Joseph Lodge
United States Attorneys Office
123 N. San Francisco St.
Flagstaff, AZ. 86001

Dear Assistant Attorney Joseph Lodge,

I am writing to you today concerning the future well being of the Dineh (Navajo) families living on the so-called Hopi Partitioned Lands of the former "Joint Use Area." I am also concerned about the federal government's position on this issue now especially after the Manybeads vs. United States ruling.

The majority of the very last Dineh residents on the "HPL" are TRADITIONAL elders and families who do not wish to relocate, nor sign their land to the Hopi Tribal Jurisdiction. They only wish to carry on their traditional lifestyle on the land they have held for generations.

I recognize how complex and difficult your position must be. I recognize that the federal government has "dealt" with this situation for decades. I ask you to try to truly imagine how horrifying it must be for these Dineh families. Their entire world and culture is inseparably tied to this land, and they must face the threat of imminent eviction, enforced by the federal government. They must witness the erosion of their people and their culture, as many families have relocated to unfamiliar plots of land where they have no roots. Those that have struggled to remain must witness the destruction of the future of their sacred sites, burial grounds, springs, and the ongoing depletion of the natural water supplies due to Peabody Western Coal Companys' strip-mining operations.

The Relocation Acts (PL93-531 of 1974 and S1973 of 1996) have devastated the Dineh communities and their intertribal relations with the Hopis, and have violated their sovereignty as well as their religious freedom. These unjust laws have also created a situation where the United Nations Human Rights Commission is currently investigating for genocide.

The U.S. government concerns itself with and opposes Human Rights violations abroad, such as in the former Yugoslavia and China. Thus, I believe that the U.S. Government should be equally forceful in its opposition to Religious Intolerance, Displacement and Cruel Punishment, and Genocide manifested in these relocation policies, within its own borders.

Under no circumstances should any traditional Dineh resident be removed without their consent.

In the handling of this issue, I strongly urge you to seek an immediate and just solution that respects the dignity and sovereignty of the Dineh. Please support these Traditional Dineh and Hopi wishes and uphold their rights to self-determination and the right to pursue their religion and culture.

Mr. Lodge, the world is watching in hopes that you will reconsider these policies affecting the Dineh.

Sincerely,