Illegal Trash Dumping on the Navajo Nation

Horse

In “Native American Identity” by Horse, feels that it goes more into “Native Indian/ or Native American”, oppression, White Privilege, also how the colonization affected most native communities. It discusses how hard it is for us (Native Americans) to keep a strong identity with all the pressure and influence from the world outside our communities. The reading really outlines how much cultures changed over time, but no culture is going to stay the same forever. There really is no such thing as an unchanging American Indian life.

I feel like this is something that we Native Americans should all learn while we are still young. I really feel a deep connection of pressure to be traditional under the mainstream culture in more two worlds, like I’m stuck between the two. Oppression is definitely something that will change our identity and culture without questioning. Very often elders always question our time of living and compare it to their time, just like the essay says “we’re just like them”. It makes me scared of how the next generation will feel and their impact, as well as how our culture is going to be passed down again and again until it isn't anymore.

Horse, Perry G. “Native American Identity.” New Directions for student services, no. 109, Wiley Periodicals, Inc, 2005. Pp. 61-68.

Northwest Ordinance

The northwest ordinance was composed by the Confederation Congress the purpose of writing the ordinance was for regional development of territory north of the Mississippi river. The ordinance was made jointly with the federal Constitution which mentions Native Americans only as economically defined exceptions to the establishment of new citizenry (basically indians not taxed), and elsewhere as simply trade concerns. The earliest formal statements of general intent toward Native Americans Nations as a whole are constantly used as a point of reference, ``utmost good faith” and ¨without their consent¨ sections as showing the obligation of the federal government.

The Northwest Ordinance can really go back to my topic of the essay because some native people in the region south of the great lakes were really affected by the ordinance especially with their land. In the Ordinance it clearly states ¨The utmost good faith shall always be observed towards Indians; Their land and property shall never be taken from them without their consent¨ but still had the land taken from them. It's just proof that as native people as a whole that we've always struggled with our land no matter if it's us harming our own land or it being taken from us. The land is never a trusted thing to native americans no matter what even if written in law and some of us really take our land for granted and don't realize how much it provides for us. In the Navajo nation the issue of uranium mines and illegal trash dumping come into mind where the 2 are the biggest issues and the main causes are human caused mainly. Navajo people see this and know that we could help clean the areas that are affecting the land, change our ways, and also educate our people on what the consequences can be of our actions.

Turner, Christopher Lindsay. "Northwest Ordinance." The American Mosaic: The American Indian Experience, ABC-CLIO, 2021, americanindian-abc-clio-com.sfis.idm.oclc.org/Search/Display/1385522. Accessed 19 Oct. 2021.

Opponents of Mining and Waste Storage on Native Land

Mining and waste storage on native lands has split many communities from the economic growth that would come from coal and uranium mines. Due to this land being damaged it also fuels arguments for tribes that are against resource development on Native lands. In the Navajo Nation their budgets from 1954 mining was 94% of revenue, also again in 1981 the revenue was 56% both times were more than half, Now health problems connected to mines are now affecting Navajo people. In July 16, 1978 at Churchrock, New Mexico an accident occured, 100 million gallons of radioactive water was released into non native and native environments which was a serious threat to the environment and to surrounding peoples health. Due to this many Native American Tribes object to storing nuclear and hazardous waste on their lands due to its history. William A. Young identified five main ecological themes of spiritual traditions: "Interconnectedness: We are all related; Reverence: All of life is spiritual; Mother Earth: The womb of life; Embeddedness: We are the land and the land is us; Reciprocity: Living in harmony." Damage to the land can harm the spiritual ecology and physical health of a people.

This can go back to my topic by relating so much about how mining and storage affected the navajo nation community with both the land and its people. The navajo nation was one of the US hardest hit tribes but had extreme economic growth. In this way companies used their weakness against them, money. These companies would offer a good amount of money to have their companies placed on or near the tribal lands. After companies would shut down they would leave mines and or uranium waste there. Many Navajo people believe that when a person becomes ill there is an imbalance between the land and the people, the physical illnesses and deaths that many people face from uranium mines reflects how mining has damaged the balance between the people and with the earth.

Rosier, Paul C. "Opponents of Mining and Waste Storage on Native Land ." The American Mosaic: The American Indian Experience, ABC-CLIO, 2021, americanindian-abc-clio-com.sfis.idm.oclc.org.sfis.idm.oclc.org/Search/Display/1640330. Accessed 7 Dec. 2021.

How the US poisoned Navajo Nation

This video talked about the Uranium Mines and how it not only affected the land but also the workers and people in the surrounding area living there. The boom for Uranium mines in the Navajo Nation lasted for 4 decades but left behind pollution, disease, and as well the biggest uranium spill in United States history. Mines left behind huge waste piles and clean ups were not conducted immediately. The video compared to another incident when the exact same thing happened to a community in Pennsylvania where it was a predominantly white American area while a spill in church rock in New Mexico where only 1% of the spill was cleaned after 3 months. The spill in Church Rock, New Mexico affects the lives of nearby Navajo Residents, who have to deal with toxic water, bad livestock and Lifetime over never ending illness. Today they are still waiting for it to be cleaned up.

