Clash of Sovereign Nations
In my cynical moments (which have become more frequent of late), I am convinced that this government is not to be trusted, not at all and not in anything large or small. I have been lied to on so many occasions that I know I cannot believe anything coming from either Washington DC or Sacramento. Still, there doesn't seem to be much I can do about the current regime in either city, at least not until the next election.
For that reason, I was very happy to read this story this morning. The Navajo did one of the canniest things I've seen in years.
Mining companies began blasting holes on the reservation, which covers 27,000 square miles, in the 1940s and continued for nearly 40 years until decreased demand closed the operations.
By then, the Navajos were left with radiation sickness, contaminated tailings and abandoned mines. To avoid repeating the past, Navajo leaders and grassroots organizations have been working for years to keep mining from starting again.
Some uranium mining companies are hot to go back onto the Navajo reservation (which contains a whole lot of the ore) and so they have been pushing Congress to pass a bill which will allow them to re-open operations. Their argument is that there is new technology for in situ processing which is much safer.
The Navajo aren't buying that. They worry that the new technology won't protect the aquafer and their nightmares will start all over again. So, they did what any reasonable sovereign nation does: it passed a law forbidding uranium mining on the reservation.
I (and the Navajos) have no doubt that there will soon be a law suit and that it will have to be fought all the way up to the US Supreme Court. It will be interesting to see if the feds in any of the branches will acknowledge the sovereignty of the Navajos, but I have a hunch that they just might.
Either way, way to go!
For that reason, I was very happy to read this story this morning. The Navajo did one of the canniest things I've seen in years.
Mining companies began blasting holes on the reservation, which covers 27,000 square miles, in the 1940s and continued for nearly 40 years until decreased demand closed the operations.
By then, the Navajos were left with radiation sickness, contaminated tailings and abandoned mines. To avoid repeating the past, Navajo leaders and grassroots organizations have been working for years to keep mining from starting again.
Some uranium mining companies are hot to go back onto the Navajo reservation (which contains a whole lot of the ore) and so they have been pushing Congress to pass a bill which will allow them to re-open operations. Their argument is that there is new technology for in situ processing which is much safer.
The Navajo aren't buying that. They worry that the new technology won't protect the aquafer and their nightmares will start all over again. So, they did what any reasonable sovereign nation does: it passed a law forbidding uranium mining on the reservation.
I (and the Navajos) have no doubt that there will soon be a law suit and that it will have to be fought all the way up to the US Supreme Court. It will be interesting to see if the feds in any of the branches will acknowledge the sovereignty of the Navajos, but I have a hunch that they just might.
Either way, way to go!
posted by Diane at 5:32 PM
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