Following Simon Ortiz's congratulatory remarks, 1999 Nuclear-Free Future Resistance Award recipient Dorothy Purley stepped to the podium to give her acceptance speech.
Good morning everybody.
Gosh. I'm lost with all my words. I don't know what to say, I thought I was working for my people, I didn't expect anything like this. I so sometimes, feel like a Hishpockasha... Having that uranium mine in my hometown for thirty years having to go through what we had to go through. Now fighting with cancer three times in a row – I don't know what's in store for me tomorrow. But I just want to thank everybody for all the good the stuff that has been passed my way, the best came out there that anybody could have. By being encouraged to keep on going. I often let go of my life, but thinking about my beautiful girl, my son and my two beautiful grandchildren that's how far I go. And with the song that Buffy Sainte-Marie sang last night, just kind of brought everything back for me.
Thank you Claus, for all the stuff you've done for me. Thank-you Chris, I love you very much. Thanks Susan, thank you everybody, I love each and every one of you. May my great spirit guide you, protect you in your health, and in every way. My special thanks to my daughter, Corletta. My son in law Myron Garcia, who fed me, helped me, thank you I love both of you, thank you very much.
Dorothy Purley of Laguna Pueblo passed away on
December 2, 1999, in her home village of Paguate, New Mexico. Dorothy's fighting spirit will endure.
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