No Vote Today on Navajo-Hopi Water Settlement

Native News Network Staff in Native Currents. Discussion »

WINDOW ROCK, ARIZONA – The Navajo Nation Council Special Session to address the Hopi-Navajo water rights settlement, tentatively scheduled for today, was cancelled. Speaker Johnny Naize cancelled the session due to a shortage of council delegate signatures on the petition for a special session.

Water Rights along the Little Colorado River
include US Senate Bill 2109

The Navajo Nation Code states,

“The Speaker of the Navajo Nation Council acting on written petition of a majority of all Council Delegates or request by message from the President.”

On June 14, the special session for the Navajo Nation Council to decide on the water rights settlement was tentatively scheduled for June 27.

“I apologize for the late cancellation of the special session but the Navajo Nation Code is the law of the Navajo Nation and it cannot be circumvented despite the fact that the water rights settlement is a high profile issue,”

Naize stated.

Speaker Naize also expressed his apologies to Diné citizens who may have already made plans to attend the special session and encouraged all citizens to continue their diligent participation on all matters related to the water rights settlement.

The meeting is cancelled without a date set for a future meeting. Speaker Naize will inform the public when a definitive plan is once more in place.

posted June 27, 2012 6:40 am edt