Background (Back to Native America Program Index)

Loloma and Ya’at’eeh!

The Colorado Plateau has long been inhabited by Native Peoples who have subsisted off the land.  Native American Nations make up about 25% of the region’s population and manage 30% of the land.  The Plateau Tribes are some of the most culturally distinct in the United States and they have worked to preserve their cultures while developing modern communities.  According to many of the Tribes’ histories, they were created on the Plateau and have covenants with the creator to be stewards of the earth and live a harmonious life within the region.

Unlike many of us relative newcomers, the Tribes have and always will live here.  Like the Plateau's unique array of plants and animals, the Native American nations and communities are an integral part of the Colorado Plateau system.

Current statistics show that Native peoples on the Colorado Plateau are faced with many social challenges on their lands including environmental injustice and high unemployment.  To survive, many Native peoples must live off the land and its resources.  Consequently, extracting those resources is the single largest revenue source for many Plateau tribes.  However, tribes are not the only natural resource dependent people in this region as much of the urban West relies on the 19 large, coal-fired power plants scattered across the Colorado Plateau for their power needs. 

Resource extraction has proven to be very costly to the Plateau environment and its inhabitants.  Air quality, health problems, and species extinction are a few of the issues with which all Colorado Plateau inhabitants must contend.  The future of the Colorado Plateau and its people is in question and it is the Trust’s view that the Native America Program is integral to our mission to protect and restore the Colorado Plateau for future generations.

The Trust is excited about the partnership and collaborative opportunities created by the Native America Program.  The current priority of this program is to assist the Hopi and western Navajo communities in creating a more diversified and sustainable economy, one that is less dependent on resource extractive and polluting industries. 

Program Focus

© by John Running

Establishing a diversified economy has been a continual challenge for tribal policy makers.  For much of the twentieth century, most federal economic proposals promoted natural resource development.  Tribal leaders and members rarely were allowed to evaluate a project’s long-term consequences on the ecology and tribal values, culture, and goals.  In addition, the Federal Trust Land system, which enables Tribes to develop businesses on their reservation, has mostly failed.  Complicated Tribal business site lease procedures have also discouraged business recruitment, expansion, and financing.

The Hopi Tribe and Navajo Nation have unemployment rates exceeding 40% and are overly dependent on

natural resource development.  According to a recent Navajo retail study, 70% of Native Americans' personal income is spent with businesses located off the reservation.  Thus, the aim of the program is to help reduce both Tribes’ dependence on natural resource development by establishing sustainable businesses and industry that create jobs and   help keep money on the reservations.

To achieve these goals, the Native America Program provides:

1. Culturally appropriate education on community-based, sustainable economic development strategies
2. Collaboration with Tribes and community organizations to create and/or expand five model sustainable businesses
3. Assistance with innovative approaches and resolutions to conservation issues.

Strategic Approach

The Native America Program is using a three-pronged strategic approach involving Community Outreach and Education. It combines assistance to community and non-governmental organizations with education on the status of air quality cleanup and community-based, sustainable economic development strategy. It also promotes strategic discussions in Hopi Villages and Navajo Chapters about the Community-Based Economic Renewal Principles that incorporate the following five tenets:

• Stop the flow of money out of native communities
• Support existing businesses to ensure their success
• Encourage new local enterprise
• Recruit new businesses compatible with native culture and values
• Work closely with communities and local entrepreneurs to identify and implement a few focused, sustainable economic development projects that offer immediate results  

Hopi and Navajo Community Outreach

The first step in our community outreach was to develop appropriate materials and presentations to illustrate the Trust’s goals and intentions.  Once this was accomplished, we met with key Hopi and Navajo tribal economic development officials and built strong relationships with the both tribes’ Economic Development and Tourism Departments.  We then began giving presentations at Navajo Chapter meetings and Hopi Village meetings.

The Navajo Nation local governments, called Chapters, elect officials and a legislative representative to the Navajo Nation Council.  Chapter meetings are similar to New England Town Halls – a Chapter meeting requires a quorum of at least 25 registered voters who pass or defeat resolutions.  To be allowed to take a resolution or make a presentation to a Chapter meeting, you must first present your item to a planning meeting of elected officials.   We have followed this process and made presentations to eight key Western Navajo Chapter meetings.   We have also developed strong relationships with important Chapter officials.  Several of the Chapters support our work and have invited us to coordinate in-depth economic renewal and business training.

Similarly, Hopi communities are called Villages.  Village governments have elected boards and a council representative.   We have made presentations to five Hopi Villages and have been invited to assist villages in their work on economic renewal and business ventures, such as the work with Sipaulovi Village. 

The Trust is committed to developing all outreach materials in both Hopi and Navajo language and we understand that integrating all views into our strategy is critical to a successful transition from a resource extractive economy to one that is more diverse. 

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