Indigenous lands and United States nuclear policy. (Indigenous Lands).The mining of uranium in the Dine Nation, and the testing of nuclear weapons in the Newe Nation (Western Shoshone Western Shoshone n. See Shoshone. ), reveals the Ilegacy of the US of destroying indigenous homelands in order to create weapons of mass destruction Weapons that are capable of a high order of destruction and/or of being used in such a manner as to destroy large numbers of people. Weapons of mass destruction can be high explosives or nuclear, biological, chemical, and radiological weapons, but exclude the means of transporting or to destroy all life. The lives of indigenous peoples The term indigenous peoples has no universal, standard or fixed definition, but can be used about any ethnic group who inhabit the geographic region with which they have the earliest historical connection. are bound to the land in a way that differs greatly from the post-Industrial perspective. They are spiritually connected to the Earth, and see it as mother, giver of life, provider of all basic needs. The destruction of traditional lands of the indigenous peoples by manufacturing nuclear weapons has devastated dev·as·tate tr.v. dev·as·tat·ed, dev·as·tat·ing, dev·as·tates 1. To lay waste; destroy. 2. To overwhelm; confound; stun: was devastated by the rude remark. the physical and spiritual health of traditional peoples across the US. The Dine (Navajo) Nation is located in the southwestern US. A nuclear free zone since 1995, the Dine people have survived the operation of over 1100 uranium mines Uranium mining is presently carried out in more than 25 countries around the world. An estimated 100 or more uranium mines in different stages of development are reported. Major uranium mines are located in Canada, Australia and Kazakhstan that contribute more than half of world's uranium on their lands. Many Dine were relocated in order to facilitate the mining of uranium. Many people worked in same mines, with little or no protection, miners had no masks, no gloves, and carried uranium dust home on their clothing. The families and especially the children have felt the health impacts of these mines. Children would play in the refuse of processed ore, dragging radioactive dust home on their clothing. The health of the Dine people has suffered tremendously from the mining of uranium. The measurable health effects on the Dine include above average cancer rate, increased birth defects birth defects, abnormalities in physical or mental structure or function that are present at birth. They range from minor to seriously deforming or life-threatening. A major defect of some type occurs in approximately 3% of all births. , and an epidemic of diabetes. Uranium, a heavy metal, when ingested in·gest tr.v. in·gest·ed, in·gest·ing, in·gests 1. To take into the body by the mouth for digestion or absorption. See Synonyms at eat. 2. or inhaled can block kidney function and cause diabetes. There are more than 1100 mines in the Dine Nation, yet less than half of them have been "cleaned up". (1) "Cleanup" in this sense consists of a cement cap on the entranceway of the mine, followed by the pushing of many dust piles together into one large one, which is then covered by a cement cap. This unsatisfactory "cleanup" causes more radioactive dust to be blown into the air, people's homes, and their lungs. Although the Dine have declared their nation a nuclear free zone, they are nonetheless threatened by two new uranium projects on the outskirts of their land. These mines risk contaminating their local currently pristine aquifer which is the primary water source for more than 50,000 people. The Pueblo peoples are made up of many different tribes who have lived in the southwestern US for countless generations. One of the US nuclear weapons laboratories is located in Los Alamos, northern New Mexico Northern New Mexico may simply mean the northern part of New Mexico, but in cultural terms it usually means the area of heavy Spanish settlement in the north-central part. , on the traditional lands of the Pueblos. Los Alamos was the first place on Earth that a nuclear weapon was ever detonated. This test rained radioactive dust across many nations. A majority of the US nuclear weapons testing program has taken place in Newe Sogobia, the traditional homeland of the Newe people. In the US State of Nevada, 87% of the land is under federal control but according to an earlier Treaty of Peace and Friendship, 23 million acres of this land belong to the Newe. (2) These traditional homelands have been devastated by more than 800 nuclear weapons. Many NGOs are working to get compensation for the miners and their families that have suffered, and to catalogue the epidemic of disease caused by these mines. Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium Mining is one of these groups. ENDAUM has been working since 1994 on studies on the health impact of uranium mining, and to prevent the opening of new uranium mines near the Dine Nation. In this, the tenth anniversary of the United Nations International Year of the World's Indigenous People, it is important to listen to the voices of the indigenous populations of the world as they speak out against weapons of mass destruction. Susi Snyder, Coordinator WILPF WILPF Women's International League for Peace and Freedom NY Endnotes (1.) ENDAUM Email: redmesa@hotmail.com (2.) www.wsdp.org (3.) www.nukewatch.org/media/more_media/08-00-01/gslona.html TEWA Te·wa n. pl. Tewa or Te·was 1. a. A group of Pueblo peoples of northern New Mexico. b. A member of any of these peoples. 2. The group of Tanoan languages spoken by the Tewa. Women United, Email: tewawu@la-tierra.com RELATED ARTICLE: Corrine Sanchez is a member of TWEA TWEA Trading with the Enemy Act TWEA Time Warner Entertainment Australia PTY Limited Women United, a group that advocates for women, peace and environmental issues. She lives in the San Ildefonso Pueblo close to Los Alamos. "Our body parallels Mother Earth," Sanchez said, giving her stance that bombarding Bombarding is the process of 'pumping' a Cold Cathode Lighting tube (otherwise called Neon Signs). Information A detailed process of bombarding can be found here, Bombarding. people and plants with nuclear radiation is wrong. "For Mother Earth, you're killing her and contaminating her." In Sanchez' view, there is one Earth and all things are connected. (3) |
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