From the frontlines of the water wars: Diné and Hopi water rights at risk, protesters gather on Navajo Nation
by Drew Sully on Thursday, April 5, 2012
Cross-Posted from Indigenous Action Media
All photos and reporting from the scene are courtesy of Outta Your Backpack Media, a collective working for indigenous youth media empowerment, and Paper Rocket, an indigenous centered Navajo media production team.
http://www.oybm.org / http://www.facebook.com/PaperRocketProductions
A group of Diné and Hopi people ( including traditional people and elders) upset by the latest colonial attack on indigenous peoples water rights, gathered to protest the visits of two US Senators to the Navajo Nation today. The people had gathered to say “no deal” to s2109, the bill that would allow for more water to flow into Arizona for the benefit of companies and urban growth.
Protesters chanted “water is life”, “free indian water ends now”, “let the water flow”, “sewage water for McCain and Kyl”, other chants were said in Diné.
Protesters waited for Navajo president Ben Shelly and US senators McCain and Kyl to exit the meeting in Tuba City, on the Navajo Nation. Earlier protesters marched in the streets of Tuba City, as Navajo Nation president Ben Shelly met with the senators to discuss the further dismantling of Navajo and Hopi water rights. Navajo Nation president Ben Shelly has left the meeting and said that there is no deal yet made, and that they are going to hear input from 7 of the 111 chapter houses (similar to districts) and council delegates.
Senators McCain and Kyl were in Tuba City to gain official support from the Tribal governments for their bill, Senate Bill 2109, described in a Native News Networkarticle as:
Senate Bill 2109 45; the “Navajo-Hopi Little Colorado River Water Rights Settlement Act of 2012″ was introduced by Kyl and McCain on February 14, 2012, and is on a fast track to give Arizona corporations and water interests a “100 th birthday present” that will close the door forever on Navajo and Hopi food and water sovereignty, security and self-reliance.
S.2109 asks the Navajo and Hopi peoples to waive their priority Water Rights to the surface waters of the Little Colorado River “from time immemorial and thereafter, forever” in return for the shallow promise of uncertain federal appropriations to supply minimal amounts of drinking water to a handful of reservation communities.
The Bill – and the “Settlement Agreement” it ratifies – do not quantify Navajo and Hopi water rights – the foundation of all other southwestern Indian Water Rights settlements to date – thereby denying the Tribes the economic market value of their water rights, and forcing them into perpetual dependence on uncertain federal funding for any water projects.
The fight for Diné and Hopi water rights continues as several indigenous struggles persist across Arizona to protect sacred sites, stop cultural genocide, and prevent further destruction of the earth and its people for corporate profit.
One of the officers pictured shoved down former Hopi president Vernon Masayesva
Christy Rodgers
Global Justice Ecology Project
hallieb
Jeff Conant
Typical example of big business interest consuming Indigenous rights.
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As Native people from the South we know where the Navajo/Dine came from, they are from up north and came down 800yrs ago because they had no food to eat , Northern Dine’s know this story so water belongs to Hopi as they have been there over a million years!
Coyote…you belive white science. no one know where we from except our ancestor…we dine’ been here since time immemorial, we have ties to anasizi ruins and we got lots of ancient stories tell thicker than the bible itself. Hopi is a among our clan but nature and ancient story have those to tell. coyote you are barking up the wrong sage brush.
Brothers and sisters, I am a simple Irishman living far away but I can see clearly what is going on here, and it is a crime against humanity! I have a long, deep & abiding love & respect for all First Nations people, and am disgusted at this cheap trick that Shelly, Kyle & McCain have cooked up to fast track this bill and rip off the Navajo & Hopi Nations for eternity. They thought no one was watching! It’s not true, the world is watching and the word is going out! This is not right! This no way for humans to behave! I have read the reports, I have watched the video footage,I hear the people call Shelly a traitor, and I fully agree. The prophets of the First Nations people’s said that the time would come when all the people of the earth would come together to save the earth itself, and if not now, when? For the Navajo & Hopi Nations that time has come. My prayers join with yours that this bill be squashed and that the Navajo & Hopi Nations retain those rights left to them to decide their own futures for generations to come. To rob those future generations of those rights is something that Shelly has no authority to decide upon. It is inhuman. He is a traitor to his people, the earth mother, and all of humanity. I will raise what small voice I have in protest against this evil intent, knowing that time is a factor, they are trying to rush this thing through. I know that the people are stirring,that the opposition is growing as more are realising what is going on. Details of the bill were intentionally not fully conveyed to the people making it invalid. I was informed by a First Nations brother in the North today that by not informing all the people any decision would be invalid. Shelly declared last week that there would be meetings upon this matter when met by an angry crowd. The number of meetings was tiny. Someone in the crowd said that there were over a hundred districts and why was everyone not being given the opportunity to be informed. Shelly said the number was sufficient. My friend in the North says otherwise, it would be unlawful. I believe this is the strategy to defeat this bill, insist upon every single district being personally informed by Shelly in detail as to the ramifications of the bill. This would make it impossible for their plan to work, it couldn’t possibly pass in this present session. That would buy time for all the people to be made aware of what is intended against the Navajo & Hopi Nations. With sufficient publicity and time, the opposition to this bill would make it impossible to pass at all. Since the Navajo & Hopi Nations are being expected to sign away their rights for all eternity, it is unreasonable to allow the bill to be rushed through in such short time, especially when the people have not been informed as to what Shelly is intending to sign on their behalf. His own council and the elders of the Navajo Nation oppose him. How is it reasonable that this one man decide the fate of the Navajo Nation for all eternity? What god does he think he is? Shelly says on the one hand that he will listen to the people, but on the other hand he says that he will “lead, and not react”. This is false talking if ever I heard it. This bill must be slowed down and time gained to remove Shelly and all his cronies in order to secure the future of the Navajo & Hopi Nations. Please forgive me if I have said anything in my ignorance that you cannot agree with. I speak as a human being to other human beings against an act that I can quite clearly see is inhuman. My brothers and sisters, I thank you for reading this and assure you that my heart is true. Long live the Navajo Nation, long live the Hopi Nation, long live all the First Nations people of Turtle Island! All my relations! Leon
For people wishing to keep up to date on this issue and take acton when asked, please go to the facebook page of the Black Mesa Water Coalition at http://www.facebook.com/blackmesawc.
–The GJEP Team
Thank you, Leon, for your encouraging words. We appreciate your interest and willing to spread the word. Thank you!!! God bless you!
Greetings,
I am here in Abq, NM. I would like to encourage all voters in NM to call Senator Udall. Tell him to vote against senate bill 2109. He is on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.
Also, do you know if there are going to be any protesters at the Gathering of Nations at the end of this month? I would like to be involved in informing others in Indian Country.