November 10, 1999

Dear (Name left out at teachers request)

Thank you for your letter regarding housing and relocation benefits
pursuant to the Navajo-Hopi land dispute settlement. As you may know, I
sponsored legislation which ratified a settlement proposal between the Navajo
Nation, the Hopi Tribe and the United States to bring to closure this land
dispute which has continued for decades in and out of the courts.

The Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act (Public Law 104-301) allows
Navajo families to remain on their traditional homesites for seventy-five
years with the option to renew for an additional seventy-five years with the
option to renew for an additional seventy-five years. Families choosing to
sign these agreements will be able to continue their lifestyles, including
their religious practices. The 1994 Act authorized the Navajo-Hopi
Relocation Housing Program in order to meet the obligations under the
Settlement Agreement in order to provide relocation benefits to Navajo
families who elect to relocate from the Hopi Partitioned land rather than
sign the Accommodation Agreement. The application for these benefits must be
sent to the Office of Navajo-Hopi Relocation Commission.

Additionally, under the Navajo and Hopi Land Settlement Act of 1974 (P.L.
93-531), certain individuals residing on Hopi Partition land were eligible to
receive relocation benefits. Under this law, individuals seeking relocation
benefits not only had to be residing on the land, but had to make a timely
application for these benefits. If you believe that any claims were not
considered appropriately, I suggest you contact the Navajo-Hopi Legal
Services Office at (520)283-4541.

I am unable, as a United States Senator, to intervene in any internal
dispute associated with Tribal governments.

I hope the claims for individuals who are eligible for housing or
relocation benefits pursuant to these laws will be settled. I continue to
believe that we must bring the relocation process to an orderly and certain
conclusion.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to do so in the
future on any other matter of concern.

Sincerely,
John (signed)
John McCain
United States Senator
McCain Address
241 Russell Senate Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-0303
(202) 224-2235

Want to do something about this ?

Email Sen. McCain  (go to bottom of his page to "ask a new question" concerning Native Americans). Although  Presidential  Hopeful , McCain has recently denied knowledge and evaded questions on the relocation issue, he was the main sponsor of the 1996 Accommodation Agreement (P.L. 104-301).

Call Sen McCain Toll Free 877. 905.7700 to express your viewpoints