WRITER: Eva G. Flynn, egflynn@nmsu.edu
The University Art Museum at New Mexico State University is partnering with the Rio Grande Theater for screenings of two films in conjunction with Cara Despain’s “Specter” exhibition and the Branigan Cultural Center’s juried show “Trinity: Legacies of Nuclear Testing.”
Both films consider the duration and devastation of uranium mining and nuclear waste on Indigenous territory in the U.S.
Colleen Keane’s “The River that Harms” and artist Pedro Reyes’ “Under the Clouds” will be shown between 6 and 8 p.m. Wednesday, August 30 at the Rio Grande Theatre, 211 N. Main Street. The films will be followed by a virtual question and answer session with Reyes and Keane’s daughter, Joanna Keane Lopez, a multidisciplinary artist who seeks to investigate the history and ongoing reality of land contamination.
No tickets are required for entry to the free screenings. Visit riograndetheatre.org for information on future events.
“The River That Harms,” written, produced and directed by Keane, documents the largest radioactive waste spill in U.S. history that occurred on Navajo Nation lands and received minimal attention. In 1979, the storage dam for the United Nuclear Corporation's Church Rock uranium mine failed, releasing 94 million gallons of water contaminated with uranium waste into the Rio Puerco in New Mexico.
The toxic flood impacted the main water supply for Navajo residents who live along the river, and a tributary of the major source of water for Los Angeles, California. Navajo ranchers, their children and farm animals waded through the river unaware of the danger of radiation exposure. The film tells the story of the spill and how it impacted the land, health and economy of the Navajo.
Reyes’ documentary “Under the Cloud” investigates the ongoing history of nuclear tests, uranium mining and nuclear waste disposal on Indigenous lands in North America. Commissioned by SITE Santa Fe for the exhibition “Pedro Reyes: DIRECT ACTION,” the video expands on existing dialogues around harmful nuclear effects, elevating the voices of those who have witnessed and experienced the consequences of nuclear colonialism and those who continue to resist it.
The public can join the virtual Q&A via Zoom starting at approximately 7:10 p.m. at https://nmsu.zoom.us/j/83723973552 .
For more information about the screenings, contact the UAM at 575-646-2545 or artmuseum@nmsu.edu or visit uam.nmsu.edu.
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