Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Trinity Nuclear Test

This statement from the Marshallese Educational Initiative was released on July 16, 2025, on the 80th anniversary of Trinity, the world's first nuclear test, in New Mexico.

A new sign was unveiled at the commemorative event dedicated to the Trinity Downwinders.

Stallion Gate, New Mexico – The Marshallese Educational Initiative stands in solidarity with our Indigenous brothers and sisters from the Pueblo Nations, the Navajo Nation, and all Downwinder communities affected by the ongoing destructive consequences of the United States' nuclear development program in New Mexico and the surrounding areas.

Eighty years ago, on July 16, 1945, the United States conducted the first-ever detonation of a nuclear weapon, known as the Trinity test. This significant event occurred on the ancestral lands of the Pueblo Nations in the Jornada del Muerto Desert, situated in New Mexico. The explosion marked a dark moment in human history, demonstrating the terrifying power of nuclear technology.

Today, MEI’s Executive Director and co-Chair of the Nuclear Truth Project, (NTP) Benetick Kabua Maddison, alongside the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)’s Executive Director, Melissa Parke, and General Counsel, Seth Sheldon, will commemorate the 80^th anniversary at the Stallion’s Gate, the entry to the Trinity testing site, as well as visit Tularosa with local communities, including the Tularosa Downwinders.

The aftermath of the Trinity test has had lasting effects on the health of local communities, the surrounding environment, and local cultures. Contamination and changes to the land have disrupted traditional ways of life for Indigenous peoples, prohibiting access to sacred lands and sites. Families have lost loved ones due to cancer, and even today, individuals continue to experience health complications from ongoing radiation exposure.

As we reflect on this day, it is important to recognize the profound impact this event has had on generations of people and the ongoing legacy of nuclear weapons. It is also crucial that we amplify the voices of all communities affected by Trinity, including those impacted before, during, and after the test, who were involved in mining, milling, and nuclear waste disposal. We must all work together to realize justice. Nuclear affected peoples all deserve recognition and must receive adequate compensation for our people and lands.

Over the past few days Maddison, Parke, Sheldon, and MEI’s Co-Founder and NTP Board Member, Dr. April L. Brown have visited with members of various Pueblo Nations impacted by nuclear development on their ancestral lands.

“It is a different feeling when you are grounded, witnessing the issues firsthand and sensing the suffering of both the people and the land due to nuclear development,” Maddison said. “As I travel through the Indigenous lands of the Pueblo Nations and engage with their communities, I can't help but feel a deep sense of mourning for them,” he said. “These cherished sacred lands and their kind-hearted people remind me of the traumatic experiences of my people. The struggles they endure are all too familiar; my heart aches, and I cannot keep my eyes dry.”

The team of Maddison, Parke, and Sheldon will continue on their Nuclear Solidarity Tour to visit Indigenous peoples and contamination sites across the state. The tour was a collaboration between Nuclear Truth Project and ICAN with the support and assistance of various advocacy groups, Indigenous nations, and organizations, including Nuclear Watch New Mexico, Tewa Women United, Back from the Brink, Tularosa Basin Downwinders, and the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, among many. Follow our journey at nuclearban.org and @nuclearban.