Building Bridges: Native Existence, Resistance, and Nuclear Abolition Position
A story to build relationships over broken ground
Since a young age, I had always heard about the Four Corners area and Dine’, Hopi and Pueblo resistance. There were also stories about Los Alamos National Laboratories, Peabody Coal, Kerr-Mcgee, Uranium mining and the whole area being known as a national energy sacrifice zone. When you talk to the general public though, there's not a feel for this knowledge or story. The few who do know something only mention coal and uranium mines, but this area and these peoples hold much more. Part of this journey is building on that and part of it is building around the idea of bringing together native resistance and nuclear abolition as they both happen.
The purpose of the journey was simple. Nuclear Abolitionists would meet in Albuquerque and spend a week meeting local people, the land and tour uranium and facility sites. This was to build relationships/strategy, power, capacity and narrative that connects us(mainly frontline bipoc and working class) around nuclear, energy and climate issues, as well as, power building to push back against false solutions to climate change . That included, group and tribal leaders, community and cultural people, and nonhuman relatives include the land, air and water as places/beings to develop relationships with as well. This was an awesome opportunity to develop the team that is being built around Indigenous Nuclear Abolition. I captured experience and developed this to share this story back to Michigan folks and beyond, with the hopes of widening and expanding education on this and awareness, as well as relationships, in the movement. Especially around frontline nuclear energy and uranium mining issues.
L-R: Jenn Galler, Jesse Deer In Water, and Leona Morgan
Our travels took us throughout the state and into Arizona as well. Areas included Espanola. Los Alamos, Pueblo Lands, Mt. Taylor and Pinon, AZ. For me, this has been generations in the making so I was excited! It also came together from the past few years working as CRAFT’s Community Organizer and the pathway that it has been a part of. This has included national coalition building around Jemez and Environmental Justice Principles, high level radioactive waste issues and intersecting with reactor issues. Which is where I would meet the fine folks who would be a part of this story and report, Leona Morgan, Dine’ nuclear abolitionist and Jenn Galler, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League. We have worked together for the past year and planned to gather in person and develop a strategy and a support system for native folks doing this work.
Along the way, we didn't really know exactly how it would go down but it became clear as we planned. There was more than just meeting in person and developing relationships and strategy for the work and future, we needed to experience the story of nuclear power as it related to the land and indigenous people of it. This led to the idea to meet and talk to other indigenous people who are doing the work and are living the life impacted on the frontlines. This was so valuable for this antinuclear work; it's so common to hear about technical stuff and policy while actual earthly experience is pushed aside or completely ignored.
It began with us all meeting on the evening of our arrival to Albuquerque in late September. I flew in from Detroit, Jenn from Baltimore and Leona, of course, already lives in Albuquerque. The following days would be packed and there would be much distance to travel, I totaled 1400 miles in 5 days of driving on the rental vehicle. On our first day we met with Beata Tsosie Pena at a community garden outside of a library in Espanola, north of Albuquerque. She shared a story of how the United States Department of Energy (DOE) kicked Pueblos out of the area now known as Pajarito Plateau to make way for Los Alamos, and how this happened pretty much by force under “eminent domain” for “national security”. This was for government nuclear weapons and nuclear energy testing during the Manhattan Project and nuclear power expansion that would follow. She also shared the history of invaders in the area going back to the Spanish and brought us up to speed by showing us some of the solutions they are using now to take care of the land, be good stewards and to fight back against this continuous attack. We were going to the area known as Tsankawi, aka Bandelier National Monument where you can see the ancient homes of the people in one place and see the government nuclear testing facilities in another. Beata recommended not to give power to the desecration, but to give power to the spirit of the land and people. We did and acknowledged the land on the way down into the canyon and were approached by law enforcement before we got back to the road to our vehicle, we got by but it was for real the opposing forces at play. On the way back to Alb we met with some youth from Tewa Women United who shared more perspective and experience with us.
As if you wouldn't believe that was all in a heavy day, the next would move with similar mannerism. We would travel to the Church Rock Red Water Pond Road Community, home of Edith Hood and Bertha Nez. It is also a home to the largest uranium spill to ever happen on this continent's soil. We would meet folks who are still experiencing it and the simultaneous impact of leftover uranium mines. The levels of radiation were and are so bad that people were no longer safely able to harvest materials for hogans, clothes and medicines. For most Indigenous peoples, not having plants, water, air and sheep available has led to dependence on materials supplied by outside sources and western medicines to address sickness from the impacts. This process is known as Nuclear Colonialism, a system of domination where governments and corporations seek out, target and devastate indigenous peoples and lands to maintain the nuclear production process. . This isn’t hundreds of years ago, this is today, and by the way you hear the folks in the community tell it, ya still need to wear a mask when it's windy to keep from inhaling radioactive particles in the dirt. Bertha gave accounts of things as a child up to her current age that had to do with the mining issues and uranium spill. As a child she didn't know, as an adult when she worked in the mines she didn't know. No one ever said that the uranium was harmful, no one ever told them that it was dangerous.
The next day would take us to Acoma Pueblo lands to meet with Petuuche Gilbert, Eagle Clan and elder of Acoma. He would share with us the magic, stories and shrines of Acoma Pueblo, from the valley to the top of Kaawheeshtimaa, “Snow-capped” in the Acoma Pueblo language, known as Mt. Taylor in english. This day would be filled with info and wonder as Petuuche shared from the past, present and even looked to the future. That, and a whole lotta story about the history of the uranium and settler boom in the area, after all, it was here that experienced both. So much that would be shared with us.The day was heavy but hope was not lost as the culture and awareness is ever present and the spirit is strong. This would be proven by Petuuche as he shared details of each place we crossed paths with. Many of which, his The Acoma have direct ties to, whether it is pilgrimages to these sacred shrine sites or working in the uranium mines, he knew both. Talk about heavy and enlightening!
The journey wouldn’t end there, and I will share more of it in detail with the next blogs. I can share that the days and travel were adding up on us all. Jenn from BREDL was hopping on the plane to head back out home and Leona was feeling it from being our tour guide while keeping up with grad school at the same time. Leona didn't feel able to make the next leg of the journey, which would take us into the heart of Dinetah as I had mentioned. In between Chinle and Pinon Arizona is where we were destined to go and the next day from there was Flagstaff originally but without Leona the Flagstaff part would be a no go. I decided to go to Pinon alone because I had already made plans and got the invite to head out that direction. Catching a Traditional Kneel Down Bread workshop and meeting and chatting with the folks presenting and present, was the first plan, but it had rained heavy and lots of roads were washed out and the workshop was canceled. The hosts were still welcoming me out. I would learn about problems and solutions, as well as the work of To Nizhoni Ani (Sacred Water Speaks) on this part.
The journey wouldn’t end there, and I will have more of it and in more detail for the next blog. Haha don’t mean to leave y’all hanging here because there is going to be a short blog for each day to tell a better story and share more info without overloading anyone.
Wado,
Jesse Deer In Water
CRAFT Community Organizer