For over a century, the Hopi have been embroiled in a struggle with the Navajo nation and the United States government to maintain their traditional land base. The roots of this conflict began in 1882 when President Chester A. Arthur established a reservation for the "Hopi and other such Indians" within the boundaries of the large Navajo Reservation. As the population of the Navajo grew, they began to occupy most of the territory, including Hopi land. The court established the Joint Use Area (JUA) in 1962, and in 1974 the JUA was petitioned into two areas--one exclusively for the Hopi, the other for the Navajo.

Regina Naha's carving records this event and its dispute. In 1996, President William Clinton signed legislation designed to end the century-old disagreement. This new law stipulates that the Navajo families may remain on Hopi land under a seventy-five-year lease. In return, the U.S. government will compensate the Hopi tribe with a payment that will likely be used to purchase five-hundred thousand acres of trust land in Northern Arizona to add to its reservation.





Cottonwood (Populus sp.), commercial paints, metal? wire, felt; L 20.0 x W 13.5 x H 21.0 cm; 35154-1