My personal connection to my topic is that my mother had cancer in 2021. It was in the middle of my sophomore year when my mom finally told me she had cancer & hearing that was the hardest thing ever because I never thought that my mother would have to go through that at such a young age. I had 2 little sisters I had to take care of & do my school work at the same time so then I knew I had to step up to be the bigger sister & help my mom out with them. At times I felt like I wasn’t doing enough or doing it right because I would always get frustrated but then I noticed that things were very hard for her to do everyday because of the type of cancer she had which was called lymphoma cancer which caused so much back pain and pain in her knees to the point where she couldn’t walk at times. So she’s the reason why I’m doing research to know why so many people are dying from different types of cancer. Former Uranium Mining Workers have been fighting to get compensation for the time they have worked. My mom always worked to try her best no matter how hard it got for her because she knew that she had 3 beautiful girls to take care of. That's why my mom is the best and will always be the best there is because I wouldn't change anything about her. 

Bitsoi, Alastair Lee, et al, “From Sheep Camp To The City To Study Uranium’s Damages To The Navajo People- Source New Mexico, “ Source New Mexico, 1 July 2024, https:/sourcenm.com/2024//07/10/ from-sheep-camp-to-the-city-to-study-uranium-damages-to navajo-people/. Accessed 8 November 2024.

In 2005, the Navajo Nation banned the transport of any nuclear waste going through its lands, an area the size of West Virginia. However, Interstate 40, a major cross-country interstate, crosses the southern section of the Navajo Nation; thus, allowing exceptions to this ban on major highways like Arizona’s State Highways 89 and 160. The ban also prohibits any future mining or milling until all abandoned sites have been cleaned up. Earlier this spring, the Navajo Nation Council and Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren reaffirmed the ban by signing into law its position to call on the Biden administration to halt uranium hauling across Navajo lands. The White Mesa Mill is only about 20 miles from the Navajo Nation, just across the San Juan River. According to the Grand Canyon Trust, more than 700 million pounds of toxic waste sits at the mill site.

Dedios, Jeanette, et al. “Gathering will mark 45 years since the largest     radioactive release in U.S. history hit New Mexico • Source: New Mexico.” Source New Mexico, 12 July 2024, https://sourcenm.com/2024/07/12/gathering-will-mark-45-years-since-the-largest-radioactive-release-in-u-s-history-hit-new-mexico/. Accessed 8 November 2024.

. On July 16th, 1979, a dam ruptured and released more than a thousand tons of radioactive waste and nearly 95 million gallons of toxic radioactive wastewater spilled into the nearby Rio Puerco and surrounding Navajo Nation Lands. Radiation from the spill was detected as far as 80 miles downstream. As a result, communities around the spill have experienced health problems associated with radiation exposure. “They sent a handful of people out with shovels and buckets to try to gather up this green sludge that was all through there. And that’s it. That’s all that was ever done”. The Church Rock spill is the third largest radioactive release globally, after the Fukushima disaster and the Chernobyl meltdown. 

“Jackpile-Paguate Uranium Mine PHA.” https://atsdr.cdc.gov/unavailable.html, ATSDR,https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/pha/JackpilePaguate/JackpilePHAPublicComment_508.pdf.

Throughout the years the Village of Paguate where the Jackpile- Paguate Mine was located has had and still receives assessments. These assessments included our water (groundwater), climate, and soil. During both production periods they provided on-site housing in the mine for certain workers, the source of water was groundwater. In the Pueblo of Laguna, we have one big stream that reaches all our six villages, along with the Pueblo of Acoma and the Spanish Land Grants of Cubero.  This is the main source of water we have for our lands. Contamination was brought from the mine, causing exposure to our people, animals, and land. The Jackpile- Paugte Uranium Mine Public Health Assessment - Public Comment Draft, focuses on the exposures that were in the Grants Mineral Belt, where this would contain most of the uranium in New Mexico.  This draft shares why they have assessments put in place, and how the exposure would travel, from workers to the soil, air, and water.

nsideclimatenews.org/news/02082018/alaska-north-slope-oil-drilling-health-fears-polluti   on-risk-native-village-nuiqsut/

In mid-2012, Miller from Alaska Community Action on Toxics came to Nuiqsut. She was showing seven people how to use monitoring equipment when a board member of the local corporation burst into the room. Tension between oil development and fears about public health exists in other pockets of the United States, from the Permian Basin in Texas to Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale. Up here 250 miles above the Arctic Circle, with no year round road access it’s different. Ties that bind people to the land mean survival. Health is hundreds of miles away, and some here say decades of pleas for assistance have fallen on deaf ears at times even from within the Village.

Krementz, Jill. How it feels when a parent dies.knoph.1982

The girl’s dad always had to give her attention and love because she knew that she would never feel that same type of love that she got from her mom. At one point, she started to wear make-up and she also even started wearing dresses to school and the only reason why she did that was because her brother Henny was getting all the attention and that was the best way that she could get her dad to pay attention to her. Ever since mom died, it's been hard for me to go to church every sunday the way we used to. I still go on Christmas and Easter, and sometimes I go and light a candle for her. My mother was an artist and Henny is artistic just like her. Every day after school she’d go up to the studio and she’d draw with mom or they’d go on drawing expeditions.