Obama and congress signed Navajo water rights settlement signed into law

While doing research I came across these articles. I can't believe this didn't make more news, maybe I missed it.
I found it ridiculous that this day and age, after all the Native Americans have been through, that they should still have to live without water. American citizens anywhere else would of never put up with it, yet they had too.
This legislation has been decades in the making.

But if indeed this is going forward, this is awesome news for the welfare of native americans on the navajo nation . Many of these people had to truck water from a well, sometimes miles away, everyday to their homes.

The Navajo Nation celebrated on Monday as President Barack Obama signed the tribe's water rights settlement into law as part of a public lands bill. After decades of work, the tribe reached the agreement with the state of New Mexico five years ago. But the Bush administration balked at the cost of the deal, which authorizes an $870 million water pipeline in addition to securing the tribe's rights to the San Juan River. The political landscape changed this year with Democrats in control of Washington, D.C. Though there were some hiccups, the 1,218-page Omnibus Public Land Management Act cleared the 111th Congress in record time. "This is a grand day for the Navajo Nation," President Joe Shirley Jr. said in an interview at the White House after the signing ceremony. "It means water for our communities." Obama, who was endorsed by Shirley and other Navajo leaders during the campaign, highlighted the tangible impacts of the settlement on the nation's largest tribe. He recognized Frank Chee Willetto Sr., a Navajo Code Talker from New Mexico who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. "Because of this legislation, Frank, along with 80,000 others in the Navajo Nation, will have access to clean running water for the very first time," Obama said to applause in the East Room of the White House.

other article on the same subject...
Navajos elated with passage of settlement bill

Is this what some of the bailout money went to I wonder? Well that I consider a pretty good cause.

hard to know for sure though.

No one has anything to say? Nice to hear some good news. The anti obama squad doens't even have something?

This is some good news for once> It does not surprise me in the least that the Bush administration would balk at the idea. This made my day...thanks for posting this. For far to long have many of the Native people of this country suffered. I personally give the Obama administration the thumbs up for this one.

The Navajo, Iroquois and all the tribes should get a permanent funding equal to or better than Israel gets. They should get millions a month simply for being our landlords.

Canada approaches and takes care of it's Natives really well. The US should look to Canada for some advice on how to be proud supporters of the ancient North American landlords.

Can you believe that only 8500 full blood Natives live in Indiana. The place of Indians? LOL something is wrong with that in my book.

Giving them their own water is like chucking a little pebble sized chunk of meat at an Ethiopian. They deserve far greater.

..anti Obama squad.. LOL...

This I wonderful news for the Navajo Nation. Have been to their res, made some acquaintances, and all in all this is a step in the right direction.

But, I will not give the "kudos" to Obama for making it happen....all he did was sign a paper, and because he "is" who he is, that was a great, shall we say, photo-op, look good action.

It was the tenacity and hard work of the Navajo People as well as their patience that brought this about.

Heaven forbid the world should find out that there are native peoples in America living in third world conditions...then again, our government has never really RESPECTED our Native population...so throwing a bone every now and then to keep up appearances in expected.

Believe me, the government never gives something without expecting something in return...happened too many times through out Native history.

~Holly

Good news indeed... there are over 70,000 people living in an area bigger than the state of Delaware with no running water what so ever. still others who do have water find it unsafe to drink.

At least one good thing has come of this
Learn more about the "Water Haulers"

reply to post by Holly N.R.A.


Well this is why I want to find out if it is bailout funds or not. Bush wouldn't sign it because he said it was too expesive, but if it is bailout money, then Obama found it for them. He promised on the campaign that he would sign this legislation. He could of just as easily not signed it. If Bush wasn't funding his wars I wouldn't see it as so hypocritical.

But yes, certain people worked very hard for decades to get this passed. They deserve the credit. I won't argue that.

I hope this is just the beginning of more relief coming their way.

Daddy, thanks for the link.

