On July 16, 1979, just fourteen weeks after the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, and thirty-four years to the day after the first atomic bomb test at Trinity Site—the largest release of radioactive waste in U.S. history occurred near Church Rock, New Mexico.
The Anti-Uranium Mapping Project's first narrative series centers on the Church Rock Uranium Mill Spill of 1979—the largest release of radioactive waste in U.S. history. Though not widely taught, its legacy lives on through sickness, contaminated water, and broken trust. This body of work documents the ongoing impact of that disaster and the strength of those who continue to resist its ongoing harm. Through images made between 2023 and 2024—at the spill site, along the Red Water Pond Road Community’s annual prayer walk, and throughout the surrounding landscape—this exhibition bears witness to the scars of nuclear colonialism and the grassroots efforts to restore balance, memory, and land. This history is not just past. It is unfolding.