Havasupai Uranium Mine Protest (Part 1/2)
Added 2024-08-19 00:44:35 +0000 UTCHere's our coverage of the ongoing protest regarding the 'Pinyon Plain Mine,' a uranium mine that's been constructed on sacred land once belonging to the Havasupai people, a highly isolated indigenous tribe living at the base of the Grand Canyon.
This documentary features interviews with activist Leonna Morgan as well as three Havasupai tribal members.
More coming soon.
AC
FYI - Patreon's native video uploader is having major processing issues, so we're using unlisted YouTube until they figure out.
Comments
January 15th 2025, video is still down
Lane Marsh
2026-01-15 21:35:18 +0000 UTCAugust 20th 2025, this video is still down.
Jake Mumford
2025-08-20 20:49:23 +0000 UTCFor whatever reason this video is gone now.
Jordan M
2025-05-01 21:13:56 +0000 UTCi'm an indigenous person myself and look at it this way: if you can include us within the process of mining and the decision making, then mine away. when our tribal nations as well as the miners are able to collaborate and exchange ideas, needs, wants and all that then we all benefit economically and socially obviously mining anything is a process with many negative impacts, but which almost always provides more benefits. uranium is =a complex resource to utilize and yeah obviously it can be weaponized but it can also be used to provide immense amounts of energy, medical, communication, economic, skill and so on benefits believe me, many of us indigenous people and tribes actually want to reap the rewards from these resources. but we also want to do it in a way that won't cause excess harm to anything living, or the earth itself. unfortunately i find many people within our tribal communities often suffer by working against our own interests with stuff like this. there's a tendency to associate it with the genocidal settler history we've experienced. but then when you look at it in objective, basic terms, right? like, well...it's 2024, we NEED to move on and prosper. and that means just not giving a shit and trying to build ourselves up through community as well as business
kh
2024-09-10 21:43:18 +0000 UTCI’m about to teach this to my class
Felix Gonzalez
2024-08-30 03:11:13 +0000 UTCCAN YOU PLEASE KEEP PUTTING THESE UNLISTED ON YOUTUBE. That's the only way I can watch these on my TV and I HATE watching on my phone.
josh e
2024-08-27 01:03:13 +0000 UTCWhile nuclear power will likely continue to play an important role in the global energy mix, especially in countries with existing infrastructure, it is not the only or necessarily the dominant solution for future energy needs. The rapid advancements and cost reductions in renewable energy technologies, along with improvements in energy storage and grid management, suggest that a diverse energy portfolio including wind, solar, nuclear, and others will be necessary to meet global energy demands sustainably and affordably. The future of energy is not about choosing one solution but integrating multiple sources to create a resilient and flexible energy system. This nuanced approach is more in line with current scientific consensus and acknowledges the ongoing challenges and advancements in all areas of energy production.
SammieTalls
2024-08-25 15:50:32 +0000 UTCGod this is heartbreaking
Clayton Rychlik
2024-08-25 00:49:21 +0000 UTCContamination can and does happen regardless of what laws say. I suppose the BP Gulf Oil spill was prevented because it was illegal? I doubt they are purposely dumping uranium dust into the aquifer, but the act of mining puts these people at risk. I’m sure you would be happy to accept living there, drinking that water too, for the greater good.
Arthur
2024-08-24 08:16:26 +0000 UTCGotta put this one on YouTube for all to see
mike gasparrini
2024-08-23 17:08:29 +0000 UTCJuan killed it on this one, epic
Eammon Logan
2024-08-23 11:18:32 +0000 UTCElaine, the ammount of ways to generate power besides wind and solar, is absurd. Not only the ways but their ever-increasing performance. There is a clear future in which more than enough power is generated without both fossil and nuclear. Internet is there for you to use it and enlighten. What's bold about enlightening is that it does make you more light. Peace! Also fuck you Josh.
MySelf69
2024-08-23 09:13:22 +0000 UTCI actually thought for a second that something fruitful could bloom from a conversation, but after I saw the replies and realized you're nothing but an underdeveloped troll with what seems like cognitive impairment, I started to feel pity. Good luck on your journey, little man. I hope you learn to accept yourself more.