Wormwood, as far as Canadian Indians, I have read contradictiing information that they are not any better off then the US side.

I am sorry worm, your av freaks me out.

lol

eeeek. And i like worms.

I do have issue with the media not covering this. Most east coasters are completely oblivious to Indian plight. Absolutely no clue. Many probably think they still wear feather head gear and live in teepees.

But these issues are just not touched upon. I find this disturbing.

Do the Navajo want to keep their situation private?

So why is the situation given so little attention?

If people are out of power for a month they get news coverage.
*shrugs*

so why not a people who have not been allowed water for generations?

Originally posted by nixie_nox
I do have issue with the media not covering this. Most east coasters are completely oblivious to Indian plight. Absolutely no clue. Many probably think they still wear feather head gear and live in teepees.

But these issues are just not touched upon. I find this disturbing.

Easterners have never kept up much with the situation with the Native Peoples. The crux of their caring was 'round about 125 years ago when they decided they could "civilize" the "Red Man" by taking their children, sending them to places like Carlyle and turning them into "good little indians " who are no longer savages, and believed in the White mans god, thus working on breaking their traditions and beliefs. They had no RESPECT.

Do the Navajo want to keep their situation private?

They are not going to go around advertising what outsiders would see as "problems" they have survived for so long by their own volution.

So why is the situation given so little attention?

If people are out of power for a month they get news coverage.
*shrugs*

so why not a people who have not been allowed water for generations?

If it were me in that situation, and had been through what the Navajo/All Native People has been thru, I would have learned to rely on myself, and not take anything from anybody, then I would not have to pay them back. A little inconvenience to preserve my dignity would be worth it.

~Holly

Ah.. I guess you folks don't live in New Mexico Arizona Utah or Colorado because this issue has been in the news round here for decades!

they've never been quiet about it... took all four of the above mentioned states to court over it. sued the US Government... I mean I'm not surprised this slipped under the radar of non-Native People

but I will add... this national lack of interest of Native Problems is one of the prime reasons we feel so Isolated from main stream America.

PS: Gathering of Nations is April 23,24,25 Now we really have a reason to Pow Wow our butts off!

[edit on 8-4-2009 by DaddyBare]

reply to post by nixie_nox


Corruption has been rife on the Res for decades.

Now we have a corrupt traitor in Chief in the WH.

I'm glad the Dineh have their water rights. It is long overdue.

However, it's also disingenuous.

Reportedly OThuga and company plan on destroying all the Reservations and forcing Native Americans into the general population of slaves and serfs.

But, nice, that in the short-run, the political expediences give them water rights. And the jobs for the pipeline should be welcome as well.

So let me get this straight......several Presidents before Obama refused to sign this into action and they compound our debt into the tune of 10 trillion dollars and Obama is in office for less than a year and he signs it into action. This is what you call corruption? On Obama!!! give me a break! The man does the right thing that several Presidents before refused to do and he is labeled as corrupt!..or he is just trying to make himself look good?

I voted for RP and I can even see that some here are just jumping down his throat for BS reasons on this issue.

reply to post by CaptGizmo

.several Presidents before Obama refused to sign this into action and they compound our debt into the tune of 10 trillion dollars and Obama is in office for less than a year and he signs it into action.

Guess the question to ask first is Did Congress ever pass a bill about this so a prior President could sign or not sign? Looks like they got no where in 2008.

Occurred: Introduced Jun 26, 2008
Occurred: Reported by Committee Jun 27, 2008
Not Yet Occurred: Voted on in Senate (did not occur)
Not Yet Occurred: Voted on in House (did not occur)
Not Yet Occurred: Signed by President (did not occur)
This bill never became law. This bill was proposed in a previous session of Congress. Sessions of Congress last two years, and at the end of each session all proposed bills and resolutions that haven't passed are cleared from the books. Members often reintroduce bills that did not come up for debate under a new number in the next session.

www.govtrack.us...