This relates to my topic by the amount of waste piles that are scattered around the Navajo Nation, and how we as Navajo people have to suck up to it with so little done for the communities especially with clean ups. I have spoken to multiple people who thought that the waste piles they've seen before were normal and really didn't know what they were. With trash dumping most people in communities see it as a normal thing and in most cases are unaware that the trash is even there and how much it affects the community. Not only is it left to people in affected communities to stop and clean the areas we also receive no help.

How the US poisoned Navajo Nation,Vox.2020.Youtube.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETPogv1zq08.

Bááháálí, Chichiltah Collaborate to Take on Solid Waste, Recycling

Throughout the article it highlights that there really isn't a ¨Comprehensive Waste Management system on the Navajo Nation¨ also that the Navajo Nation doesn't talk much about the issue. At Bááháálí- Chichiltah Regional Solid Waste Collection and Recycling Center, which was originally run by Mckinley County but stopped operating in 2005. Roselyn John, community service coordinator for Chichiltah Chapter and Gloria M. Skeet, chapter manager at Bááháálí Chapter, helped to re-establish the Center and once again reopening it to the public in 2009. They show their determination of keeping the community clean by offering Affordable and easily accessible trash disposal services, even offering free recycling. The disposal fees are kept low to encourage the community from illegal dumping in the local areas, but also along with this it isn't enough to keep the center open and the center then has to ¨beg¨ for more funding. The center isnt looking for a financial gain but rather to encourage the community to use appropriate trash disposal and encourage recycling. Skeet mentioned that only 22 of the 110 chapters on the Navajo nation have any kind of solid waste services also while only 2 communities offer recycling services. They stress the need of solid waste services to tribal officials for better or even services at all to be provided.

Yurth, Cindy. “Bááháálí, Chichiltah Collaborate to Take on Solid Waste, Recycling.” Navajo Times, 10 Mar. 2021, https://navajotimes.com/reznews/baahaali-chichiltah-collaborate-to-take-on-solid-waste-recycling/.

Illegal Dumping Proves a Sticky Issue

In this Article, it was proven that the Navajo Nation provides no help to the communities that are affected by illegal dump sites as well as how the issue of illegal trash-dumping is not making any sort of improvement. While reporting on the issue during the year of 2019, Cindy Yurth states that there were only 3 law enforcement officers stationed throughout the entire Navajo Nation. While Jonathan Nez has been in office many plans that would have improved the lessening of illegal trash dumping on the Reservation such as providing a dump to its residents, have been thrown out and remained up in the air. Many of the Navajo Nations residents have since attempted to justify their means of illegal dumping due to high fees at transfer stations. In an effort to help some of the Chapters, which are located throughout the reservation, had attempted to aid its citizens by reducing fees or charging no fee at all. However the dumping only continued which proved their efforts as no use. The article also mentions the Baahaali chapter partnering with McKinley County and its neighboring chapter Chichiltah to create a transfer station. Although Draper (the person this article interviews) establishes that this issue is a nationwide level issue, he is now begging to lose hope that efforts will cease to stop the trash dumping.

The current issues facing Drapers community are almost similar to that of my own community and have correlated directly with my SHP topic. However, Drapers community has a lot bigger issues with illegal trash dumping than my own. This article has pointed out that the price of proper trash disposal was not necessarily the problem and the cause of illegal dumping on the reservation, rather it was the residents' mindset and I do believe that this is the reason this has continued. I feel that highly affected communities think it's okay to dump because of how normalized it has become. I feel that there should be more resources for different communities and that the whole community should have easy access to the resources. Standing with what Draper had said, I too worry for my community and have a concern for the toxins that could make its way to the rest of the community. I also believe that what is going on right now will affect the future residents of my community. It is like a continuous cycle of nonchalant attitude towards the dumping on the reservation and as of now it is showing that it will get worse.

Yurth, Cindy. “Illegal Dumping Proves a Sticky Issue.” Navajo Times, Navajo Times, 24 Dec. 2019, https://navajotimes.com/reznews/illegal-dumping-proves-a-sticky-issue/.

¨Talking Trash¨ Series- Part 2

The first and second lady of the Navajo Nation launched an online series focused on illegal dumping and the dangerous effects it has on the nation. Hoping to reach more Navajo residents online and make them aware of the situation as well as the dangers. The video was published on youtube by the Navajo Nation OPVP Communications. The video covered different topics including how to report illegal dumping, garbage disposal costs, human health impacts, open trash burning, household hazardous waste, recycling, composting, zero waste, conservation, sustainability and Navajo ecological knowledge.

The issue of bringing awareness to illegal trash dumping is already hard enough since so many residents live in the deep parts of the reservation. I enjoy that some of the residents are trying their best to utilize resources provided by the internet. I feel that the first and second ladies are using their high status for a good cause which isn't seen so often, especially on the reservation. It really shows the more the public knows the more likely they'll want to be a part of the solution. I really feel the same way towards the issue of having a clean, safe and healthy environment and community for now and for the future. I as well want to use my voice to extend teachings to my community and many others the dangers of illegal dumping and express my feeling towards the Navajo Nation to have its own sanitary landfill.

Nez, Phefelia and Dottie Lizer, directors. "Talking Trash" Series - Part 2, Navajo Nation OPVP Communications, 25 May 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jt_e1aA1mkI. Accessed 9 Dec. 2021.