MySelf69
2024-08-23 09:10:34 +0000 UTCthank you Frank
MySelf69
2024-08-23 09:08:15 +0000 UTCthe name of this company maybe could be written out here for whatever reason
MySelf69
2024-08-23 08:58:33 +0000 UTCI dare you to make less sense
Josh
2024-08-23 07:17:25 +0000 UTCWhy is a Canadian company drilling for Uranium on U.S territory?
Sarah Alsamman
2024-08-23 04:43:42 +0000 UTCthe reason that it is sacred is actually pretty scientific. The aquaphor sustains the animals, plants, humans and abundance of natural resources on the land. A Canadian company drilling in US territory without consideration of our land should concern you more no?
Sarah Alsamman
2024-08-23 04:40:55 +0000 UTCThank you for covering this! It’s so frustrating and disturbing to see this continuing throughout the history of this country. Being greedy and money driven is gross when we need to conserve and rebuild our damaged planet.
Brooke Cardoza
2024-08-23 01:21:32 +0000 UTCGrateful to know uqualla , met him at a gathering at the yavapai Apache rez . I am Plains Apache
Daniel Flores
2024-08-22 03:22:08 +0000 UTCDecolonization now!!!
Kenneth Baker
2024-08-22 01:11:25 +0000 UTCSorry dude, but nuclear is most definitely the future. There is no excuse for burning fossil fuels anymore, and wind/solar just isn't possible in too much of the inhabited areas of the planet. There are millions of square kilometers available for wind and solar, but moving that energy to the places that need it is cost prohibitve. Nuclear waste is a solved issue. Yes, there have been mistakes, and the lessons we've been taught cost many lives, but we've learned from those mistakes. There is no safer and more reliable method of generating the amount of power we need to exist than nuclear.
Josh
2024-08-21 21:29:11 +0000 UTCSacred or not, it was THEIR land and these extraction companies don’t care about the health and well-being of the people and ecosystem around them. If they want to extract actually work with the community and share the wealth. I think fair compensation to the tribe and real oversight making sure pollution is mitigated will go a long way to restore trust with the havasupai. They’re never gonna get all their ancestral land back, but they should at least see some of the money from the uranium mine.
Carlos Soto-Ricci
2024-08-21 20:07:45 +0000 UTCGREAT JOB JUAN! Sick footage!
Daniel Downes
2024-08-21 18:31:11 +0000 UTCDo we really “have to” switch to nuclear? Or is that just required to keep this current global culture that uses absolutely absurd amounts of energy daily? Do u think it could also potentially be possible to create culture that does not require excessive amounts of energy which in turn always requires some group of people to suffer? One where we are all still comfortable and thriving?
A. Karl
2024-08-21 17:53:20 +0000 UTCThanks for covering this!! Solidarity with Havasupai and White Mountain, Mountain Ute Tribes from Salt Lake City and of course shame on Energy Fuels
A. Karl
2024-08-21 17:42:00 +0000 UTCNuclear energy is NOT the future. No one knows what to do with the waste. The nuclear power plant outside of New York, Indian point is a great example of the mess nuclear power plants pose. Also Fukushima.
Dikke Noot
2024-08-21 16:17:42 +0000 UTCLaws against contaminating water!? Companies will happily pay a small fine to continue exploiting and polluting, laws are not a deterrent and the government rarely has resources to enforce
Dikke Noot
2024-08-21 16:14:59 +0000 UTCThanks for covering this, guys. Look into "Oak Flat" if you aren't already aware. It's an area on Apache land, also in Arizona, that's under imminent threat by a copper company. They're trying to steal ancestral native land because of a copper deposit that exists underneath it. http://www.apache-stronghold.com/take-action.html
James Yochim
2024-08-21 15:16:42 +0000 UTCWho gives a shit what your personal interpretation of "sacred" is? People have a right to not have THEIR LAND stolen from them.
