There have been many Internet postings, newspaper articles, radio
broadcasts, and press releases recently about events in the Big Mountain
area of the Hopi Reservation in Northern Arizona.
Unfortunately, most of these articles and broadcasts have been based
on extremely biased and distorted information. Most of the information that
the world has had to rely on to formulate their sense of the situation has
been provided by a small group of people from the Big Mountain area.
This information, biased and distorted from the beginning, then gets
picked up by other groups with their own agenda of activism and further
distorted until there is no longer any truth in the reports.
When you were in elementary school, did your teacher ever whisper a
message in the ear of a student and then ask each student in turn to pass
that message on to the next student until it reached the last student? Did
the final message ever resemble the original message?
That's sort of what we have here, except that at each transfer point
the person relaying the message appears to have motivation to distort the
original message. Usually, that purpose is to inflame the situation and
thus justify radical militant involvement and to gain the sympathy and
financial support of uninformed outsiders.
This article should serve to debunk some of the myths about Big
Mountain and the alleged torment of innocent Navajos living in the area. It
should also present a perspective more resembling that of the Hopis. I am
qualified to discuss this because, not only do I have a solid research based
understanding of the history of the Navajo and Hopi reservations and the
expansion of the Navajo reservation at the expense of the Hopis, but I am
also currently working right in the middle of all of this for the Chairman
of the Hopi Tribe.
I SHOULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I AM SPEAKING FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE AND
UNDERSTANDING AND AM NOT OFFICIALLY REPRESENTING THE TRIBE.
I SIMPLY THINK IT IS TIME THE WORLD HEARD ANOTHER SIDE TO THE ISSUE.
To begin with, I will address recent Native-L postings.
5/27/96, "Big Mountain Emergency"
"RED ALERT--ARRESTS AND VIOLENCE DISRUPT NAVAJO (DINE') GATHERING"
The Dineh Alliance would have the world believe that this was
"disputed territory." There is no dispute; this is Hopi land. The courts
recognize it, the Navajo Nation recognizes it, and most of the residents
recognize it.
Hopi Rangers did not disrupt a "traditional pipe ceremony." In
fact, it was worked out before hand that the pipe ceremony would be
conducted with no interference. The group would be allowed to cross over
into Hopi Partitioned Land (HPL) from Navajo Partitioned Land (NPL) and back
again for the ceremony. All reports are that this was conducted peacefully
on Saturday, May 25.
Rangers did not "manhandle several elders from the area." No matter
what the Dineh Alliance would have people believe, violence was not the
theme of the police involvement at the Spring Gathering. "Scores of law
enforcement personnel" do not and did not cover the area. There are not
"scores of law enforcement personnel" available in the area. The full force
of the Hopi Rangers, even if they could all be on duty at the same time
complemented by the BIA police from the area could not number more than
20-30 officers. This is hardly sufficient to "surround" an area of
thousands of acres.
By May 27, when the "Big Mountain Emergency" article was posted,
everything was over with. Almost all that was left in the area were
residents. Inviting "the media and the American public to come and witness
the violence and occupation of their ancestral homelands" was silly; there
was nothing to see.
Another point: These are not Dine' "ancestral homelands." They are
traditional Hopi lands. The Dineh Alliance would have us believe they are
living on traditional Dine' homelands, when, in fact, Navajo people are
relatively new to the area. It has only been in the last 150 years or less
that Navajo people have started to occupy traditional Hopi lands.
The pressures to move west from New Mexico onto Hopi land in Arizona
increased as settlement in New Mexico by white settlers increased in the
fertile Rio Grande Valley and cattle ranching increased. The main thrust of
Navajo occupation of Hopi land occurred after the 1864 Navajo treaty with
the United States that established the original Navajo Reservation. This
reservation was only about 3.5 million acres and straddled the border
between New Mexico and Arizona. But, of course, this was long before those
territories became states.
Pressures from the white settlers to the East and the increased need
to expand their sheep grazing areas pushed the Navajos further and further
into Hopi territory. The Hopis had been using the area for a thousand or
more years before the Athabascans that later became called Navajo ever even
entered the Southwest.
