#MyGrandCanyonStory | Lynn Córdova
HECHO sat down with Lynn Cordova of Arizona to learn about her connection to the Grand Canyon, and why she believes the Grand Canyon should be protected from uranium mining.
HECHO: Why do you think it’s important to advocate for national parks against the threat of uranium mining?
Lynn Cordova (LC): I think national parks are important, and we, as a society, need to have places to visit and unwind. As you probably know and read my story about growing up, and growing up low income, I didn't have a ton of exposure to public lands. I lived in Colorado, and it's a beautiful state. There are tons of mountains and hiking trails, but I rarely got to experience that because, often times, it was a matter of my mother not having enough money to even get us to the mountains. If we did, it was the closest foothills we could get to and that was our version of a picnic or camping.
Now that I'm older, and since I have yet to visit the Grand Canyon, it’s on my bucket list— especially since I now live in Arizona. I want to ensure that it's going to be available for me to visit. But if uranium mining occurs, I’m worried about the potential of water contamination in the area, and who knows what other repercussions could happen from that. It’s important to ensure that it doesn't happen so that everyone can visit the Grand Canyon.
LC: Then, there’s the Tribal perspective. I’m Native American, and even though I’m not tribal enrolled, I understand the how long history of land displacement and oppression my people have faced. Yet again, opening up this land for uranium mining would be another example of blatant disregard for that community and the repercussions that could happen if they do mining there.
HECHO: Why do you believe that the Grand Canyon should be protected?
LC: You know, like any historical monument — it can’t be replaced, there’s history there and history is important. We need to protect that, it’s just, it’s irreplaceable.
HECHO: Why do you think that advocating for the Grand Canyon is important?
LC: I think not only advocating for the Grand Canyon, but advocating for the protection of any public land is important for access and keeping those public lands available to people that who would like to visit. We live in a fast-paced society where everyone’s busy, and often times the only time we get to step away from that chaos is going to these public lands and visiting and just unwinding. We protect the Grand Canyon because of the history, but even if it was just a park that was going to be demolished in maybe an inner city neighborhood, where that’s the only park available, it’s important.
HECHO: What are your thoughts about the administration’s policy aiming to open up the Grand Canyon watershed for uranium mining?
LC: It’s such a — I’m just going to tell it how it is. It’s such a greedy move on the administration’s part. So many times we see the special interests of mining companies prioritized at the expense of the tribes, of the water, and of potential health dangers. I believe it’s wrong because we don’t know the full impact of what’s going to happen if they start mining. We have seen the exposure in prior times when they were mining, with some of the miners suffering injury and even death — there’s that potential and sacrificing the people, the Havasu, exposing them to potential repercussions is just irresponsible. It’s not something that should be done, but time and time again we see the administration putting people in harm at the cost of those mining companies that they want to be in good tides with or making money from.
HECHO: Despite not having been to the Grand Canyon, what is something you look forward to experiencing when you are able to visit?
LC: How majestic I’ve been told it is, just sitting there and observing it. This is such an amazing site that I’ve been told of, and again that I have yet to see. I’ve been to pyramid sites and I would imagine it’s the same feeling. You just sit there in awe of the beauty of it. Hopefully, when I do visit it, I will get to just sit there and observe and just be.
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