Tribal officials outline infrastructure gap ‘big as the Grand Canyon’
Tuesday, May 4, 2021
Cronkite News
WASHINGTON – Tribes face a digital divide “as big as the Grand Canyon” and a “not even quantifiable” lack of utility access, just two of the problems outlined at a House hearing last month on infrastructure needs in Indian Country.
Witnesses at the House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing cited statistics that depict a bleak picture of infrastructure on reservations, including water and electricity, and said that even those numbers were likely overly optimistic.
They urged the largely sympathetic subcommittee members to ensure that Native Americans are not left behind again in funding under the American Jobs Plan, the Biden administration’s $2.2 trillion infrastructure proposal.
“It’s time for America to support the Navajo Nation and all Indigenous communities and invest in utility infrastructure,” said Walter Haase, general manager of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority.

Note: This story originally appeared on Cronkite News. It is published via a Creative Commons license. Cronkite News is produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.
Advertisement
Search
Filed Under
Tags
More Headlines
Haudenosaunee Nationals advance to championship bracket at World Lacrosse tournament
NAFOA: 5 Things You Need to Know this Week
Chuck Hoskin: Cherokee Nation betrayed by U.S. Supreme Court
Cherokee Nation veteran Dwight Birdwell receives Medal of Honor
Native America Calling: #LandBack Canada
Native America Calling: In the background with Native movie extras
Native America Calling: Live from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians powwow
Montana Free Press: Tribes hit with marijuana grow limits
Matthew Fletcher: U.S. Supreme Court disrupts criminal justice in Indian Country
Cronkite News: U.S. Supreme Court ruling called a ‘disaster’ for Indian Country
Native America Calling: Streaming Native stories
‘Oklahoma’s sovereignty and jurisdiction’: Outgoing Republican attorney general claims victory in U.S. Supreme Court case
‘A direct assault on tribal sovereignty’: Lawmaker calls for action to address U.S. Supreme Court ruling
‘An increase in violence against Native victims”: NIWRC raises alarms about U.S. Supreme Court decision
‘An attack on tribal sovereignty’: Tribal organizations respond to U.S. Supreme Court ruling
More Headlines
NAFOA: 5 Things You Need to Know this Week
Chuck Hoskin: Cherokee Nation betrayed by U.S. Supreme Court
Cherokee Nation veteran Dwight Birdwell receives Medal of Honor
Native America Calling: #LandBack Canada
Native America Calling: In the background with Native movie extras
Native America Calling: Live from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians powwow
Montana Free Press: Tribes hit with marijuana grow limits
Matthew Fletcher: U.S. Supreme Court disrupts criminal justice in Indian Country
Cronkite News: U.S. Supreme Court ruling called a ‘disaster’ for Indian Country
Native America Calling: Streaming Native stories
‘Oklahoma’s sovereignty and jurisdiction’: Outgoing Republican attorney general claims victory in U.S. Supreme Court case
‘A direct assault on tribal sovereignty’: Lawmaker calls for action to address U.S. Supreme Court ruling
‘An increase in violence against Native victims”: NIWRC raises alarms about U.S. Supreme Court decision
‘An attack on tribal sovereignty’: Tribal organizations respond to U.S. Supreme Court ruling
More Headlines