Friday, March 29, 2024

Relocation/Livestock Impoundment Information Alert

August 7, 2001 by  
Filed under Voices from the Land

Below is a notice received by one of the Dineh. There are a number of  people receiving these at this time. A message from Carol Halberstadt below the notice tells what the individual Dineh family can do about such a notice.

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(this notice was recieved by a Dineh (Navajo) woman at Big Mountain who has signed the so-called accomodations agreement):

United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
Superintendent Land Operations
(520) 738-2249 Ext. 239

Hopi Agency
P.O. Box 158
Keams Canyon, Arizona 86034

FIVE DAY NOTICE LETTER

CERTIFIED NUMBER: XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

CERTIFIED MAIL – RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED

Dear Xxxx Xxxx, Census no. XXxx

Our records show that your grazing permit is for______Sheep, 7 Cows, and ______Horses), for a total of 28 SUYL’s. During the Accommodation Agreement negotiations you may have increased your livestock numbers in the expectation that you might receive an increase in the number of livestock you would be authorized to graze. All Accommodation Agreements have now been signed and all Accommodation Agreement permits have been issued.

Due to the drought conditions and the fact that the number of animals being grazed is in excess of the number authorized in the Accommodation Agreement, we will be diligently enforcing the Hopi Partitioned Lands
Grazing Regulations, 25 CFR 168. The animals described in the following paragraph are in excess of your permitted numbers and in accordance with Part 168.14(e), Title 25, Code of Federal Regulations ar in trespass. If these excess livestock are not removed within (5) days form the date of receipt of this notice, these animals will be impounded. Violation of permit provisions may cause your permit to be canceled.

The following livestock 24 Sheep, 4 Cow(s), and ___Horse(s), bearing brand -Xxx were observed grazing at large in Range Unit 262 and have been determined to be in excess of your permitted numbers. According to the Navajo Brand Book and/or our records, this brand is registered to you.

Your cooperation in this matter will be appreciated.

Sincerely,

Superintendent


Byron Clemens
Journalism/Publications Adviser
Gateway Institute of Technology
St. Louis Missouri, 63110
(314) 776-3300 ext. 4250
FAX:(314) 776-8267
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Livstock Impoundment at Big Mountain

The BIA has been sending out 5-day impoundment notices, and the Black Mesa Weavers for Life and Land are doing everything we can think of to forestall the impoundments. The notice sounds accurate. The Hopi Tribe
was holding meetings yesterday and today to explain Hopi Ordinance #43 9 (which goes into effect October 21), so I haven’t been able to reach anyone at the BIA or Navajo Nation the last two days. But I’ll be in touch with people again tomorrow and Friday (unless they’re gone for the week).

Individual Dine’ who receive such notices can go into Keams Canyon and appeal, on several grounds, to forestall confiscations: (a) the notice isn’t correct as to the animals, their brands, etc. (b) they may request
a “cow for sheep” swap if they prefer to protect their sheep or goats. The Navajo Nation and the BIA will help people move cattle (or any other animals) to Navajo Nation grazing lands. A permit holder can relist other animals in place of the ones on a permit. (c) they may move animals to relatives on NPL or elsewhere if possible. (d) they can keep “excess” animals corraled, and they will not be confiscated.

This permit holder, for example, seems to have 7 cows on her/his permit. That equals 28 sheep (according to the BIA criteria, although the USDA & BLM count one cow as 5 sheep, not 4 sheep). If this person wishes to
forestall confiscation, he or she can substitute 24 sheep and one cow for the 7 cows, if willing to have the cows moved onto Navajo Nation land. Not an ideal solution, and not the one we’re working for, but until things change this would at least keep the sheep from being impounded.

Carol
Black Mesa Weavers for Life and Land

P.S. The individual might also appeal on the basis of the drought conditions having ended…

— Carol S. Halberstadt, Migrations (carol@migrations.com)
Native American art and crafts /
Black Mesa Weavers for Life and Land
http://www.migrations.com

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