Facebook Twitter Email
TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2002

White Mountain Apache tribal members in Arizona are questioning why a white woman implicated in one of the largest fires in state history remains free.

Tribal members denounced the actions of Leonard Gregg, a tribal member being held in connection with the Rodeo-Chediski Fire, which has grown to more than 460,000 acres. But they wonder why Valinda Jo Elliott hasn't been charged with any crime for reportedly starting a brush fire to get the attention of a helicopter while she was lost on tribal land.

The doubts have heightened racial tensions in and around the reservation.

The Rodeo-Chediski complex is about 70 percent contained as of this morning.

Get the Story:
Arizona Fire Scars Apache-White Relations (The New York Times 7/2)
Username: indianz.com, Password: indianz.com
Lack of Chediski Fire arrest is seen as unequal justice (The Arizona Daily Star 7/2)
A Hard Life but Good Job, Then Arrest (The Los Angeles Times 7/2)
Username: indianz, Password: indianzcom
Brother says man accused of setting blaze fascinated by fire (AP 7/2)
Inferno threatens tribe's livelihood (USA Today 7/2)
Fires 'fascinated' suspect, situation got out of hand (The Arizona Republic 7/2)
Apache tribe facing hardships, racism (The Arizona Republic 7/2)
Ruelas: Suspect is an average White Mountain man (The Arizona Republic 7/2)
Dark obsessions trigger arsons by firefighters (The Arizona Republic 7/2)
Weather, holiday may create tinderbox across Arizona (The Arizona Republic 7/2)
Username: IndianzCom, Password: indianz.com
Ariz. Wildfire Threatens Town; Crews Extend Fire Lines (AP 7/2)

Related Stories:
Charges brought in Ariz. fire (7/1)
Ariz. tribe shocked by fire charges (7/1)
Ariz. fire burning reservation (6/28)
Ariz. fire fuels racial animosity (6/27)
Ariz. reservation declared a disaster (6/26)
Apache community saved from flames (6/25)
Ariz. fire forces thousands to flee (6/24)
Ariz. wildfire rages on (6/21)