The following statement was released by Navajo Nation President
    Albert Hale on Wednesday March 26, 1997.  This statement addresses
    some concerns about a deadline for Navajo families to sign an
    agreement with the Hopi Tribe that would allow them to remain on
    lands partitioned to the Hopi Tribe by congress in 1974.  This
    lease is for 75 years.  

    Please PASS THIS ON TO OTHERS.

Unfortunately, as we near the critical March 31st deadline for Navajo families who live on Hopi Partitioned Lands (HPL) to enter into a 75-year lease with the Hopi Tribe, there are misunderstandings about what will take place.

First, I assure you that there will be no evictions taking place on April 1, 1997. The Hopi Tribe and the United States have also assured the individual families that no immediate evictions will be taking place.

Instead, the truth is that beginning April 1st, or soon thereafter, the federal relocation office in Flagstaff, Arizona, the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation Commission (ONHIR), will begin visiting Navajo families on HPL who have not entered into an Accommodation Agreement with the Hopi Tribe.

These families will be given a 90-day notice by ONHIR to choose whether they will voluntarily relocate from HPL or not. At this stage, it may take ONHIR anywhere from one to three months to reach all affected Navajo families on HPL. A particular family's 90-day notice may end at a different date from their neighbor's. At the end of the 90-day period, ONHIR will categorize individuals and families into those who will voluntarily relocate, and those who will not

For those individuals and families who agree to voluntarily relocate, they will go through the normal process with ONHIR to receive relocation benefits.

By agreeing to voluntarily relocate after the March 31st deadline, these families will still have a choice of where to move and what type of house they want built.

On the other hand, for those families and individuals who refuse to relocate away from HPL after the 90-day notice, the Hopi Tribe and US government has indicated that they may have waived all their rights in deciding where to move and what type of house to live in.

By law, the US Government and the Hopi Tribe cannot evict a Navajo who is otherwise eligible for relocation benefits until a house is constructed on the New Lands for that person.

Therefore, contrary to the misinformation being circulated, no one, I repeat, no one at this time will be evicted on April 1, 1997 or very soon thereafter. If eviction occurs, it will be done according to the process I have outlined here. I am doing everything I can to prevent us from ever having to face evictions.

Secondly, I have begun to hear statements that the Navajo Nation Council has not yet agreed to pay the required rental under the Accommodation Agreement. This statement is used to confuse HPL residents at this critical time. The truth is that the Navajo Nation is already required by federal law to pay the Hopi Tribe for Navajo use (homesite, grazing and farming) of HPL.

This federal law does not require the consent of the Navajo Nation Council. I repeat, the Navajo Nation Council has already stated that it is a matter of individual choice whether to sign the Accommodation Agreement. I assure every HPL resident that I will maintain my position that the Navajo Nation morally and legally obligated to pay the rent on behalf of HPL residents. My administration will also continue to work on a settlement with the Hopi Tribe as to how this rental can be paid.

I call upon all Navajo people to join me and say a prayer for peace, understanding and a return to harmony for those families who are faced with a difficult choice, and who are facing the March 31st deadline. Let us also pray and give thanks for the beautiful sunrise the Holy People will bring on April 1st. May the Holy People continue to bless and guide each and everyone one of us.