Anti-Uranium Mapping Project
Anti-Uranium Mapping Project
Shayla Blatchford
Shayla Blatchford
Anti-Uranium Mapping Project comprises interactive digital narratives elucidating uranium mining’s impact on Indigenous lands in the Southwest. Through a map-based interface integrating data and community testimonies, users navigate each narrative, offering a linear progression with clickable options for exploring supporting data. Employing multimodal learning techniques including animation, videos, text-to-speech and immersive technology enhances engagement and knowledge retention.
Ongoing interviews will unveil diverse perspectives on uranium mining, fostering inclusive dialogue. Incorporating voices ranging from nuclear scientists to tribal leaders expands the platform’s accessibility and relevance. Among the interviews planned for capture, one pivotal storyline centers on the Church Rock Uranium Mill Spill of 1979. Through a comprehensive blend of data visualization including graphs, charts, historical documents, visuals, map references and video interviews, this testimonial effectively conveys the spill’s history and its profound repercussions on neighboring communities. Further historical accounts will adopt similar methods to weave data visualization into interviews.
Additional testimonies gathered through community workshops will expand the project’s scope and impact. This work marks the transition toward a counter mapping experience, empowering marginalized communities in reclaiming colonized land. By integrating narratives and counter mapping, the project aims to enhance comprehension and foster empathy, driving systemic change. This approach is crucial as it reveals how extractive mining corporations’ existence lies in land allotments from colonization.
Data Visualization, Digital Media, Socially-Engaged Technology, Technology
2025
uranium mines in Northeast Church Rock and Quivira, a sign written in Diné reads,
“LÉÉTSOH DOODA,” or “NO URANIUM”, 2023. Archival digital inkjet pigment print
Diné families, is a grassroots organization that has suffered the environmental and
health consequences from uranium mining and milling in the Church Rock area on
Navajo Nation since the 1960s, 2023. Archival digital inkjet pigment print
reclaiming lands and waters contaminated by uranium mining, improving the health of
its community members, and safeguarding the rich cultural heritage of their
environment, 2023. Archival digital inkjet pigment print
About Shayla Blatchford
Santa Fe, NM
Shayla Blatchford is a commercial and documentary photographer based in the vibrant landscape of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her work is a profound journey of rediscovery and connection, shaped by a deep curiosity about her Diné heritage. Originating from Long Beach, California, Shayla grew up with limited exposure to her ancestral roots. Inspired by her mother’s tireless genealogical research, she began a personal journey to establish a healing connection with her ancestors and their way of living—a journey that continues to propel her creative practice.
As the creator of the Anti-Uranium Mapping Project, Shayla combines photography, oral histories, and interactive mapping technology to expose the environmental and cultural impacts of uranium mining. This innovative project educates and engages audiences while honoring the resilience of affected communities. Her work has been recognized with prestigious grants, including the Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Arts Grant in collaboration with the New York Foundation of the Arts and support from foundations promoting artistic and environmental innovation.
In addition to her documentary work, Shayla has photographed for prominent organizations such as Vogue Magazine, documenting Street Style at the Santa Fe Indian Market, and SITE Santa Fe, where she has captured exhibitions by leading contemporary artists, including Jeffrey Gibson, Teresita Fernández, and Nani Chacon. Through her art and advocacy, Shayla is committed to amplifying Indigenous voices, fostering environmental justice, and using storytelling as a means of healing and activism.
Shayla Blatchford is a commercial and documentary photographer based in the vibrant landscape of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her work is a profound journey of rediscovery and connection, shaped by a deep curiosity about her Diné heritage. Originating from Long Beach, California, Shayla grew up with limited exposure to her ancestral roots. Inspired by her mother’s tireless genealogical research, she began a personal journey to establish a healing connection with her ancestors and their way of living—a journey that continues to propel her creative practice. As the creator of the Anti-Uranium Mapping Project, Shayla combines photography, oral histories, and interactive mapping technology to expose the environmental and cultural impacts of uranium mining. This innovative project educates and engages audiences while honoring the resilience of affected communities. Her work has been recognized with prestigious grants, including the Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Arts Grant in collaboration with the New York Foundation of the Arts and support from foundations promoting artistic and environmental innovation. In addition to her documentary work, Shayla has photographed for prominent organizations such as Vogue Magazine, documenting Street Style at the Santa Fe Indian Market, and SITE Santa Fe, where she has captured exhibitions by leading contemporary artists, including Jeffrey Gibson, Teresita Fernández, and Nani Chacon. Through her art and advocacy, Shayla is committed to amplifying Indigenous voices, fostering environmental justice, and using storytelling as a means of healing and activism.