to figure these things out.'
Unlike past uranium mining practices, Morgan said new concerns are emerging with potentially harmful impacts. As a community organizer, she emphasized that her focus is on nuclear issues, with uranium mining just the starting point.
She pointed to other critical concerns, including extraction, mining, in-situ mining and ablation — practices the Navajo Environmental Protection Agency plans to use in efforts to clean up uranium mines. Ablation is a mining process that uses high-pressure water or air to separate uranium from surrounding rock, a practice that raises concerns about groundwater contamination and radioactive dust exposure.
Morgan argued that these practices are not about environmental protection, but rather about profiting from uranium waste.
'We have uranium all over the place and the Navajo Nation made a law that said 'no uranium mining, no uranium transport,' but unfortunately they changed the ban on uranium transport to regulating,' said Morgan. 'So we need to make sure they don't get rid of the no-mining law. We need to make sure the Navajo Nation always stays a nation that does not allow uranium mining.'
With just a handful of the 24 Navajo Nation Council delegates showing up to meet and hear the group, and President Nygren absent, Wendsler Nosie, Sr., of the group Apache Stronghold, addressed the crowd. Apache Stronghold has been fighting Resolution Copper over plans to develop a copper mine on the sacred site Oak Flat near Superior.
'What is happening here is happening in Apache country as well,' said Nosie. 'What you do today and tomorrow is really critical for the children yet to be born and everything God created. One of the big fights we are fighting is about Mother Earth, at this point she doesn't have a voice in what we call America.'
As tribal leaders continue to show support for their people who have endured ailments and loss due to harmful work conditions in uranium and coal mining, as well as showing concern for the land and water, it's seen as contradictory by citizens when the same leaders also continue to back extractive businesses on tribal lands.
'This history of my community is the same as many other communities in Dinétah,' said community organizer Joseph Hernandez. 'This government was created because of three communities and their oil … one of those communities was my community where we had the Rattle Snake oil field. It's from that part of dealing with outside people coming into our community, our homeland, telling us we can be rich quick, giving our people money, it was through that time that we are known through policy as a sacrifice zone.'
Hernandez, from New Mexico, recalled how his grandfather worked as a uranium miner at Kerr-McGee, and how he personally witnessed the suffering his grandfather endured, often driving him to his treatments.
"Coming back from World War II he worked in the uranium mines in Cove ... they took breaks in the uranium mines and the government, the people in power, told them 'you don't have to worry about nothing,'" said Hernandez. "This is helping your community with jobs. That's the same message that we are hearing today! Jobs!"
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Between 1944 and 1986, an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 Navajo worked in uranium mines, and exposure to uranium dust led to a sharp rise in lung cancer cases. It was noted that Nygren conflated the numbers of how many jobs were lost due to closure of Navajo Generating Station and Kayenta mines.
Alvin John had traveled with Tsosie on the bus to Washington hoping to meet House Speaker Mike Johnson and explain why RECA for post-1971 miners was vital, but Johnson wasn't there. 'I guess he knew we were coming.'
A former uranium miner at Kerr-McGee mine in Churchrock from 1977 to 1982, he said his job was working inside the mine using pillar stope, a method of extracting ore while leaving pillars of ore intact to support the mine's roof, ceiling and surrounding rock.
'It was dangerous. At the time I started working there, I didn't know it was going to put my life in danger,' said John. 'I just started working. At the time, I was young and back then the money was good. Now I am past 65 and I am suffering.'
It was in the mid-1990s when the impact of his job suddenly hit him. One morning, while making coffee at his mom's house, he said he was overcome by a sudden illness and a wave of intense pain throughout his body. After visiting medicine men with no improvement, he finally went to the hospital, where doctors couldn't find anything wrong. He spent a month there, and after being discharged, John said it took nearly a year before he was able to walk again.
'So now I can't stand too long,' said John. 'I've been living with this pain for 27 years. I went to the doctors, but they couldn't do anything. Since I lived with this pain for so many years, I just said 'oh well, guess I'll live with it until the day I die.''
Nygren's position: Navajo president endorses Trump's coal order, but activists cite climate, health risks
Nygren and his administration have negotiated the terms of uranium transport from being banned to regulated and also brought support to coal development, but the Navajo Nation Council continues to publicly state they are not part of these negations or talks.
Most notably, community organizers are strongly against Nygren's recent decision. The Diné Coalition of grassroots organizers have demanded transparency and accountability from Navajo tribal government on energy and uranium development.
"We call on the Navajo Nation President to stop making deals that degrade our land, water, and future," stated a news release from the group. "We urge tribal leaders not to repeat historical mistakes with respect to uranium extraction. The cleanup and remediation of hundreds of abandoned mines must be completed, prioritizing public health safety and ecosystem health."
The group made several points, including:
The Navajo people retain their right to free, prior, and informed consent. The group claims the Navajo EPA, Eastern Land Commission, Diné Uranium Remediation Advisory Commission and the Resource and Development Committee are not providing uranium policy updates to the general public.
Support is needed for Navajo farmers, ranchers, and businesses.
The recent actions and statements by President Nygren do not reflect the will of the Navajo people.
There should be no new mining in or around the sacred mountain Mount Taylor, near the Roca Honda Mine.
There should be no testing of "emerging technologies" on the people.
"We oppose the recent initiative to the Navajo Nation President to unilaterally open the door to more coal development in the Navajo Nation," the group said. "With the Trump administration's announced intent to ramp up production of 'mission-critical' uranium the private energy offenders are again targeting Diné lands with no intention of ensuring public health, safety, or environmental concern."
Arlyssa D. Becenti covers Indigenous affairs for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Send ideas and tips to [e-mail].
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: On Earth Day, Navajo activists ask council to oppose coal, uranium mining