Nuclear Colonialism Censored: PT 2 on Uranium Mining in the Dine’ Nation & Holtec's Nuclear Waste

01/26/23 • 59 min

Nuclear Colonialism is one aspect of settler colonialism that remains highly censored in the American mass and digital media landscape. With approximately 11% of all abandon uranium mines located in “Indian Country,” nuclear power plants average life-span ranging from 40 to 50 years, the promotion of nuclear power as “green energy,” the United States Department of Defense endorsing the next generation of mini-nuclear power plants (small modular reactors) to power over 800 military bases throughout the world, the allocation of $1.7 trillion to reconstitute the U.S. nuclear weaponry system; and the permanent, unresolved, and enduring issue of addressing over 60 years of nuclear waste production, Native American nations continue to be on the front lines of nuclear colonialism and future generations are at risk unless there is an immediate nuclear decolonization across Mother Earth. Nuclear Colonialism with Leona Morgan (Dine’ Nation) is a three-part interview that will broadcast over three consecutive episodes of American Indian Airwaves. The series focuses on our guest’s community work since 2007, which includes combating against many aspects of nuclear colonialism. Our guest not only helped prevent the construction of a new ISL (in situ leach) uranium mine in Eastern Navajo, but also, she has and continues to raise awareness about the extreme dangers of transporting high-level radioactive waste material by highway and railroad nearby and through “Indian Country,” as well as the continuing legacy of uranium mining and its unresolved impacts on the Dine’ people and other Indigenous peoples and nations. In addition, Leona Morgan provides an extensive update on the unresolved issue of nuclear waste and how Holtec International is proposing to construct a high-level nuclear waste facility in southeastern New Mexico despite the opposition by numerous Native American nations. Guest Leona Morgan (Tó dich’íí’nii, Tsé nahabiłnii, Kiyaa’áanii, Tó aheedlíinii; she/her) is a Diné activist and community organizer who has been fighting nuclear colonialism since 2007. Leona Morgan co-founded and works with the Nuclear Issues Study Group www.fb.com/NuclearIssuesStudyGroup), Diné No Nukes, which contributes to the Haul No! initiative (www.fb.com/HaulNo), and Radiation Monitoring Project (www.radmonitoring.org). Our guest collaborates nationally with many groups to address the entire nuclear fuel chain in the United States and is part of the international campaign Don’t Nuke The Climate (www.dont-nuke-the-climate.org) that focuses on nuclear energy as a global climate issue. Archived programs can be heard on Soundcloud at: https://soundcloud.com/burntswamp American Indian Airwaves streams on over ten podcasting platforms such as Amazon Music, Apple Podcast, Audible, Backtracks.fm, Gaana, Google Podcast, Fyyd, iHeart Media, Player.fm, Podbay.fm, Podcast Republic, SoundCloud, Spotify, Stitcher, Tunein, YouTube, and more. American Indian Airwaves is an all-volunteer collective and Native American public affairs program that broadcast weekly on KPFK FM 90.7 Los Angeles, CA, Thursdays, from 7:00pm to 8:00pm.

Previous Episode

Nuclear Colonialism, Part 1, Uranium Mining in the Dine’ Nation & "Bad Press" at Sundance

Part 1 Nuclear Colonialism with Leona Morgan (Dine’ Nation) is a three-part interview broadcasting over three consecutive episodes. The series focuses on our guest’s community work since 2007, which includes combating against many aspects of nuclear colonialism. Our guest not only helped prevent the construction of a new ISL (in situ leach) uranium mine in Eastern Navajo, but also, she has and continues to raise awareness about the extreme dangers of transporting high-level radioactive waste material by highway and railroad nearby & through “Indian Country,” along with the negative legacy of uranium mining & its unresolved impacts on the Dine’ & other Indigenous peoples. In addition, Leona Morgan provides an update on the unresolved issue of nuclear waste & how Holtec International is proposing to construct a high-level nuclear waste facility in southeastern New Mexico despite the opposition by numerous Native American nations. Moreover, our guest discusses: the Nuclear Energy industry's plans to build Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) – mini nuclear reactors - as a way to generate electricity' how the Nuclear Energy’s Greenwashing strategy of claiming nuclear energy as green energy places Indigenous peoples and Mother Earth at historical perils; the $1.7 trillion allocated for the US nuclear weaponry arsenal, and how Native Americans & nations future generations are at risk unless there is an immediate nuclear decolonialization. Guest Leona Morgan (Tó dich’íí’nii, Tsé nahabiłnii, Kiyaa’áanii, Tó aheedlíinii) is a Diné activist and community organizer. Leona co-founded and works with the Nuclear Issues Study Group , Diné No Nukes, which contributes to the Haul No! initiative, and Radiation Monitoring Project. Our guest collaborates nationally with many groups and is part of the international campaign Don’t Nuke The Climate that focuses on nuclear energy as a global climate issue. Part 2 In early 2023, only five Native American nations have constitutionally protected press freedoms. In terms of Native American self-determination and sovereignty, what does freedom of the press mean for Native American nations? What about Native American government owned media and the right to investigate & publish critical stories without being penalized? "Bad Press" is a new documentary premiering at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2023 and the film tells the story about Angel Ellis just trying to do her job. She’s a reporter for Mvskoke Media in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and she wants to give her readers access to all the information relevant to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. But that’s not an easy task, given that Angel and her colleagues believe in truth and transparency and aren't afraid to challenge the integrity of some questionable tribal officials. Fast-forward to a confusing whirlwind of an emergency session at the National Council, where the 2015 Free Press Act is repealed, Mvskoke Media's independent editorial board is dissolved, and the newspaper is placed under the direction of the Secretary of the Nation and Commerce. Plus more. For more information about viewing the documentary in person or online, see the Sundance Film Festival website (https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/638a1ffad406b20f68f2e3f2). Guests Becca Landsberry-Bakker (Muscogee Nation) and Joe Peeler co-directors of Bad Press (2023). Rebecca Landsberry-Baker is a Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program grantee, Ford Foundation JustFilms grantee, and 2022 NBC Original Voices fellow. She is an enrolled citizen of the Muscogee Nation and the executive director of the Native American Journalists Association. Joe Peeler is a documentary editor and director whose work has appeared on Netflix, HBO, and FX. American Indian Airwaves is an all-volunteer collective and Native American public affairs program that broadcast weekly on KPFK FM 90.7 Los Angeles, CA from 7:00pm to 8:00pm on Thursdays.

