NCAI, Navajo Nation back controversial horse slaughter plant

Thursday, August 1, 2013  

The National Congress of American Indians and the Navajo Nation are backing a controversial horse slaughtering plant in New Mexico.

The Valley Meat Co. received a permit from the Department of Agriculture to slaughter horse meat for consumption. Tribes say the facility offers a humane way to reduce wild horse populations in Indian Country.

"They’re eating up the land and drinking all the water,” Erny Zah, a spokesperson for Navajo President Ben Shelley told New Mexico Watchdog. He estimated there are 20,000 to 30,000 wild horses on the reservation.

The Mescalero Apache Nation of New Mexico, the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota and the Yakama Nation of Washington also support permits for horse slaughtering facilities.

Get the Story:
Navajo Nation will support NM horse processing plant (New Mexico Watchdog 7/31)
Navajo Nation joins other tribes in supporting New Mexico horse slaughterhouse (AP 7/31)

USDA sued over permits issued to horse slaughtering plants (7/23)
Horse slaughtering plant in New Mexico blasts USDA for delay (06/06)
Column: Tribes support New Mexico horse slaughtering plant (05/14)
USDA set to approve horse slaughtering plant in New Mexico (05/01)
USDA inspects potential New Mexico horse slaughtering plant (4/23)
Oglala Sioux Tribe explores opening of horse slaughtering plant (4/18)
Mescalero Apache Tribe backs permits for horse slaughters (04/03)
Yakama Nation calls on USDA to approve horse slaughtering (4/2)
USDA might approve first horse slaughtering plant since 2007 (03/01)