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| Dianna Uqualla, Havasupai, and Petuuche Gilbert, Acoma Pueblo, at Ute Spiritual Walk and Protest. Photo by Tim Peterson |
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| Ute lead the Spiritual Walk and Protest to the Energy Fuels uranium mill. Photo Tim Peterson, Censored News |
By Brenda Norrell, Censored News, Oct. 9, 2025
WHITE MESA UTE, Utah -- This sickness travels by truck from the Grand Canyon uranium mine to here, and when the winds blow, this sickness blows east to Colorado. When the rains come, it spills into the San Juan River and flows down the Colorado River.
It is the uranium mill in the White Mesa Ute community.
It is a slow sickness and it means death.
"Sing a Song to the Earth," says Dianna Uqualla, Havasupai medicine woman, during the White Mesa Ute Community Spiritual Walk and Protest on Saturday.
"Our elders always said, 'Sing a song to the Earth.'
"Everything upon this earth is living. So we always have to remember that. So anywhere and everywhere we go, you know, our elders always said, "Sing a song to the earth."
WHITE MESA UTE, Utah -- This sickness travels by truck from the Grand Canyon uranium mine to here, and when the winds blow, this sickness blows east to Colorado. When the rains come, it spills into the San Juan River and flows down the Colorado River.
It is the uranium mill in the White Mesa Ute community.
It is a slow sickness and it means death.
"Sing a Song to the Earth," says Dianna Uqualla, Havasupai medicine woman, during the White Mesa Ute Community Spiritual Walk and Protest on Saturday.
"Our elders always said, 'Sing a song to the Earth.'
"Everything upon this earth is living. So we always have to remember that. So anywhere and everywhere we go, you know, our elders always said, "Sing a song to the earth."
"Because in all the places that we go to, even across the ocean, when I sing the songs of my people, I can really feel that their energy, their ancient beings were there. Even though there was no airplanes or helicopters, you know, the people journeyed many days and their journeys weren't like in 2 hours, it was 3 years, but they would camp in different places of their own people's camaraderie," she said, adding that her elders were part of this.
Havasupai, Navajo and Hopi have welcomed one another into their homes since early times.
"So we are very connected in those ways. At a certain point in time when the smallpox came through, they came into our village and were safe there until this all went past."
Uqualla spoke of the confusion and distractions.
Uqualla spoke of the confusion and distractions.
"There's so much that we need to be educated of and remember, because we're jumping from one thing to another -- and we didn't find out what happened in the beginning."
"So we need to remind each other as human beings -- not as of gender, color, anything like that, we're all human," she said, adding that people must understand one another and come together in a good way.
"Right now, I think it's the right thing to do for the American public, is that we all come together as one voice, so that they understand that the government is not doing the right thing for all of the two-legged people of this world."
"It's very mine, mine, mine, and that's not right. They're working for us."
"My name is Jahmisa Manakaja and I'm Havasupai. I come from the sacred land where there is one of the uranium mines, and they bring it here. And today I just want everyone of you to know that you guys are the warriors."
"So we need to remind each other as human beings -- not as of gender, color, anything like that, we're all human," she said, adding that people must understand one another and come together in a good way.
"Right now, I think it's the right thing to do for the American public, is that we all come together as one voice, so that they understand that the government is not doing the right thing for all of the two-legged people of this world."
"It's very mine, mine, mine, and that's not right. They're working for us."
"But it's just a little reminder that I wanted to leave with you today because I don't want you to forget."
"I want you to remind yourself, your children, and your children's children that we are still going to have to work together one way or another. So, I thank you for letting me speak to you this morning and many blessings and and have always fought for this ugliness that's here," Uqualla said.
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| Ute Spiritual Walk and Protest photo by Tim Peterson, Censored News |
Water Warriors: Speaking for the Water
"My name is Jahmisa Manakaja and I'm Havasupai. I come from the sacred land where there is one of the uranium mines, and they bring it here. And today I just want everyone of you to know that you guys are the warriors."
"Even if we're not fighting in an actual war, we are fighting a spiritual war here."
"They're bringing poison and dumping it onto indigenous lands."
"They don't put it behind the White House like my aunt said," she said, speaking of Energy Fuels Pinyon Plain uranium mine in the Havasupai homeland in the Grand Canyon.
"They don't recognize the animals -- that they don't see, they don't speak English like us."
"They're bringing poison and dumping it onto indigenous lands."
"They don't put it behind the White House like my aunt said," she said, speaking of Energy Fuels Pinyon Plain uranium mine in the Havasupai homeland in the Grand Canyon.
"They don't recognize the animals -- that they don't see, they don't speak English like us."
"Like my aunt said last night, they don't see the warnings that the water is contaminated. They just keep going and trying to drink and then they get sick. And then we have to live with the aftermath of our people dying from that cancer. What they call cancer. And it's not curable."
"I don't know if they're getting paid to tell us it's just cancer, but it's not."
"It's a slow death and it's all poison."
"So, I hope that we look at our kids and remember that's who you guys are fighting for. And I hope that these kids of ours can keep fighting and protecting our homes because that's all we have."
