Black Mesa - Navajo Nation
Sagebrush Steppe
Colorado Plateau
Navajo Rangeland
Black Mesa coal mining brought with it a new opportunity for jobs and money for the indigenous peoples but it also brought intertribal conflicts, unethical meddling by the United States government, devasting disease and early deaths, and an ecological disaster. The politics of coal mining between the two tribes and the United States government is complicated. Now that the mine has closed in September, as many coal mines around the country are claiming bankruptcies and closures, the Peabody mine is leaving behind a massive reclamation project. The struggle continues at the Black Mesa mine, Peabody layed off nearly all of its long term union native work force to bring in cheaper non union labor.
Black Mesa - Navajo Nation
Sagebrush Steppe
Colorado Plateau
Navajo Rangeland
Black Mesa coal mining brought with it a new opportunity for jobs and money for the indigenous peoples but it also brought intertribal conflicts, unethical meddling by the United States government, devasting disease and early deaths, and an ecological disaster. The politics of coal mining between the two tribes and the United States government is complicated. Now that the mine has closed in September, as many coal mines around the country are claiming bankruptcies and closures, the Peabody mine is leaving behind a massive reclamation project. The struggle continues at the Black Mesa mine, Peabody layed off nearly all of its long term union native work force to bring in cheaper non union labor.