I also questioned why the Omnibus needed to be voted on twice in the House where it failed the first time.

www.govtrack.us...

The U.S. House gets a second crack at passing the Omnibus Public Land Management Act this week, possibly as early as Wednesday, with only a simple majority needed to designate more than 2 million acres of wilderness in nine states, including Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.

Incredibly, although not surprisingly, the House earlier this month rejected the package of 150 public lands, natural resources and water bills by a scant two votes. Colorado’s congressional delegation split on party lines, with Republicans Doug Lamborn and Mike Coffman dissenting.

Democrats in the Senate, which had originally approved the package in January by a 74-21 vote, reintroduced the measure in order to streamline it to require a simple-majority vote in the House as opposed to a two-thirds majority. The Senate passed it again last week by a 77-20 margin.

coloradoindependent.com...

Here is the transcript of what Obama had to say before signing the bill.

www.nytimes.com...

Nice facts there jam321....but as most things propaganda just a little wrong..
as in ...came to someone's attention in 2008 my fuzzy old backside!

Here is the Tagline from a PBS special on the issue

70,000 people on the Navajo Nation live without easy access to one of the most basic necessities of life. That's the same population as Santa Fe with no running water that is safe to drink, safe to wash vegetables with, safe to bathe children in. And they are U.S. citizens. In 2004, a centuries old dispute between the Navajo Nation and New Mexico over the water of the San Juan River Basin finally came to an end. In the final agreement, the Navajo Nation maintained just 56% of their San Juan water rights in exchange for a massive infrastructure project to bring running water to parts of the reservation that have gone without for centuries. In turn, the agreement provides the much-needed water reserves for New Mexico to continue to develop into the 21st century. Now in 2007 this historic water settlement will go before the halls of Congress for final approval. But will it pass? "The Water Haulers" features profiles of Navajos struggling to prosper in their dry ancestral lands, expert explanation of these pressing water rights issues, and interviews with policymakers throughout the Southwest. This documentary explores the challenges facing a culture when the basic human right of access to water is unobtainable. These are The Water Haulers. Originally broadcast on New Mexico PBS station KNME

Film can be seen here

Did you notice where it said " a centuries old dispute between the Navajo Nation and New Mexico over the water of the San Juan River Basin"... well not just NM but all of the four corner states... trust me the they knew but the Feds didn't want to act for fear of setting precedent and setting up other Tribes across the country to press their claims to natural resource rights



[edit on 8-4-2009 by DaddyBare]

reply to post by DaddyBare


I actually lived in AZ for awhile and I didn't hear about it then.
Becaue of the job I did I encountered a lot of native Americans (btw, I was told by several that they prefer Indian, is this incorrect?) but most keep their distance and provide little information.

Going from east to west provided some interesting insight. For one, easterner have no idea what is going on.

none.

My bff is always asked if she is NA because she has high cheekbones, Meanwhile she is 100% german.

no clue

Even while out there I didn't hear a lot. I was even friends with a coworker from the Navajo Nation and she never mentioned it me. Did mention the school system sucked. And a little of her culture, but that was it.

The other thing that I was quite shocked about was that there is still discrimination going on.

Apparently people out there think that the NA get free handouts and have it easy. I find it strange that they live there and should know better.

When my friend told me how they faced discrimination, I was like whaa?!?
because NA on the east coast are slightly revered.

I wouldn't say that on this side it is a lack of interest, but MSM seems to think it is not news.

I only heard about it on 30 Days. When Morgan Spurlock made light of it.

I have made it my mission to bring it to people's attention.

Of course the downside of some groups getting casinos is that people think everyone gets the money and everythign is peachy. But I tell people, a few tribes building casinos is as much benefit to everyone as Donald Trump is to white folks.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
I am sorry worm, your av freaks me out.

lol

eeeek. And i like worms.

Thank you Nixie! I hope it looks as if it is coming to slither on you! LOL

That was my intention when I made it!