Ruth Benally
P.O. Box 64
Kykotsmovi, AZ 86039
December 28, 1999
To: The Hon. Eldridge Coochise
Hearing Officer
Hopi Tribe
8565 W. Granada Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85037
Re: The Hopi Tribe Petitioner vs. Marsha Monestersky, Respondent
in the Hopi
Tribe Exclusion Process, Hopi Indian Reservation, Kykotsmovi,
AZ
Support Statement for Marsha Monestersky
Dear The Hon. Eldridge Coochise,
We have known Marsha Monestersky ever since she came here and
we know that
she has been supporting the people here ever since. Her papers
are strong
and her words are strong. And she has let people know how we are
being
treated around the world. People know about what is going on here
because of
her. This is why the Hopi tribe behaves themselves. We like it
like way
this because we want to stay on the land. She is the only one
that is doing
that and if she is not here then who is going to work for us like
she does.
She has been working for us for several years and we feel a lot
stronger
because she is helping us.
We want her to stay here and continue working with us. We say,
keep her
here. We want her to continue. We are afraid if she is not here
that we
will be thrown off our land.
A lot of people here know her. In our way if a twin works on
something like
this issue, we will win one day. This is the way it is in our
belief. This
is what we believe in We want to stay on the land. We want a future
for our
family, with livestock, live like a traditional Navajo person.
We want to
keep our belief, our language. We want someone to support us and
that person
is Marsha Monestersky.
Some people are just in the way like ----- -------. They just
want money
and they are not solving our problems. That is not good. We want
someone
that will help us. This is serious. And the person that we have
chosen is
Marsha Monestersky.
I, Ruth Benally do not speak English and I trust Marsha who
knows English
very well and is very educated. The person that I want to help
me is Marsha
Monestersky.