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in coopera2 pastors and If of the Navajo and

our Conference Board of Global Mi of adjoining states and the Nazfor in the area, advocate with and on a just settle ant of this issue, and; wweɔ that the Dasem Southwest Annual Confe me encourage local bars to study the issue and a Bless their congressional repre

ves.

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ike to take this opportunity to congratulate you on the introductise

pi/Navajo Land Settlement Act of 1986.

e 232,000

"e

The introduction of this legis
After twelve years under this

a signifies the failure of Public Law 93-531.

ict we now have the opportunity to examine what was wrought by Congress in
The Udall/McCain proposed legislation enables us to

passing the Act of 1974.

take an historical look backwards and a cautious look forward.

rized and

It is obvious from the evidence of those twelve years that the relocation of
traditional peoples, given any and all safeguards, does not work. Rather than
adapting to a new way of life, these people have become sociological statistics
The relocatees and their coming generations

in government and private agencies.

could conceivably rotate between social programs for years to come. The
destructiveness of the relocation process is not limited to individuals and
their families. The current damage to the overall Indian culture is devastating

and its actual effect may take years to assess.

It is in

With this much evidence available to us now, we must look to the future in a
considered, cautious manner. We must insure that any subsequent legislation
protects from further injury, these people who have suffered so much.
this light that I write regarding the Udal1/McCain proposed legislation (the
Hopi/Navajo Land Exchange Act of 1986). It is my hope that you will consider
and respond to the following issues:

POINTS OF CONSIDERATION:

1.

?.

Given the failure of the United States government to carry out its
program under the Hopi/Navajo Relocation Act as prescribed, it would
seem that the United States has significant liability, likened to that
of the Japanese relocation in the 1940's. Under your bill, are we now
placing that liability in the laps of the Navajo by asking them to pass
a resolution and to accept responsibility for resolving the process of
relocation?

Under your prosposed legislation, the residents of the Joint Use Area
seem to have little voice in the decisions regarding their welfare and

ld

SUBJECT: NAVAJO/HOPI LAND SETTLEMENT ACT

WHEREAS the unity we find in Christ recognizes that "we are neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female", and;

WHEREAS our Social Principles (1980) read "The conditions of Indian people continue to deteriorate on a national and international level through the genocidal policies of various governments and regimes in the Western Hemisphere, through land and resource acquisition by multinational corporations, sterilization, mass murder, and the denial of religious freedom." and;

WHEREAS the Navajo/Hopi Land Settlement Act (P.L. 93-531) passed by Congress in 1974 has caused grave hardship among the 13,000 Navajo people dislocated from their land and threatens the traditional lifestyle of both the Navajo and Hopi people, and;

WHEREAS the settlement act is significantly motivated by economic gains by energy production firms seeking easier access to coal and uranium, and;

WHEREAS the government has failed to provide promised land for relocation and has forced Navajo people into non-traditional lifestyles in Gallup and Flagstaff leading to many cases of destitution, Hopi lifestyles are equally threatened, and;

WHEREAS attempts have been made to soften the impact by involving the B.I.A. in relocation procedures, and most recently by the introduction of Public Law 96305 by Morris Udahl, but these attempts do not address the whole problem. THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Desert Southwest Annual Conference calls upon the Congress of the U.S. to repeal the Land Settlement Act (P.L. 93-531), and;

5D IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we notify the congressional representatives and Senators representing the people within the bounds of the Annual Conference of our position, and;

BE UT FURTHER RESOLVED that our Conference Board of Global Mir
alon with the Boards of adjoining states and the Nation
uristers serving in the area, advocate with and on
Hopi people for a just set-levant of this issue,

in coopera

and pastors and

of the Navajo and

SE IT FURIER RESOLVED that the Dasar Southwest Annual Confie mice encourage local church members to study the issue and dress their congressional representatives.

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I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on the introduction of
the Hopi/Navajo Land Settlement Act of 1986. The introduction of this legis la-
tion signifies the failure of Public Law 93-531. After twelve years under this
Act we now have the opportunity to examine what was wrought by Congress in
passing the Act of 1974. The Údall/McCain proposed legislation enables us to
take an historical look backwards and a cautious look forward.

It is obvious from the evidence of those twelve years that the relocation of
traditional peoples, given any and all safeguards, does not work. Rather than
adapting to a new way of life, these people have become sociological statistics
in government and private agencies. The relocatees and their coming generations
could conceivably rotate between social programs for years to come. The
destructiveness of the relocation process is not limited to individuals and
their families. The current damage to the overall Indian culture is devastating
and its actual effect may take years to assess.

With this much evidence available to us now, we must look to the future in a
considered, cautious manner. We must insure that any subsequent legislation
protects from further injury, these people who have suffered so much. It is in
this light that I write regarding the Udall/McCain proposed legislation (the
Hopi/Navajo Land Exchange Act of 1936). It is my hope that you will consider
and respond to the following issues:

POINTS OF CONSIDERATION:

1.

?.

Given the failure of the United States government to carry out its
program under the Hopi/Navajo Relocation Act as prescribed, it would
seem that the United States has significant liability, likened to that
of the Japanese relocation in the 1940's. Under your bill, are we now
placing that liability in the laps of the Navajo by asking
them to pass

a resolution and to accept responsibility for resolving the process of
relocation?

Under your prosposed legislation, the residents of the Joint Use Area
seem to have little voice in the decisions regarding their welfare and

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