[ The following analyses are based on articles which can be obtained from
NATIVE-L mailing list archives at TAMVM1.TAMU.EDU or via the Web archives
(http://bioc09.uthscsa.edu/natnet/archive/nl/9605/0153.html). --Gary ]
"RESPONSE ONE OF TWO"
Regarding posting of Kahn-Tineta Horn, President
Canadian Alliance in Support of Native Peoples
24 May, 1996
Another thing really bothers me; there are groups like the Canadian
Alliance that don't have a clue about the Southwest or the history of Navajo
and Hopi issues, except what they read from the Dineh Alliance, and they
take very strong stands on these issues that they don't know anything about.
This message from the Canadian Alliance takes the reports from the
Dineh Alliance at face value and doesn't even consider that there might be
another side to things or that the truth might be being misrepresented.
In the matter of the Spring Gathering, people were not abused. The
entire state of Arizona is under the worst drought in 100 years. All of the
public lands are closed due to extreme fire hazard. The Hopi Tribe issued
the same kind of closures and restrictions on its interior. There would be
no way, under those conditions, that the Hopi Tribe could allow a gathering
that was expected to be anywhere from 300 to 1000 people to take place in a
tinder box. Not to mention the lack of available water and sanitation
facilities. As it was, the gathering was contained to approximately 50-70
people.
The reason non-Indians were turned back (not arrested or abused) was
that the Hopi reservation is essentially a "closed" reservation. The Hopi
Tribe is usually pretty leniant about this. But, in states of emergency or
to control crowds, it becomes necessary to exercise and enforce that
"closed" status. The sovereignty of Indian Nations allows that level of
control. The Hopi Tribe has no obligation to allow non-Indians onto the
reservation under any circumstances, let alone to gather by the hundreds,
except legitimate travel through the area on state highways. BESIDES, JUST
WHERE DO NON-INDIANS FIT INTO "TRADITIONAL CEREMONIES" EXCEPT TO PROVIDE
POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT? Think about it if you're considering
coming out to Northern Arizona to support the "traditional Navajo resistors."
Think also about the "traditional Navajos" conducting "sacred" Lakota
ceremonies. Where does all this fit into "traditional Navajo homelands?"
On the subject of arrests; I believe that there were only a few
arrests. Those arrests that did take place were based on valid outstanding
warrants. There was an incident at about 1:00 AM in which a car with
several occupants and a Navajo driver ran through a law enforcement roadway
checkpoint narrowly missing an officer. The car then slid off the road
under pursuit. The car was searched and a Chinese assault rifle of the
semi-automatic variety was discovered. It was confiscated and the occupants
arrested. The rifle was later shown to be stolen.
The report from Thad Cunejo that FBI was arresting people is also
absurd. Where do these people get this stuff? And to say that arrests were
made to "stop the sacred pipe ceremonies" is equally absurd. Was he even
there?
Like I said earlier, discussions with the organizers of the event
led to an agreement to allow the procession into HPL to conduct the
ceremony. This was accomplished successfully and without incident. Law
enforcement agreed to be in the area but to be at a distance.
I agree with Gary that if "unnecessary violence is being used" there
would be "good reason for concern." BUT, VIOLENCE IS NOT BEING USED.
One reason that you "have rarely, if ever, heard from the Hopi" is
that Hopis prefer to adhere to their own values. The propaganda techniques
of the Dineh Alliance are fine for them. But, the Hopis would rather not
be sucked into those kind of tactics. When you have faith in yourself and
faith in the future being whatever it is meant to be, there is not that
drive to compete with negative forces.
5/28/96 "Big Mountain Gathering Blockaded"
In this posting by the International Indian Treaty Council, the
distortions and misunderstandings by outsiders is even more apparent.
Rangers did not fire at the camp or at the sign as reported in this
article. If shots were fired, no one saw who did it. Ranger weapons are
checked for recent firings.
Also, the claim that the participants of the "Sweat Lodge Inipi
Ceremony were forced to vacate the lodge before the ceremony was finished,
because of a 7pm deadline set by the Hopi Tribal authorities on the presence
of non-Indian guests at Camp Anna Mae" are clear misunderstandings.
I know from personal involvement that on Friday prior to the
Saturday pipe ceremony, organizers of the event were asked if it was correct
that the ceremony was only to be a one day event and if they would be
returning to the NPL site before dark. They acknowledged that this would be
the case and when asked what time they would be leaving from the Pipe
Ceremony, they said probably by 7:00pm. This was not a time restriction
that was imposed on the group by the Hopi Tribe. It was the time that the
organizers said they would be leaving. If participants were told that they
were being evicted, so to speak, this was misrepresented to them.
