- The book of 25 interviews is part of the campaign of Navajo uranium miners
and their families to gain compensation for the great loss in death and illness
brought about by mining uranium, with no warning of its ill effects, during the
Cold War era of 1947- 1971.
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- The following interviews and photographs are from the book
"Memories Come
To Us In the Rain and the Wind", Oral Histories and Photographs of Navajo
Uranium Miners & Their Families. Doug Brugge was director and photographer for the book project.
Timothy Benally and Phil Harrison conducted the interviews. It was
translated and transcribed by Timothy Benally, Martha Austin-Garrison and Lydia
Fasthorse-Begay.
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- Logan Pete
- Mitten Rock, New Mexico
- Interview by Phil Harrison
Translation by Martha Austin-Garrison
Transcription by Martha Austin-Garrison
Photograph by Doug Brugge
As far as I am aware, there were no safety warnings told to us. But when I
was working with Kerr McGee they did tell us something. Just before we began our
work every morning, they told us to be sure before you enter in there where you
are going to work .... to feel the ceiling for any loose rocks. Do not stay
under too long. I knew what they were telling us. So I obeyed their rules.
... there were two of us working one day, Kelleywood Yazzie and I were
working together. We had finished digging out the stuff with our shovel and we
were told to dig more out. We were getting ready to go back in as we moved on
each side of the entrance. In the place where we were a few moments ago, there
was a rock slide, with a big boom sound. We were both very scared, looking at
each other with wide eyes. We were very lucky that the rocks did not fall on us
while we were still digging/mucking stuff around. We were both shaking all over.
Did they tell you about the smoke? Did you wear nose guards?
None, they did not tell us to wear such things. When the explosion of
dynamite did not take place, whatever was in it that did not burn would be so
smelly. It got us all very sick for sometime. That stuff was so smelly. The
smoke was bad too. We were treated rough. They told us to hurry up and enter the
mine. "If you do not dig out all the stuff, you will be standing there digging
again tomorrow," we were told. Kerr McGee treated us bad almost as though we
were slaves.
I think it did something to my feet. I was wearing my rubber boots so it did
affect my feet. I almost became crippled because of my leg/feet. (His wife: He
suffers from his legs). My feet get very cold (freezing like) and they get fire
like. So it bothers me in two ways. My feet cannot stand the cold.
How about your lungs?
It does bother my breathing especially when I go up a hill. It is not strong.
It is like that, and my blood pressure is high. They (clinic staff) told me that
I have high blood pressure. My thyroid is not working right, I was told. Yes, my
eyes are bothering me too. When I look at something like paper or other things,
they get blurry or I cannot see a long way anymore.
No. I am thinking back about all the votes I have made in Aztec for 18 years.
Overtime an Indian person does something wrong the Whites will speak against all
Indians (one Indian person does some-thing wrong, then every Indian will be
blamed for that wrongdoing). This is the reason why I spoke/voted against the
Whites, such as patrols so that they do not hold their jobs. Just thinking about
these things makes me feel that they are prejudiced for that reason our young
people are gone (died). They think of the Indians like they thought of the Black
slaves. Does the president of US think of us (Navajos) as though we are slaves
too? We have suffered in the holes (mines). On top of that our language was used
to win a war. Is that worthless too? I served in the war too. I was drafted. I
was injured and there was no room for me to stay (in a hospital) so I was sent
back home.
When one is in need of something, one wishes to be better. I would like to
have this and that. How shall I get something a little bit more, one usually
thinks/wishes for, even when one gets too old to do something for oneself. I
usually think that way for myself. And you think of something valuable that one
has; will my children carry that forward with them, is what one wonders usually.
They will observe how you care for your livestock, cows, horses, your work,
skills, and from these they learn to do as you did, and one wonders how long
they can do the same. I usually think of these things. My father also taught me
some songs, I still have those songs in me. These are the Blessing Way and
Shootingway songs. My grandfather taught me these things and told me to think
this way.
"You try harder, the good ones begin right here" as he would stretch his
arms. "You remember these things in your future." What he said is true to this
day. "There is the very good thing that exists just beyond my reach (as he
extends his arms). You remember that as time goes on, you think about that and
before you know it will happen." That is true today. "Just beyond your reach is
where the good stuff exists. These you will be aware of and walk in a holy way.
There is one life that one lives. No one lives two lives." This is what Hastiin
Tseta' taught me. I remember what he taught me.
- Kathlene Tsosie-Blackie
- Huefarno, New Mexico
- Interview by Chenoa Bah Stilwell
Original in English
Transcription by Shelly Weiner
Photograph by Doug Brugge
....counseling helped me to express a lot of my feelings, a lot of the grief
that I was going through, and that is one of the reasons why I stress that a lot
of counseling is needed in these areas.... the victims, I and others, are
suffering out there. I know they are grieving, it's all inside and they don't
know how to express that. And, being a young person and knowing what's out
there, the help that can be there, that's why I always express that they should
have counseling for the victims, the survivors, the grandparents, the parents,
the brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts and this way we could talk about our
feelings. This is another way of having and taking a positive step into the
future and dealing with all the grief that we have been through, the trauma of
the death of our relatives ....
.... And dollar amounts should be earmarked specifically for counseling,
because a lot of them, as the Navajo people, you really don't express a lot of
these things unless, you know, somebody brings it up. And there are a lot of
widows who live alone, and their kids are all grown up. They are by themselves
and when I go out in my community out at Cove, I always say kinship and I know
how that makes me feel because when you say, "k'é" that we have relatives
and that's your support by saying "k'é". My relatives and I even offered
to help to do part of the counseling too because in my field when I do there are
a lot of people that know me by helping the youth, the adults. There is a lot of
spiritual healing that needs to be done and a lot of the grieving.
And, like for me, it was really hard to do this interview because you go back
in time and then, you know, our elders always say "go ahead" and that's how I
was brought up by my grandparents, my father, my uncles; they always encouraged
me to "go ahead." And as I speak I always say now, as I speak, I am my
grandfather, my grandparents, my fathers, my uncles, my aunts and my mother, as
I speak, I am them .... I say my relatives have gone on to the spirit world,
they come in the wind, the rain, the four seasons and I will always say that in
my prayer and they guide us in the right direction.
And the only thing we have is our prayers
(crying) and as a relative
and person that is concerned about this, you know, I really appreciate the
people that are willing to help and their concerns because they don't know how
much we hurt and yet people think it's, you know, the people that did this, they
think, "hey, deal with it, it's done and it's gone." It's not, it's not done and
it's still there and that's why I say we really need a lot of counseling in our
areas even though it's a remote area, no matter where you go there has to be
some type of counseling support group. (crying) Thank you.
