BY KRISTA ALLEN
WESTERN AGENCY BUREAU
BODAWAY-GAP, Ariz. – The Resources and Development Committee last Wednesday passed the first legislation of the year, approving supplemental appropriation from the ’Azis Niłhiní for home construction in the former Bennett Freeze area.
The legislation, sponsored by Council Delegate Tauchoney Slim Jr. (Bodaway-Gap/Coppermine/Kaibeto/LeChee/ Tonalea-Red Lake), was passed 3-0-1 during RDC’s special meeting at the chapter house here.
In the meeting, conducted entirely in Diné bizaad, Slim emphasized that houses are extremely needed for families in his home community of Tonalea-Red Lake, Arizona, one of the nine Western Navajo chapters that sits in the former Bennett Freeze.
Development was halted on 1.5 million acres of tribal land in 1966 by then-commissioner of Indian Affairs, Robert L. Bennett. The land was claimed by both the Diné and the Kiis’áanii. Bennett imposed the ban to stop either tribe from exploiting the other while they discussed ownership.
The ban became known as the Bennett Freeze, meaning that the people living on the land could not erect houses, businesses, or even repair their roofs. Infrastructure was also not permitted.
The land dispute carried on for 43 years, leaving the people in deplorable living conditions.
The Navajo Times in 2015 did a series looking at living conditions on the former Bennett Freeze, finding that most houses are dilapidated, lack plumbing, and are not connected to the electrical grid.
Slim said one cannot blame the condition of those houses on the residents.
“And it’s not because they are lazy. They were told not to build,” he said. “Now they think that this is the way to live – and it’s not. They think it’s OK to live like that, but there are better options.”
Slim said the White Mesa, Arizona-based Tonalea Community Development Committee worked for more than a year on this legislation that calls for $543,200 from the ’Azis Niłhiní, or the Unreserved, Undesignated Fund Balance for the construction of 10 houses.
“This is not a promise that I made to my people,” Slim said. “This is what they want, this is their planning.”
When Cindy S. Covey was 2 years old, the development ban was imposed on the land.
“I was living on it and there were no jobs,” said Covey. “When I grew up and started a family, I moved with them to Phoenix. When my children grew up, I came home.”
Now, Covey is the chairwoman of the TCDC, a subcommittee of Tonalea-Red Lake Chapter that empowers its constituent body to seek a better future and to do what is best for them within in the former Bennett Freeze area.
Covey said when the ban was lifted in 2009, many families in Tonalea-Red Lake received small extensions to their houses, adding space for a bathroom through chapter funds.
“The homes are in disrepair and the chapter did extensions for bathrooms,” Covey said. “And children are living in these conditions, an environment made up of mold. That’s how these people live, yet the chapter decided to do extensions.”
In her address to the RDC, Covey explained how the housing project would be pinching pennies if the money is approved.
“The building material for the10 homes, we’re going to buy below wholesale materials,” Covey said. “That’s where the cost (cutting) is for these homes.”
Covey acknowledged Francis S. Oda, chairman of Honolulu, Hawaii-based Group 70 International Inc., whose architecture firm would be designing the homes, helping the project shave off a considerable amount of money from its budget.
Slim said the project is saving nearly $60,000 over hiring any other architect to design the homes.
“Our people have seen the blueprints for the homes. And they’re really nice homes,” Covey added. “Our people want homes, that’s the reason we’re doing this.”
Tonalea-Red Lake Chapter would also be providing the project with matching funds.
Delegate Walter Phelps (Cameron/Coalmine Canyon/ Leupp/Tolani Lake/Tsídii To’ii) commented that $3 million has been approved for the construction of 36 homes in the former Bennett Freeze.
“And that money has already been earmarked and each of the (nine) chapters is supposed to get a portion,” Phelps explained.
The money is now in the hands of the Navajo Housing Authority, which will build four new houses in each of the nine chapters, according to Phelps.
“But this (Tonalea-Red Lake) housing project is calling for more money in addition to $3 million,” Phelps said.
Ervin Chavez, chairman of the Navajo Housing Authority’s board of commissioners, said a second lead agency agreement is the only thing left to begin the 36-unit housing project. The agreement should be approved on Feb. 2.
This legislation will now go before Budget and Finance Committee, then to Naabik’íyáti’, and finally the Navajo Nation Council.