Navajo Uranium Education Programs: The Search for Environmental Justice

Abstract

Uranium mining and milling in the Four Corners' area of the American Southwest has had serious negative impacts on American Indian workers, their families, and their communities. In this article, we will examine Navajo education programs which inform citizens about risks and health impacts associated with radiation exposures. Because the Navajo initially had no vocabulary to understand the nature of uranium and its risks, culturally-sensitive programs were developed both to educate and to empower Navajo citizens. These education programs, which were integrated with research, policy implementation, and reclamation, can serve as models for other groups seeking environmental justice.