Navajo Nation Negligent Towards Former Bennett Freeze Residents

This dialogue is created on behalf of the people of the former Bennett Freeze Area. It will detail how the residents of the former Bennett Freeze are treated by chapters, how the Navajo tribal government is negligent in its duties, and challenges the responsible parties to step up on the issues at hand.

I am actively involved with the Naataanii area community situated on the western fringes of Tolani Lake Chapter. My people advocate rebuilding our community and taking control of our future by our own will–not those established by foreign governments or outsiders.

A nonprofit, grassroots organization recognized by the state of Arizona and the Navajo Nation, we have been successful in obtaining a NAHASDA grant to build a 20-home sub-division.

We are a unique corporation with respect to recognition by the Navajo Nation as that of “chapter house status.” It has been a struggle in terms of uniting a community, educating the public and creating a shift in the political make-up of local governance, but this is not enough. Larger issues loom in the foreground.

Within this framework, the former Bennett Freeze people have a history of apathy in terms of not participating in local government. Understandably this is the direct result of the federal government’s imposition of the construction freeze.

Eleven chapters impacted by the Bennett Freeze had their hands tied for many years and could not help, the consequences of which the chapters today should not use as an excuse.

For example, Tolani Lake Chapter has about $128,000 available to assist homeowners with a cap of about $2,500 to each family. These are the rules established by the chapter officials.

When pressed, if any of the residents of the Naataanii area were to receive funds, the committee overseeing this disbursement said, “The monies have been allocated to families in Tolani Lake, and the people of the Naataanii area do not participate in our chapter meetings.

The irony in these words is historically Tolani Lake Chapter receives the largest allocation of the grant monies into the freeze area in productive housing aid. Instead it chooses to superficially approach the problem in terms of “beautification” projects.

Currently, Tolani Lake Chapter is requesting through resolution an additional $2 million from the Navajo-Hopi Land Commission for a “beautification” project of their chapter house–a previous project fell financially short and the chapter house is “unfinished.”

The membership of the Naataanii area is pressing to obtain grant monies with reference to scattered home site improvements more in line with traditional Dine’ culture. Early results of an ongoing land use assessment by Nizhoni’go Nahata (a professional land use consulting firm) shows that the average annual income is $1,929, far below any poverty guideline; 45 percent of the homes were built during the 1940s to 1963 and 93 percent of the homes are heated by wood and coal.

Understand that the vast majority of these homes do not have indoor plumbing, running water, and electricity. Thrown in the mix of this data, I have conflicting information that the NHLC has decided to give all their grant monies to the Sanders community in the start-up operations of latex glove manufacturing.

The initial cost of start-up for this manufacturing operation is $5 million. Conversely, this relocated community has safe housing with indoor plumbing, running water and electricity built to superior construction codes.

Finally, there is the arsenic and uranium contamination of our well water in the Black Falls area. This is the residue of mining operations in the late 1950s in support of national defense. The people of this area cannot use the water–there are warning signs posted at the wells–so they haul their water from sources up to 100 miles away.

Understand, the Navajo Nation EPA, the state of Arizona and the federal government are fully aware of this dire situation, hence the warning signs.

On the margins of society, a large percentage of our elderly population is widowed and the elderly women suffer high rates of deadly internal cancers probably due to the uranium contamination.

These are the conditions in terms of safe housing and health issues framed by the environmental poisoning. The cause has been documented to the point of overstatement and we are well aware of the effects. What are we going to do on a collective basis?

Naataanii Community Services, Inc. and its membership have from its inception made a point of working in a positive manner with all entities by traditional Dine’ outlook in terms of Ke’h and the beauty way of life.

The broader spectrum of chapter house treatment of the freeze residents has to be exposed to understand the effects, thereby allowing all parties to work together in a positive manner.

Second, with reference to the “misdirected” funds–at least in our view–the NHLC truly should reflect on its mission on a personal and professional level. A new realistic vision should be built on the foundations of traditional Dine’ philosophy.

The last portion of this dialogue deals with the fatal issue of arsenic and uranium contamination of our water supply. How can Navajo EPA idly sit in Window Rock and let our people endure these atrocities?

I cannot answer this past part other than to recommend they hire Milton Yazzie. He tirelessly volunteers his time and money to educate the public about what is happening in his community of Black Falls while attending Northern Arizona University and caring for his elderly invalid parents.

Indifference and/or complacency with your high paying jobs at the Window Rock levels of judicial, legislative and executive government seem to be part of the problem. On a broader scale, how about the after hour parties in Washington, D.C., paid for by the Navajo Nation?

Back home the people of the former Bennett Freeze on the whole endure coarse actions by local chapters because they are following through with the perceived acceptable behavior sanctioned by the powers that be.

This is a call to my brothers and sisters. The time is upon us to stop this conduct, and we are tired of self-righteousness and must reflect on traditional teachings.

Leaders of our great Dine’ Nation take heed. Elections are upon us, there is a new generation tempered by the elders and we will not tolerate frivolous behavior on your part.

By establishing this dialogue, “we have drawn a line in the sand and anticipate friends or opponents to judge their incentives and morals, then to realistically and directly take action with balanced decisions.”