Update: Northeastern Tribes Enter Final Stages of Water Rights Settlement
Last month, we let you know that the Navajo Nation, along with the Hopi and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribes, are considering a proposed water rights settlement with the state of Arizona. You can read more about the initial proposal, as well as the history of water claims with these tribes, here!
Last week, the Navajo Nation Council officially announced their intention to deliberate and vote on the current proposal, called the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement. This comes after a long series of listening and education sessions on the proposal held with residents across the reservation. The Hopi Tribal Council has also began official consideration during a meeting held yesterday, May 20th. The San Juan Southern Paiute’s Council is also set to vote in the coming weeks.
If the three tribes agree to the settlement, several agencies, including the State of Arizona, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, and the Arizona Department of Water Resources, will have to sign on. Many experts are optimistic about this settlement, including Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren. No other proposals have made it this far in the sixty years that the Navajo Nation has been negotiating with the state.
If all parties agree to the proposal, it will then go before Congress. Congress will also need to agree to the settlement, as well as allocate approximately $5 billion. This is an important feature of this treaty— water access on the Hopi and Navajo reservations is truly dire; up to one third of residents don’t have access to running water and many more don’t have consistent access to clean water. Countless people have to haul water to their homes and rely on uncertified wells. A lack of infrastructure is as much a problem as the long-time restrictions on pumping and diverting water. This money will be used to construct pipelines and other infrastructure projects to deliver water to people’s homes.
We at LAMA are excited about this news and are preparing to advocate in its favor. All of Arizona’s tribal nations were excluded from the 1922 treaty dividing Colorado River water among the western states and Mexico, meaning that many tribes have been stuck in unjust circumstances. As other tribes have reached agreements with the state of Arizona, the Navajo, Hopi, and San Juan Southern Paiute have their water rights claims ignored. This agreement has the potential to help right a long-lasting injustice.
Stay tuned for updates!
