When Margene Bullcreek stood up to halt the nuclear dump on Skull Valley, her efforts led to new exposures of the nerve gas neighbors next door
By Brenda Norrell
The passing of Margene Bullcreek, Goshute Shoshone, reminds us of the need to record the stories for future generations. Margene Bullcreek led the fight which halted the nuclear dump on Skull Valley Goshute land in Utah. As this fight was underway in 2005, it led to the exposure of the Goshute's nerve gas neighbors next door, the US Army.
By standing up to halt the desecration and contamination, Margene Bullcreek's efforts led to the following article, which I wrote in 2005. In memory of Margene, who passed to the Spirit World on Sunday, I'm reposting this article here as a reminder of the need to share the stories, to record the words for future generations, and as an example of the ripple effect of standing up for truth.
When the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the license for a nuclear storage facility on Skull Valley Goshute tribal land, it prompted new questions about the federal government’s use of the area as a U.S. Army test site for biological and chemical weapons, including nerve gas and anthrax.
From 2005:
Margene Bullcreek, Skull Valley Goshute tribal member and among those protesting nuclear and toxic dumping on Indian lands, said it is time for the government to stop dumping its nuclear waste on Indian people and stop treating them as if they are expendable.
“There is no gain to our prosperity when there is poison spilled. The radioactive waste would bring harm to our medicine wheel in four areas: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual,” said Bullcreek, founder of the community group Ohngo Gaudadeh Devia Awareness.