"I don't know if they're getting paid to tell us it's just cancer, but it's not."
"It's a slow death and it's all poison."
"So, I hope that we look at our kids and remember that's who you guys are fighting for. And I hope that these kids of ours can keep fighting and protecting our homes because that's all we have."
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| Ute Spiritual Walk 2025 photo by Ofeila Rivas, Tohono O'odham |
The Nuclear Fuel Chain: For Native People a Corridor of Genocide
Petuuche Gilbert, Acoma Pueblo, said there was 50 years of uranium mining in the Grants mining district. Jackpile was the largest in his homeland in northern New Mexico.
"There were five right there in the Grants Mineral District," Petuuche said, adding that he worked one year at the Anaconda uranium mill.
"We know now the dangers of working in mines and the dangers of uranium mills. We have to stop them. We have to oppose new uranium mining now in the area where I'm at. Mount Taylor is a sacred mountain to us. That's where they want to do three uranium mines."
There have already been 50 years of uranium mining there.
"So let's all continue to work together."
Petuuche said Native people have to oppose uranium mining and the whole nuclear fuel chain.
"Uranium is used to make the nuclear weapons. Uranium makes the nuclear reactors for electricity but also it creates the waste, so we've got to oppose all the waste from uranium to the spent fuel rods."
Ute are Worried for their Children, and their Future
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| Thelma Whiskers, Ute, and Ofelia Rivas, Tohono O'odham joined by youths from many nations walking against the uranium mill in the White Mesa Ute community. Photo by Tim Peterson, Censored News. |
Thelma Whiskers spoke of the Ute children who are exposed to the poisoned air while they wait for the school bus.
“I am worried about my kids and my grandkids and their future in White Mesa. When I think about the mill, I just feel like I have to fight. I have to stand up for my family and our community in White Mesa," said Whiskers, Ute Mountain Ute.
There are the physical poisons, and there is the violation of the sacred.
Yolanda Badback said, “When the mill’s running, it smells like chemicals at my house. The trucks that come and go from the mill are dangerous, especially for my kids and other kids in White Mesa who ride the school bus by the mill."
Yolanda Badback said, “When the mill’s running, it smells like chemicals at my house. The trucks that come and go from the mill are dangerous, especially for my kids and other kids in White Mesa who ride the school bus by the mill."
"The mill was built on top of burial grounds and it contaminates the bones of our ancestors," Badback said.
Ephraim Dutchie, Ute, said, "If a crisis happened at the mill, they would contact Blanding, not us. We’re five miles south of the mill and the wind usually blows south. They don’t care about us; all they care about is money. If there was a crisis, where would we go? My only place is White Mesa."
Ephraim Dutchie, Ute, said, "If a crisis happened at the mill, they would contact Blanding, not us. We’re five miles south of the mill and the wind usually blows south. They don’t care about us; all they care about is money. If there was a crisis, where would we go? My only place is White Mesa."
Ute Councilwoman Tawnie Knight welcomed walkers and said this sickness does not come as an overnight thing. People exposed in the 1980s are getting sick now.
Dine' joined in solidarity and spoke of the Church Rock uranium spill, the unreclaimed uranium mines on the Navajo Nation, new uranium mining in the Grand Canyon, and the proposed new uranium mining near Sacred Mount Taylor.
Treina 'Tree' Jones, Dine' from Tuba City, spoke of wanting a future for the children and the need to shut down Energy Fuels Pinyon Plain mine in the Grand Canyon.
"We want a future for our kids," Tree said. "Keep it in the ground, we don't want it."
Dine' joined in solidarity and spoke of the Church Rock uranium spill, the unreclaimed uranium mines on the Navajo Nation, new uranium mining in the Grand Canyon, and the proposed new uranium mining near Sacred Mount Taylor.
Treina 'Tree' Jones, Dine' from Tuba City, spoke of wanting a future for the children and the need to shut down Energy Fuels Pinyon Plain mine in the Grand Canyon.
"We want a future for our kids," Tree said. "Keep it in the ground, we don't want it."
Dine' described the danger of the Energy Fuel radioactive trucks now hauling uranium ore from the Pinyon Plain mine, in the homeland of the Havasupai, in the Grand Canyon, through Navajo and Hopi lands, to Ute lands. These trucks, traveling at high speeds, are covered only with tarps as they pass through the City of Flagstaff, and travel through Cameron and Tuba City, across the Navajo Nation to southeastern Utah.
Native people gathered raised their voices in support of Palestine, pointing out what is being done to the Palestinian people was also done to Native people.
Native people gathered raised their voices in support of Palestine, pointing out what is being done to the Palestinian people was also done to Native people.
The Energy Fuel uranium mill and dump near the White Mesa Ute Community is a disposal site for recycled radioactive waste, according to a report from the Grand Canyon Trust.
Dangerous radioactive waste has been delivered to the mill from more than 15 different radioactive waste streams across the United States — and from as far away as Canada, Europe and Japan.
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| White Mesa Ute Spiritual Walk and Protest 2025. Photo by Tim Peterson, Censored News |
In Memory of Klee Benally
Copyright Brenda Norrell, Censored News
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