James Yochim
2024-08-21 15:12:17 +0000 UTCSooooooooooooooooolarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr FFS
Ryan Strole
2024-08-21 12:31:21 +0000 UTCCan anyone tell me when Dear Kelly will be released? I bought tickets to a show and unfortunately missed the screening. I'm super bummed about it and really want to see the movie!
Adrian
2024-08-21 06:13:25 +0000 UTCUranium exposure causes necrotizing fasciitis. A throwback lol
Elaine Kincaid
2024-08-21 03:38:29 +0000 UTCIt’s a disgusting thought but the government needs to make sure their peoples land is kept safe and their water is clean but ultimately the uranium needs to be mined. Nuclear energy is the future.
Elaine Kincaid
2024-08-21 03:37:31 +0000 UTClol
Kirby
2024-08-21 02:36:47 +0000 UTCVery Manifest Destiny of you.
Armadillo
2024-08-21 00:59:12 +0000 UTCYeah I mean these are small reparations in the grand scheme of things, considering the atrocities that came along with colonization, residential schools, etc. I don’t know if anything could truly ever make up for the generational trauma inflicted on the indigenous people at the hands of the white man, but these small things are a start and the absolute LEAST we could do as a society imo. That’s why stories like these ^ are so heartbreaking, like haven’t we (white man) already stolen enough? It will take generations to reach some sort of “true reconciliation,” if that’s even possible, but that can’t even begin to happen when things like this are going on in the present day. Also, I think Canada got a lot more pressure to change how we deal with indigenous people because of how much publicity residential schools have gotten in the past few years. It would be shameful/hypocritical to condemn the past actions of the Crown and yet continue to disregard the rights and sovereignty of those whose ancestors called this land their home long before the colonizers got here. All I can hope is that journalism like what Channel 5 is doing can bring more attention to the ways the US is still failing their indigenous population until the issue becomes so mainstream it’s impossible for the NRC or some other regulatory body to ignore. Now I’m just spitballing but it could be a really cool angle for Channel 5 to put pressure on the NRC to comment on their licensing process and why they don’t consider indigenous relations similar to how the CNSC does. I’m a huge advocate for nuclear power generation, but this is just wrong.
P
2024-08-20 22:59:03 +0000 UTCnot a big deal man. we have to go to nuclear at some point. Unless everyone wants to keep burning up fossil fuels and bring on the dreaded climate change they tell us about. When you stop using energy and petroleum products, you can have an opinion about energy methods. You cant just not allow any energy production and then suck up a ton of energy in daily life.
trythinking
2024-08-20 22:31:53 +0000 UTCyeah thats Canada, dude. Land ownership didnt even exist to indigenous people did it? Everyone who "owns" land as a nation today has it because they killed or fought the people who were there before they arrived. The indigenous people just happened to lose their fights. Luckily for them, they have been granted some land back with the rights to make a ton of money from infrastructure the white man put there, and casinos. They wouldnt have a tourism industry today if the white man didnt make the roads connected to it. Usually the losers dont get anything back.
trythinking
2024-08-20 22:29:27 +0000 UTCdidnt they say it wasn't even on the official set aside portion of land? they just dont want any mining near any of the water but there are laws about contamination, you cant just poison a water supply that people use. And nuclear is the most efficient power source and despite what that lady said, it will not have the affect on the planet like fossil fuels. I thought the natives didnt believe in owning land anyway right? Every race of people have been displaced, enslaved, etc at one point in time. Time to do whats better for the greater good.
trythinking
2024-08-20 22:25:11 +0000 UTC"If we want to have a future on this planet, we need to be real." Let's start by fucking up the planet, shall we? Mine on!
Azael del Rosario
2024-08-20 22:00:27 +0000 UTCYeah, this tiny group of people tell ghost stories about that pile of rocks, so everyone needs to just fuck off forever.
