Honoring Mt. Taylor: Working Against Uranium Mining.

The annual Pilgrimage to Mt. Taylor, “Pilgrimage for Health and Wholeness of Earth Community” drew over 60 people from diverse communities in Northwestern New Mexico April 5, 2008. The Partnership for Earth Spirituality and Stewards of Creation co-hosted the event with participants from Laguna and Acoma Pueblos, and several Navajo communities.

The community in Laguna created a space for sharing numerous stories around the question of the day, “In terms of your community’s health and wholeness, including water, earth, air, people, plants and creatures, how does the uranium issue impact your community’s unique spiritual and cultural life?” Powerful stories were shared raising awareness surrounding the issues and struggles of communities fighting further uranium mining.

Of particular concern is contamination of water from uranium mining. A spiritual leader of Laguna Pueblo, observes a decline in the biodiversity surrounding Mt. Taylor and increased cases of kidney disease, deaths due to cancer, and learning disabilities which have been traced to mining tailings. “The mountains are sacred because they carry everything we need to live,” he said.

Members of Laguna, Acoma, and Zuni Pueblos and Navajo and Hopi people collaborated last year to protect Mt. Taylor and succeeded in securing Historic Preservation status for the sacred mountain. This status only provides emergency protection for one year, so activists are working to secure a permanent designation.

Following the sacred sharing in the circle, participants continued the pilgrimage to Mt. Taylor which is a sacred site for the indigenous people’s of the Southwest. At Mt. Taylor those gathered for prayer listened to words of wisdom from the mountain and then were invited to bury their heart in the earth with intentions of their prayers and hopes for the mountain, its creatures and all who live around it and with their commitment to work for an end to uranium mining.