Next Episode

Nuclear Colonialism: Part 3, Allyship in Moving Forward & Peacefully Healing Mother Earth

Part 1 Nuclear Colonialism with Leona Morgan (Dine’ Nation) is a three-part interview that will broadcast over three consecutive episodes of American Indian Airwaves. The series focuses on our guest’s community work since 2007, which includes combatting against many aspects of nuclear colonialism. Today’s program concludes our three-part interview on Nuclear Colonialism. In this episode, our guest covers several important issues such as working at the grassroots level and activism, addressing activist “burnout,” the complications and frustrations working with non-Indigenous peoples in allyship, and moving forward on the denuclearization of Turtle Island, plus more. Nuclear Colonial is one aspect of settler colonialism that remains highly censored in the American mass and digital media landscape. With approximately 11% of all abandon uranium mines located in “Indian Country,” Nuclear power plants average life-span ranging from 40 to 50 years, the promotion of nuclear power as “green energy,” the United States Department of Defense endorsing the next generation of mini-nuclear power plants (small modular reactors) to over 800 military bases throughout the world, the allocation of $1.7 trillion to reconstitute the U.S. nuclear weaponry system, and the permanent, unresolved, and enduring issue of addressing over 60 years of nuclear waste production, Native American nations continue to be on the frontlines of nuclear colonialism and future generations are at risk unless there is an immediate nuclear decolonialization across Mother Earth. Guest: Leona Morgan (Tó dich’íí’nii, Tsé nahabiłnii, Kiyaa’áanii, Tó aheedlíinii; she/her) is a Diné activist and community organizer who has been fighting nuclear colonialism since 2007. Leona Morgan co-founded and works with the Nuclear Issues Study Group www.fb.com/NuclearIssuesStudyGroup), Diné No Nukes, which contributes to the Haul No! initiative (www.fb.com/HaulNo), and Radiation Monitoring Project (www.radmonitoring.org). Our guest collaborates nationally with many groups to address the entire nuclear fuel chain in the United States and is part of the international campaign Don’t Nuke The Climate (www.dont-nuke-the-climate.org) that focuses on nuclear energy as a global climate issue. Part 2 Mother Earth is wounded and everything she sustains is also afflicted by more pernicious forms of settler colonial violence. In additional, global current events, the possibilities of nuclear war and/or nuclear fallout, economic devastation, the unaffordability to survive for 99% of the world’s population, extreme declines in biodiversity, and the world’s Indigenous peoples on the frontlines of the intergenerational tyranny of settler colonialism, places the future of all life in an uncertain situations that requires an immediate global change for peacefully healing Mother Earth. Meanwhile, the Montana state legislature is moving forward with plans to vote on legislation that would violate numerous treaties and “terminate” Native American nations within the state of Montana. Our guest for second half of today’s program address all these critical issues, plus more. Guest: Chief Arvol Looking Horse (Lakota Nation), 19th Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe, speaks of the forthcoming February 4th & 5th, 2023, Woope Omnic’iye (Spiritual Law Meeting) at Dakota Magic (Sesseton Wahpeton Oyate) Nation and peacefully healing Mother Earth, plus more. Archived programs can be heard on Soundcloud at: https://soundcloud.com/burntswamp American Indian Airwaves streams on over ten podcasting platforms such as Amazon Music, Apple Podcast, Audible, Backtracks.fm, Gaana, Google Podcast, Fyyd, iHeart Media, Player.fm, Podbay.fm, Podcast Republic, SoundCloud, Spotify, Stitcher, Tunein, YouTube, and more. American Indian Airwaves is an all-volunteer collective and Native American public affairs program that broadcast weekly on KPFK FM 90.7 Los Angeles, CA, Thursdays, from 7:00pm to 8:00pm.