Josh
2024-08-20 21:16:43 +0000 UTCYeah screw respecting people who have been historically pushed out of their native land because progress or something
Arun Saikrishnan
2024-08-20 19:42:59 +0000 UTCAt some point, we're going to have to tell ourselves that "sacred land" is just land. There is nothing sacred or spiritual about it. I'm all about respecting beliefs; do whatever you want. But religion has to go. If we want to have a future on this planet, we need to be real. God isn't real. Let the past die. It's 2024 and we shoukd start acting like it.
Josh
2024-08-20 11:24:57 +0000 UTCI like their "slow down signs" it's all about the speed at which resources are funneled, without care, into the hands of a few. Laundered from resource to cash.
FRANK GUALCHI
2024-08-20 11:21:45 +0000 UTCThe lil girl holding the umbrella for her elder is a good ndn. Thank you for covering this and giving a platform to Indigenous relatives.
Yadira
2024-08-20 06:24:21 +0000 UTCMan that quick snippet of the black and white Santa Fe Railroad commercial was just outright blatant with the racism and support of displacement / genocide. Like Holy Shit. Look no further than it to know why the US of A still has no respect for native people as it is steeped in tradition. Truly a travesty.
Dirty Larry
2024-08-20 02:22:39 +0000 UTCMan this is fucked up. I actively support the move to nuclear but goddamnit not like this.. these poor people have experienced so much hardship at the hands of the white man. Guess it’ll never end until we’ve “accidentally” committed genocide on home soil.
Trey
2024-08-20 00:19:53 +0000 UTCWhy the Pittsburgh image at 9:38?
Nicholas Leiber
2024-08-19 21:36:04 +0000 UTCto have a culture oriented around a future-generational mindset get wiped out by our convenience seeking, now or never mindset is such a insane loss for humanity at large and feels so wrong in my body. like somatically.
Kirby
2024-08-19 20:18:27 +0000 UTC🇰🇿 Kazakhstan Mentioned! 🇰🇿
Russglish
2024-08-19 17:54:53 +0000 UTCAnd don’t even get me STARTED on the ecological impact of the border wall. We are not separate from nature! We ARE nature and the land, animals, plants, water and air are our family. We can’t treat our family like this!
Samm Fabish
2024-08-19 16:35:01 +0000 UTCThe havasupai falls is one of the most beautiful, (previously) unspoiled places on earth. The tribe goes to great lengths to be good stewards to the water and land and limit the amount of tourism there with a permit system that sells out in MINUTES each year. Arizona is so water insecure, I just don’t see how polluting one of the few last natural sources is a good idea??? Even if you get “clean” energy from it (which it obviously isn’t). Unfortunately, things like this are happening all over the state and the west, polluting natural water sources, irrevocably altering the land and killing the fragile ecosystems there. Same thing is happening near Aravaipa canyon in SE AZ which is one of the only perennially running creeks in the state and a vital riparian area for something like 40% of the country’s migrating birds. Why does this keep happening??? 😢
Samm Fabish
2024-08-19 16:33:22 +0000 UTCThis is unbelievable. I work as an engineer at a nuclear power plant in Ontario, Canada and our indigenous peoples are involved in all proposed new-builds/construction related to anything nuclear. A plan to build a deep-geological repository (underground storage for permanent disposal of nuclear waste) was completely scrapped in 2020 because the Saugeen Ojibway Nation voted not to support the project which impacted their lands. In Canada, indigenous peoples are involved at all stages of the nuclear licensing process and are encouraged to voice their opinions during public government licensing hearings in front of our regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. I’m surprised that the US doesn’t have a similar process in place to honour the traditional territories of its indigenous people, since many aspects of the nuclear industry are governed by international regulations. In my opinion the NRC needs to intervene here to show that the US is serious about reconciliation.
P
2024-08-19 16:25:40 +0000 UTCNo I didn’t. I still think it’s worth it to invest in a workaround.
Nicholas Tzilinis
2024-08-19 16:00:50 +0000 UTCDid you miss the part about the radioactive water or
Dustin
2024-08-19 15:57:55 +0000 UTCMuch of the uranium that is mined will end up back into the tailings piles and eventually seep down into the groundwater. It's NOT clean if the waste remains dangerous for thousands of years. Don't believe the nuclear lobby's propaganda just because they got people like Kyle Hill to shill for it. Besides, how is it even close to 'worth it' if the genetic damage from the radiation will damage or destroy the bloodlines of all complex life that come into contact with it? Have some balls and take a good look at what depleted uranium has done to children and tell us that crap is safe.
