Margene Bullcreek
Margene Bullcreek was born in Tooele in 1946 as a member of the Skull Valley Band of Goshutes. She spent a great deal of her life as an anti-nuclear activist, working to protect her community from nuclear testing and waste. At the age of 10 Bullcreek moved to the Skull Valley Indian Reservation before studying as a paralegal as a young adult. Eventually she became the secretary of the tribal council leading to her passion for politics.[1]
In 1991-92 Goshute leadership filed an application with the Department of Energy, accepting $100,000 in exchange for the reservation being studied as a possible site for nuclear waste. While the tribal council, largely led by Tribal Chairman Leon Bear, focused on the economic benefits of the study and the eventual contract to establish the site, Bullcreek and many others were worried about the health and environmental effects: [2]
“But those of us that are going to sacrifice our land and our livelihood just so that [corporations] could create more and create moneys for themselves by putting this, putting it on our land after we’ve been stripped of our, the best portion of the lands in the country and put us on the poor, the poor part of the country. And now they want to put it, there’s no place else to put it but on our reservation…” [3]
An estimated $3 billion project, the site was anticipated to store over 40,000 tons of commercial high-level radioactive waste. Bullcreek worked with organizations such as Healthy Environment Alliance of Utah and Native Community Action Council to oppose its construction. She later established a small group, Ohngo Gaudadeh Devia, specifically for fighting the establishment of the nuclear waste site.[1]
In 1997 Goshute leadership signed a contract with Private Fuel Storage (PFS) to create the nuclear waste site. Corruption was said to be a factor in this decision, with one tribal member testifying that Chairman Bear gave $6,000 checks to members who supported the initiative and only $400 to everyone else. [4] From 1999-2005, Bullcreek and others brought Bear to court on charges of corruption and sued the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) over the legality of the lease with PFS.
In 2003 Leon Bear was criminally indicted by a federal grand jury on theft and embezzlement related to the PFS contract. [5] In 2006 both the Bureau of Land Management and BIA announce decisions preventing PFS from establishing nuclear waste site. From 2005-2010 the Skull Valley Goshutes lost many of its leaders, resulting in an election in 2011 in which Lori Bear Skiby was elected chairperson, Leon Bear's cousin. [6] [7]
Margene Bullcreek continued her anti-nuclear work until she passed away in 2015. Environmental activist Chip Ward said, “Bullcreek’s legacy can be seen in the structure that was never built.” [1]
Margene Bullcreek Oral History
[1] Dau, S. (2023, December 27). Margene Bullcreek. Utah Women’s History - Better Days. https://utahwomenshistory.org/the-women/margene-bullcreek-skull-valley-goshute-anti-nuclear-activist/
[2] PBSUtah. (2002, July). Skull Valley Documentary Script . Skull valley: The documentary: Script. https://web.archive.org/web/20050213225743/http://www.kued.org/skullvalley/documentary/script/3.html
[3] ACCN 0814 Everett L. Cooley Oral History Project, No.453 Margene Bullcreek, https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s63b7hhg
[4] Steadman & Shepley LLC. (2001, June 28). Ohngo Gaudadeh Devia’s (OGD) Response to Private Fuel Storage Motion for Summary Disposition of OGD Contention O. https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0119/ML011900442.pdf
[5] Indianz (2003, December, 19) Indictment Alleges Corruption Within Utah Tribe https://indianz.com/News/archives/003099.asp