Although the Obama administration banned new mining claims on the 1 million acres surrounding the Grand Canyon, four mines were grandfathered before the 20 year moratorium and continue to function today. One of those is located five miles north of Red Butte, where miners “sink shaft,” or dig an extremely deep hole, as they get ready to blast uranium out of the ground. Each year millions of visitors to the Grand Canyon drive by Red Butte without taking much notice. But for Havasupai women Dianna Baby Sue White Dove Uqualla and Colleen Kaska, this hill is central to their belief system. The tribe says a nearby uranium mine threatens this sacred place and its drinking water. Photo credit: Fronteras