Michael Sipos
2024-08-19 14:04:02 +0000 UTCWhy do you think people have such an issue with fracking?
Gabriel Vucelic-frick
2024-08-19 04:42:00 +0000 UTCGreat comment Joe! I heard that as well and was a bit confused
Gabriel Vucelic-frick
2024-08-19 04:40:15 +0000 UTCThank you! Will make these change
Channel 5
2024-08-19 04:02:53 +0000 UTCDepleted uranium cannot be used to make nuclear weapons. The process of nuclear fission which allows for nuclear power generation is the same process used in nuclear bombs - both of which require enriched uranium to be possible. Enriching uranium makes it more radioactive than what can be found naturally so criticality can be achieved. Depleted uranium, a byproduct from the process of enriching uranium, is used in armor piercing ammunition, tank armor, etc because it has higher density than steel and lead. Depleted uranium is still slightly radioactive (and still toxic health hazard) but it cannot undergo fission.
Joe Haynes
2024-08-19 03:42:16 +0000 UTCAh yea true. But I’m sure there would be a way to move the water elsewhere. It would be well worth the cost so that everyone benefits. Nuclear energy is just that important. And so is morality too, since that’s why nuclear is important, morality.
Nicholas Tzilinis
2024-08-19 03:33:08 +0000 UTCSupporting your work just feels right. Take no guff from the swine. Thank you for your efforts.
Sandro Did Nothing Wrong
2024-08-19 02:24:34 +0000 UTCDude! Hell yeah. Thats awesome you’re helping cover the Havasupai. I made a video showing a few clips of the mine. Bad ass homie
Desert Rat Explorations
2024-08-19 02:15:02 +0000 UTCHaha “the last donkey zip code” it is
Channel 5
2024-08-19 02:08:50 +0000 UTCThey said they made 100 million in 2023 alone, spend a couple of that to make sure that water won’t be contaminated, the requirements are the same pbb levels of contaminants as pre-mining waters, ezpz fellas. It’s the last donkey zip code, it’s a national heritage. Peoples lives are at stake, a culture is at stake.
Nic
2024-08-19 01:48:16 +0000 UTCVery fucking interesting
Ben Hardy
2024-08-19 01:43:35 +0000 UTCYou can’t drink uranium, so they should stop drilling
Supreme_Skywalker
2024-08-19 01:34:22 +0000 UTCIn the video, it's mentioned that the aqueduct the Havasupai people drink from is right underneath the uranium. While the uranium is getting mined, part of that radiation is leaking down into the aqueduct and is now poisoning/killing the Havasupai people. While nuclear power in general is probably pretty efficient, I would question the efficiency/morality of this particular process.
Impatient
2024-08-19 01:31:14 +0000 UTCNice Juan 👏🏼
Jeremy
2024-08-19 01:19:03 +0000 UTCMaybe giving the natives free energy from the plants using the uranium would be nice though yeah
Nicholas Tzilinis
2024-08-19 01:15:44 +0000 UTCIf they really wanted to save the environment they would support clean power.
Nicholas Tzilinis
2024-08-19 01:10:08 +0000 UTCNone of these people know any physics probably.
Nicholas Tzilinis
2024-08-19 01:09:47 +0000 UTCEh. The benefits of nuclear are worth it. Nuclear is the cleanest and most effecient way to generate power
Nicholas Tzilinis
2024-08-19 01:09:10 +0000 UTCLFG
carrington
2024-08-19 01:03:32 +0000 UTCLove this information being shared
Erik Mendoza
2024-08-19 01:01:27 +0000 UTCWe love you Andrew! Please don't get ganked 😥💜
demetri kokines
2024-08-19 00:56:21 +0000 UTCFinally some new content
GW
2024-08-19 00:55:23 +0000 UTC
