There have been conflicts between the two tribes. The land dispute has
been going on for a long long time. A good book that portrays the Navajo side
is THE SECOND LONG WALK by Jerry Kammer. In my humble opinion, both tribes
used those lands a great deal. What sways my opinon is that at the time that
the line was drawn, there were about 200 - 400 hopis to be relocated and over
10,000 Navajos. That's a lot of people to relocate. And the kicker is that
these people are the most traditional Indians. They are the ideal that we
think of when we think "Indian". They live without electricity, they haul
water. They wake up each day and thank the creator for all before them.
They plant a tree for newborns, they bury their babies placenta (near the
loom for girls and the corral for boys).
I also suggest reading some of the old law cases. For the most part the Hopi
did win the legal cases. But the Navajo resisters are very determined people.
Another point about Peabody Coal and the Navajo/Hopi land dispute.
Both tribes jointly own the subsurface rights to the joint use area.
Ellen Kemper