Los Alamos

Los Alamos is a research facility in New Mexico that has been involved in various scientific projects, including the Manhattan Project during World War II. The laboratory has had significant contributions from Native Americans since its inception, with many of them working as researchers, technicians, and support staff. Some notable Native American scientists associated with Los Alamos include Floy Agnes Lee, Fred Begay, and Popovi Da. Floy Agnes Lee was a blood technician at the wartime Los Alamos Lab who later earned her Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Chicago and returned to New Mexico to work in hematology. Fred Begay was the first Navajo to receive a Ph.D. in physics and focused on laser research at Los Alamos, while also committing to help the Navajo Nation through his work as a scientist. Popovi Da worked as a machinist at the lab during World War II and became a prominent potter after the war, reviving polychrome ware at San Ildefonso Pueblo. The area around Los Alamos has a rich history dating back to the Paleoindian period and was inhabited by Native Americans who established several communities that were eventually abandoned during the 1500s.