Tapped
A generational battle: How a tribe’s concern over mining contamination on ancestral homelands brought Biden to Arizona
Oct 27, 2023
Uranium mining in Arizona's Grand Canyon region has caused concerns about water contamination for the Havasupai people. President Biden's proclamation designating ancestral lands as the Bajnawacho Ita Kukvini brings recognition and emotional significance. The chapter explores the environmental consequences and legal battles surrounding uranium mining. It also discusses the complexities of groundwater management, tribal rights, and economic development in Arizona.
27:41
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- President Joe Biden designated the Batch Noav Joe Itaku Uveni ancestral footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, safeguarding nearly 1 million acres of public land and protecting sacred ancestral land and preventing further contamination of groundwater.
- The controversy surrounding uranium mining in the Grand Canyon region raises valid concerns about the risks of groundwater contamination, including arsenic, due to the complexity and limited knowledge of the aquifer system.
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Designation Provides Safeguards for Ancestral Land and Prevents Mining Claims
In a move to protect sacred ancestral land and prevent new mining claims, President Joe Biden designated the Batch Noav Joe Itaku Uveni ancestral footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. This measure safeguards nearly 1 million acres of public land, including the Havasupa tribe's sacred ancestral land and Red Butte, their birthplace. This designation is a crucial step in preserving the land that has been a center of uranium production for years and preventing further contamination of groundwater.
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