If an atmosphere of fear resulted from the events of the weekend, it
was not the intention of the Tribe or Law Enforcement to create that. I
know that a police presence, even a remote one, often creates fear in people
who are gathering for the purpose of political activism.
[ The following response pertains to an article whose text can be retrieved
via the Web at http://bioc09.uthscsa.edu/natnet/archive/nl/9605/0163.html ]
5/28/96, "Big Mountain Statement"
From: The International Indian Treaty Council
Here I will try to respond in a less verbose way to specific points.
--Yes, checkpoints were set up on the main roads to the interior of
HPL.
--The vehicles that were turned back were non-Indians and non-
residents.
--There was never an intention to stop food from getting into the
area. However, since the vehicles also had food and it was clearly being
brought in for the purpose of maintaining a large group of people (which
also wasn't authorized), the vehicles that were turned back probably also
had food. No one is starving at Big Mountain as activists would have you
believe.
--Hopi does not have a SWAT team.
--It is not a violation of the free exercise of religion to not
allow large gatherings of outsiders on HPL. This is well within the
jurisdiction of the Hopi Tribe, especially under such extreme fire hazard
conditions.
Something I would like to point out is that the 1974 Settlement Act
which divided the so-called "Joint Use Area" into Hopi and Navajo
Partitioned Lands supported the rights of each tribe and its members to
continue to practice their traditional religions and to have access to their
sacred sites and shrines. It did not, however, allow for members of one
tribe to deny the other tribe the use of its land by the establishment of
religious sites or shrines. This is something that is going on at Big
Mountain. The resisters are establishing "sacred ceremonial sites" that are
non-traditional to the Navajos (Pipe Ceremonies, Sundance, etc.) and denying
Hopi jurisdiction over these sites.
All of the structures at the sites are non-residence type
unauthorized structures that were supposed to be temporary. The Hopi Tribe
has been tolerant for the last ten years in letting these structures remain.
But, now, Big Mountain resisters are laying spiritual claim to these sites
and restricting and frustrating Hopi Land Management and Law Enforcement
access to them.
While I'm on the topic of "Joint Use Area," (JUA) I would like to
point out that even though the JUA was part of the original Hopi
Reservation, the Navajos that occupied it continued to behave as if it were
Navajo land. They continued to frustrate Hopi use of the JUA by rapidly
moving into the area and by overgrazing with sheep.
[ See http://www.primenet.com/~dineh/ for this and other bulletins written
from the perspective of the Dineh Alliance. --Gary ]
6/3/96, "NAVAJO-HOPI LAND DISPUTE UPDATE: MAY 27, 1996"
From: Jon Norstog
This may be at least a little more reasonable report. Though I
think the "intimidation" factor is exaggerated. There were not, though,
"a lot of arrests."
"Harrassment" is an inappropriate word. The Hopi Tribe has no
intention of denying religious expression, just access by hundreds or
thousands of outsiders and non-Indians. The right to religious expression
and the right to political expression does not include the right to take
jurisdiction and control over land that is not yours nor to invite hundreds
or thousands of outsiders into the area that is already in a fragile state
both from rangeland and fire risk perspectives.
The visitation of Sara Begay by Holy People is a good example. And
before I start, you should know that this is a 45 minute drive from the Big
Mountain Survival Camps and that Sara Begay claims no affiliation with the
resister groups. In this situation, the Hopi Tribe has not interfered, even
though it has attracted tens of thousands of Navajo visitors, even though
the Begays have essentially taken jurisdiction of this area, even though the
rangeland is being threatened by parking of hundreds of cars, even though
the President of the Navajo Nation, Hale, brought out busloads of people and
made a media spectacle of it (to the disgust of Sara Begay) and even though
this complicates Hopi jurisdiction over its own land.
In response to the comment that President Hale and Chairman Secakuku
both "got a piece of Mrs. Begay's mind" is probably only half correct.
President Hale came out with a whole flock of people and tried to make a
media event out of it. He also brought out busloads of people, inundating
the Begays with people trompling all over her property.
Chairman Secakuku, however, came with an interpreter. Mrs. Begay
and the Chairman visited for about a half an hour and it seemed to be a
cordial visit. Chairman emphasized that he just wanted to know what was
going on and to hear it from her himself. He did not try to intrude at the
sighting place nor to manipulate the situation. He expressed concern for
Mrs. Begay and the number of people taking over her homesite. Mrs. Begay
thanked him for coming out personally.
