Picture this: You're navigating through the virtual landscape of Google Earth, trying to find your aunt's house on the Navajo Nation. As you toggle through aerial views of highways from memory, what you discover isn't just the path home to your family, but a nearby scar marring the landscape—a coal mine, stark against the backdrop of your heritage. This jarring encounter was the catalyst for the Anti-Uranium Mapping Project, born out of a quest for connection and a shocking revelation. Join me as I uncover the hidden truths of extractive mining practices and stand against the devastating aftermath of uranium mining.

Mission Beyond Education: My mission goes beyond conventional methods of education, and I am committed to enlightening a diverse audience on the environmental issues surrounding uranium mining. I am in the process of building an interactive website that uses a multimodal learning approach and recognizes the rich diversity of learning styles. Through interactive digital narratives and a map-based interface, users can explore the past and present impacts on the Navajo Nation. By combining data with community testimonies, I aim to create a compelling educational experience.

Project Description: This project comprises interactive digital narratives elucidating uranium mining's impact on the Navajo Nation. Through a map-based interface integrating data and community testimonies, users navigate each narrative, offering a linear progression with clickable options for exploring supporting data. Employing multimodal learning techniques including animation, videos, text-to-speech and immersive technology enhances engagement and knowledge retention.

Twenty-five narratives will unveil diverse perspectives on uranium mining, fostering inclusive dialogue. Incorporating voices ranging from nuclear scientists to tribal leadership expands the platform's accessibility and relevance.

Among the twenty-five narratives planned for capture, one pivotal storyline centers on the Church Rock Uranium Mill Spill of 1979. Through a comprehensive blend of data visualization including graphs, charts, historical documents, visuals, map references and video interviews, this testimonial effectively conveys the spill's history and its profound repercussions on neighboring communities. Further narratives will adopt similar methods to weave data visualization into interviews.

"We have waited far longer than other communities in the U.S. for this poison to be cleaned up. When is it our turn to feel safe? How many more generations have to wait?" - Edith Hood, Red Water Pond Road Community of Church Rock, NM on the "Right to Water", October 23, 2015

Additional testimonies gathered through collaboration with students will expand the project's scope and impact. This work marks the transition toward a counter mapping experience, empowering marginalized communities in reclaiming colonized land.

By integrating narratives and counter mapping, the project aims to enhance comprehension and foster empathy, driving systemic change. This approach is crucial as it reveals how extractive mining corporation’s existence lies in land allotments from colonization.

A few examples of counter mapping have been listed below as inspiration and visual reference:

                                                                                                          

                                                             

Urgency and Collaboration: With over 500 abandoned uranium mines on Navajo lands, the dangers are stark. From environmental contamination to the health risks of ionizing radiation exposure, the toll is immense and ongoing. My mission is to shed light on this catastrophe and advocate for the preservation of Native heritage. Driven by a sense of urgency, I collaborate with fellow Diné artists and students to amplify our voices and document the broader narratives of uranium extraction. Through photography and filmmaking, we raise awareness and build community, ultimately striving to create a photographic journal that serves as a testament to our history and a defense against future harm. Join me in this vital endeavor to protect our land, our culture, and our future.

On the Navajo Nation, individuals may encounter uranium, radiation, or both through various means, such as residing near abandoned mines, living in homes constructed with materials from mining or milling areas, consuming water from unregulated sources, or neglecting proper water transportation protocols. Given that uranium naturally occurs in the environment, everyone experiences some level of exposure to it. However, heightened levels of uranium exposure can pose significant health risks.

Interacting with uranium can pose health risks, some of which are well-documented while others remain less understood. Further research is needed to fully understand uranium's impact on health. Exposure to this element can lead to kidney damage and potentially elevate the risk of conditions like high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases, and reproductive issues. Radiation emitted from uranium and other natural elements also presents health concerns, including the possibility of developing lung or bone cancer and impairing kidney function.

Your Support Matters: In the face of mounting environmental crises and the urgent need for action, your involvement in the Anti-Uranium Mapping Project is crucial. With the ongoing threat of environmental contamination and health risks, the time to act is now. Your contribution, whether through donation, sharing our message, or attending events, plays a pivotal role in our mission to educate, advocate, and preserve Native heritage.

Together, let's stand up for justice, preservation, and the protection of our planet. Join us in this urgent mission and be a part of the solution today. #UraniumJusticeNow

Artist Fees | $3,300

Admin Fees | $3,300

Video Production Expenses | $5,000

Art/Production Materials | $500

Advertising/Marketing | $150

Travel Transportation | $250

Subscriptions | $650

Fiscal Sponsorship | $1,200

Office Supplies | $100

Contingency | $550
-------------------------------------