Uranium mining begins near Grand Canyon

Despite a moratorium authorized by Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar, that bans (for now) uranium mining in the Grand Canyon, mining activities have begun adjacent to the World Heritage site. Canadian company Denison Mines has started mining uranium on the north rim of the Grand Canyon. According to the Arizona Daily Sun the mine has been operating since December 2009. The Grand Canyon is ancestral homeland to the Havasupai and Hualapai Nations. An article posted on the Indigenous Action Media Web site details the deadly legacy of past uranium mining inflicted on indigenous communities and plans to resist this latest threat. And watch a video on Native resistence to a proposed new coal plant.