Just the other day a BIA road crew was installing a cattle guard
almost a mile from Sara Begay's house. Suddenly, up drove Sara Begay, and
some younger men. They told the crew not to continue "disturbing the
ground" while they were either conducting or preparing to conduct a
ceremony. Not wanting to get in the middle of a conflict, the road crew
backed out. So, because of Mrs. Begay's expansion of her proclaimed
jurisdiction, Hopis who are legally grazing cattle in the next grazing
parcel, have to continue to spend a great deal of time and effort running
them out of the adjacent area. This wouldn't be a problem any more if the
road crew had been allowed to install the cattle guard.
From what I hear, the message from the Holy People was something to
the effect of warning the Navajo people to go back to their traditional ways
and to start living right. This was somehow linked to the drought and
future more serious problems if they didn't straighten up.
Somebody isn't listening; where does Sundance fit in all this?
Where do Plains style tipis fit in all this? Last week it was reported that
a large truck delivered some very large tipis to Mrs. Begay's house and that
they were in the process of being set up, perhaps of the kind used by the
Native American Church. How does the Native American Church fit into Navajo
Tradition?
IN REFERENCE TO BIG MOUNTAIN, I would like to point out that the
most alarming reports are coming from the areas most removed from Big
Mountain, like San Francisco, Canada, Cardiff, San Jose, etc. People in
these remote locations don't have a clue what's going on out here.
I have also seen reports that, thankfully, have not appeared in the
Native-L that accuse the Hopi Tribe of "cultural genocide," "police
brutality," implementing "ethnic cleansing laws," etc., etc., etc.
People of this mind-set should get out their dictionaries and
history books. They should visit the Holocaust Museum. They should realize
that a handful of people living on someone else's land does not constitute
an entire Nation of people.
In trying to understand what's going on at Big Mountain, try to
remember the following key points:
--Navajo people are living on Hopi land, Hopi people are not living
on Navajo land.
--The Big Mountain area is on Hopi land, this is NOT traditional
Dine' homeland.
--The Navajo Nation has been swallowing up Hopi lands for the last
150 years.
--The resisters at Big Mountain do not represent the Navajo Nation
nor do they represent the majority of their neighbors.
--The resisters at Big Mountain who want to have Pipe Ceremonies and
Sundance can hardly consider themselves "traditional Dine'."
--The hard core resisters at Big Mountain do not want to live under
any law, neither Hopi nor Navajo.
DIFFERENT GROUPS
Another thing we need to remember is that there are different groups
of resisters out at Big Mountain. One may be more cooperative than the
other and one may be claiming to represent the Dineh' Alliance when they
don't. There have been recent divisions out there and I think one group may
be more cooperative and less prone to militance than the other.
However, it is a fact that "Survival Camps" have been set up out
there. These camps have all the makings of Para-Military training
facilities. They have "bunkers" on strategic hills, military type radio
equipment, are fenced off with warning signs, and have in the past been
known to have armed security of the unprofessional type.
I don't think the group that I have had discussions with wants to be
associated with this para-military type group.
The Hopi Tribe does not yet have a position on the upcoming
Sundance. We are scheduled to meet on Tuesday with some organizers and
"elders" to discuss it. The purpose will be to discuss their plans. This
should give the Tribe some real information upon which to determine their
position instead of on hearsay. I am looking forward to meaningful and
cordial dialogue like in the past with this group.
Remember, though, that this is Hopi land. Efforts that seek to
destroy Hopi jurisdiction over Hopi land will probably not be responded to
well by the Hopi Tribe. I don't anticipate the Tribe being too anxious to
surrender hundreds of acres in the middle of a drought and high fire hazard
to several hundred or thousands of non-Indians.
PROTECTING HOPI JURISDICTION OVER HOPI LAND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE
"CULTURAL GENOCIDE."
ENFORCING HOPI TRIBAL LAWS ON ON HOPI LAND DOES NOT REQUIRE "ETHNIC
CLEANSING LAWS."
I bet anyone who has experienced the Holocaust or Bosnia would be
offended by the implication that there could be any similarities between Big
Mountain and Nazi Germany or Bosnia.
I urge everyone to think about what they read; don't just take
everything as the truth.
Sincerely, Bill Havens