Environment | Opinion

Renae Yellowhorse: Navajo Nation can't cede power to outsiders

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

The Save the Confluence group opposes development of Navajo Nation land at the Grand Canyon. Photo from Facebook

Renae Yellowhorse of Save the Confluence thanks Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye for rejecting plans for the Grand Canyon Escalade at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona:

A Scottsdale developer, R. Lamar Whitmer, used his political public relations skills and a handful of paid Navajos to divide Bodaway/Gap/Cedar Ridge residents. He pitted relatives against relatives, friends against friends. He used newspaper ads to wage a political war against people who disagreed with him to gain what he wanted. This was painful to watch and experience because he embedded himself into the Shelly and Rex Lee Jim administration.
We hope President Begaye and the new members of the Navajo Nation Council will have fresh eyes when they see the unethical behavior of the partners toward local Navajo people. We hope President Begaye's administration and the Navajo Nation Council will take a firm stand against the Confluence Partners. We want them to bring final closure of the Confluence Partners' Escalade plan and ban some members from the reservation.
We hope people see the Confluence Partners were merely selling an idea, a thought and nothing more. We hope the local people begin to mend their relationships with one another, and we hope they can re-establish their relationship with the land.
Under the re-awakening of Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye and Vice President Jonathan Nez, it is our hope that land users and residents will finally gain peace of mind.

Get the Story:
Renae Yellowhorse: President Begaye and Navajo Nation Council Must Stop Escalade Nightmare (Indian Country Today 5/26)