"Soup Will Be Your Salvation"

The second in our series on the environmental and humanitarian legacy of US uranium mines in The Navajo Nation and abroad. Before we talk about the mines, we need to discuss the historical context of settler-colonial oppression of the Navajo by the United States. In this episode, we cover the years 1849-1868, during which the United States military subjects the Navajo people to horrific, genocidal violence and displacement as a means to secure their land and resources as they expand westward.

Content warning for violence, upsetting content, and reference to SA.

Learn more, donate, help out:

The Multicultural Alliance for a Safe Environment

Southwest Research and Information Center (SRIC, @SRICorg on twitter)

Noel Lyn Smith at Inside Climate News (@nsmithdt and @insideclimate on twitter)

• Noel Smith has written a ton of really informative pieces on the modern state of uranium mine cleanup in The Navajo Nation- highly recommend giving them a read.

  
  

Red Nation Podcast. Uranium Stories: the largest nuclear disaster in US history, 43 years later. Episode link on patreon here.

• “The Red Nation Podcast features discussions on Indigenous history, politics, and culture from a left perspective. Hosted by Nick Estes and Jen Marley with help from our friend and comrade Sina. The Red Nation Podcast is also the home of Red Power Hour, hosted by Melanie Yazzie and Elena Ortiz. Our show is entirely supported by our patrons on Patreon, support the show and get access to bonus content and other patron-exclusive benefits here: Patreon.com/redmediapr”

  
  

  
  

  
  

Sources

Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo by Utah PBS, 2007

Timestamps and names of Navajo speakers quoted in this episode:

• Notation given as: speaker name; timestamp in podcast; timestamp in documentary

  
  



• Luci Tapahonso; 20:00 ; 14:49  

  
  



• Harry Walters; 20:32 ; 15:24

  
  



• Lucy Willie; 26:46 ; 16:46

  
  



• Arlene Tsosie; 27:10 ; 17:09

  
  



• Luci Tapahonso; 27:25 ; 17:25  

  
  



• Luci Tapahonso; 28:04 ; 18:04

  
  



• Shirley Clark; 28:19 ; 18:19

  
  



• Dr. Jennifer Nez Denetdale; 28:37 ;18:37

  
  



• Shirley Clark; 29:30 ; 20:45

  
  



• Blackhorse Mitchell; 29:42 ; 20:59

  
  



• Harry Walters; 30:00 ; 21:16

  
  



• Luci Tapahonso; 30:23 ; 21:38

  
  



• Blackhorse Mitchell; 30:56 ; 22:30

  
  



• Dr. Jennifer Nez Denetdale ; 31:08 ; 26:24

  
  



• Dr. Jennifer Nez Denetdale ; 32:24 ; 29:45

  
  



• Dr. Peter Iverson; 32:55 ; 30:17  

  
  



• Dr. Jennifer Nez Denetdale; 33:25 ; 30:48

  
  

Denetdale, Jennifer. The Long Walk: The Forced Navajo Exile. Infobase Publishing, 2009.

Denetdale, Jennifer Nez. Reclaiming Diné History: The Legacies of Navajo Chief Manuelito and Juanita. University of Arizona Press, 2015.

Sides, Hampton. Blood and Thunder. Anchor, 2007.

Pasternak, Judy. Yellow dirt: A poisoned land and the betrayal of the Navajos. New York: Free Press, 2011.

Voyles, Traci Brynne. Wastelanding: Legacies of uranium mining in Navajo country. U of Minnesota Press, 2015.

Art and music

Country music by Alex Black (science_party on instagram)

Ambient music by CALIFORNIA DEATH WORM (@grouchyjerk on twitter)

Cover art by Emily, check out her Etsy page at cicadaxxseason!

If you want to support the show and help pay for books and coffee, you can toss us a couple bucks at patreon.com/sludgefest. If not, no worries- all the eps are free :)

We’ll see you next time. Remember that despair is useless and I love you!