John Benally

P.O. Box 733

Hotevilla, AZ 86030

 

To: Ms. Mary Robinson, High Commissioner for Human Rights

Mr. Abdelfattah Amor, Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance

Mr. Francis Deng, Special Rapporteur for Internally Displaced Persons

United Nations Commission on Human Rights

Habitat-Right to housing

 

Re: Non-signer of the 75-year lease Agreement

 

I am a non-signer of the 75-year lease Agreement. When my mother, Alice Benally died we were not allowed to bury her on Hopi Partition Land (HPL) where we live. This is a cruel punishment. The Hopi tribal officials say our right to live here and have livestock died with her. But I remain here, taking care of our land and livestock. I want my rights to my home, land and property recognized.

 

We need to be able to fix our homes or make new homes our traditional way. For the last 32 years it has been against the law from the federal government for us to have any services, including our ability to fix our homes. Winter is coming and it is hard to survive. So right now we just live in a hen house. Every winter I try to hustle peoples plastic. There are a lot of people with children and young people that don't have a home. In our way a home is part of our peoples belief once you are over 16 to have your own place. You're mind is together if you have a home. It's part of Dineh existence and part of our culture.

 

We need water badly. If we ever get water we don't want to pay for it. We don't work at regular jobs and don't have the resources to pay a lot of the time. I don't. Recently the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) capped off the Rocky Ridge School Public Water supply for two weeks without notice so they can give water lines to other folks living on Navajo Partition Land (NPL), none for the people on Hopi Partition Land (HPL). We are not allowed to have water. The Rocky Ridge School is threatening us, saying they will shut off the water once those folks get water. An elder, Rena Babbitt Lane is already hauling water from 16 miles each way on very rough roads. How far are we going to have to travel to haul our water?

 

When my mother, Alice Benally died we were not allowed to bury her on HPL. She had to be buried somewhere else. This is cruel punishment. They say that our livestock permit died with her so that means the BIA can impound our livestock at any time. It also means that I am treated as a trespasser on HPL with no rights to the home I live in. But I am still carrying on, living here and taking care of our livestock. I need my rights recognized including my rights to a home, water, and livestock. I honor my mother and my ancestors and stand firmly by my human rights.

Yours sincerely,

John Benally