"One would expect this to be a problem of Navajos
against the Hopi, but it's not; it's Navajos against
Navajos."
Present
at the Navajo AA Permittees on HPL meeting, Councilman
Kuwaninvaya said he had the opportunity to speak and
asked if there were any delegates from the Navajo Nation
[government] at the meeting and the answer was none.
"Only one representative from the Navajo grazing
committee from the area was present and no one
representing the Navajo Nation Council. I would have
liked to have seen one of their representatives, as we
have issues on both the HPL and NPL sides that we need
to address as tribal governments."
Though
Navajo permittees have signed an AA, some may still
require assistance from their own Navajo Nation
government.
"The
safety of anyone on Hopi land, not just Navajo and Hopi
people, is of utmost importance to us," said Clayton
Honyumptewa, Director of Hopi Department of Natural
Resources. "The capping of water wells on the HPL was
due to the fact that they were contaminated with uranium
and arsenic, an obvious threat to anyone who was to
drink it."
"Our
Windmill Crew will actively work to repair broken or
malfunctioning windmills on the HPL," he said. "We
continue to work in keeping the lands, water wells and
windmills as originally intended and urge those whose
lands are being infringed upon to notify us of any
wrongdoings and repairs needed."
The
meeting was sponsored by the Hopi Tribe's Office of
Range Management and was attended by the Hopi windmill
repair crews, Office of Hopi Lands, Hopi Resource
Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
in addition to the Navajo-Hopi Relocation Commission,
Councilman Kuwaninvaya and a staff member from the Hopi
Chairman's office.
About Hopi
Partitioned Lands:
The U.S.
Congress partitioned the disputed 1882 Executive Order
Hopi Reservation in a 1974 Congressional Act with
parcels given to Navajo and Hopi Tribes resulting in the
forced relocation of both Hopi and Navajo families.
Forty-nine Navajo families signed a 75-year
Accommodation Agreement to reside on HPL and all Hopi
families voluntarily relocated from said disputed lands.
Meanwhile several Navajo families continue resisting
relocation from HPL to this day. The Hopi Tribe is
working to restore the HPL with guidance from Hopi
stewardship values and practices.
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