Leonard Bennally
P.O. Box 733
Hotevilla, AZ 86030

To: The Hon. Eldridge Coochise
Hearing Officer
Hopi Tribe
8565 W. Granada Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85037

December 13, 1999

 

Re: The Hopi Tribe Petitioner vs. Kee Shay, Respondent in the Hopi Tribe
Exclusion Process, Hopi Indian Reservation, Kykotsmovi, AZ

Statement of Support for Kee Shay

Dear The Hon. Eldridge Coochise

You know the man Kee Shay, he is older than you. So please let’s have some
respect for elders. Kee Shay is an elderly and is handicapped, hard of
hearing. You don’t have to pick on him. If you are going to pick on
someone, pick on someone that understands the language and knows about the
law so they know what is going on. The man is not educated because he is a
traditional elderly person. That is who he is. The only thing he knows is
his own ways of life here. He has lived in this area his whole life,
especially what is called Hopi Partitioned Land.

So, please have some respect for him. That way, he can probably talk to you.
What he knows is the Hopi Tribe has no respect for his way of life. The
Hopi Tribe is the oppressor against Kee Shay. But Kee Shay knows the
traditional Hopi people. The Hopi prophecy is love and peace. But if the
Hopi tribe is going against someone like him, then they are not a Hopi, they
are Kay Hopi. So let’s have some respect. That is what I have to say for my
uncle Kee Shay, speaking on his behalf. All I want to say is have some
respect, his life is the only law he knows. But we are being called outlaws
for living on our own land where we have always lived.

Think deep down in your hearts, that is the only way the respect will come.
That is the tradition here.

Yours sincerely,

 

Leonard Bennally

cc: Joe Washington, Esq.
Scott Canty, Esq.

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Pauline Whitesinger
P.O. Box 1073
Hotevilla, AZ 86030

December 16, 1999

To: The Hon. Eldridge Coochise
Hearing Officer
Hopi Tribe
8565 W. Granada Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85037

 

Re: The Hopi Tribe Petitioner vs. Kee Shay, Respondent in the Hopi Tribe
Exclusion Process, Hopi Indian Reservation, Kykotsmovi, AZ

Support Statement for Kee Shay

Dear The Hon. Eldridge Coochise,

From my point of view I know Kee Shay. I know him. He’s older than me. He
was born in the same area where he lives now. He grew up in this area. We
were children together at one time. My mother was his grandmother. And Kee
Shay’s mother was my eldest sister.

We were nomadic families at one time. We used to migrate from the east to
the south and to the west and the north and back to the east. That is how we
move our camp around Big Mountain all our lives. That is why he lives at Big
Mountain. And I live in the vicinity of Big Mountain too.

I know him well. He’s a gentle and kind person. He never talks bad about
anybody. You all consider the Hopi boundary fence line to be a holy status,
but then the Navajo people themselves made the fence. I know that the Navajo
people worked on the fence because in 1977 we had a confrontation with Navajo
people that were working on it in the Big Mountain area. That is why I know.
So at that time Kee Shay was still living in the area of Big Mountain.

The fence line had divided Kee Shay’s customary use area. His winter camp is
on Hopi Partition Land (HPL) and his summer camp is on Navajo Partition Land
(NPL). So he is trapped on NPL and being excluded from HPL. He is being
harassed on NPL by his own relatives that are neighbors. This is what I can
tell you from my knowledge.

Please let Kee Shay rebuild on HPL because he was doing home repair when the
Hopi Rangers told him to stop. Please don’t bother us. We grew up
experiencing traditional ceremonies so the area of where Kee Shay’s customary
use area is sacred ground. The ceremony I am talking about is a nine day
ceremony that was done for Kee Shay’s mother. I get harassed by the Hopi
Rangers the same thing Kee Shay is experiencing. And we are elderly people
and ask you please do not abuse us. We don’t want to be harassed because we
have to take care of our family and our grandchildren. That is why we have
to live for them.

 

 

 

December 16, 1999
To: The Hon. Eldridge Coochise
Hearing Officer
Hopi Tribe
Page 2

 

That is all I have to say.

Yours sincerely,

 

 

Pauline Whitesinger

 

 

Translated and Witnessed by: _______________________________________
Bonnie Whitesinger

 

 

 

cc: Joe Washington, Esq.
Scott Canty, Esq.

 

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Marsha Monestersky
P.O. Box 1968
Kaibeto, AZ 86053

December 15, 1999

To: The Hon. Eldridge Coochise, Hearing Officer
Hopi Tribe
8565 W. Granada Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85037

Re: The Hopi Tribe Petitioner vs. Kee Shay, Respondent in the Hopi Tribe
Exclusion Process, Hopi Indian Reservation, Kykotsmovi, AZ

Support Statement for Kee Shay

Dear The Hon. Eldridge Coochise,

I wish to affirm my support for Kee Shay and his continued presence on Hopi
Partition Land (HPL). Kee Shay should be covered under the same protections
given to other non-signers. Kee Shay considers himself a non-signer of the
Accommodation Agreement (AA) even though he is not included on the "A" or "B"
List. For your consideration is the fact that in one of the exchanges of
documents in the negotiations, the Hopi agreed to offer leases to any Dineh
who could demonstrate residence on HPL - not just the ones on the A&B lists.
The Hopi were only obligated to issue 112 leases (the size of the A list),
but as long as all 112 slots were not used, other people who could
demonstrate residence were eligible to apply for leases.
Kee Shay is able to demonstrate his qualification under these expanded terms
of eligibility. And if deemed eligible, but merely refusing to enter into an
agreement, then he should be entitled to the same protections to which other
non-signers are entitled until Feb 1.
Kee Shay has a right to dual residency since he is married to one wife, Elsie
Shay on NPL and another wife, May Shay on HPL. Since his wife on HPL is not
a NPL resident, this protection should apply equally to her. If May Shay were
then granted non-signer status and entitled to at least a temporary
residency, then the court must consider that the Hopi tribe can not deny her
husband the right to be with her.
Due to this and his life long residency in this area, it is my hope the court
will rule to allow Kee Shay the ability to continue living his traditional
lifestyle, fix his hogan and graze his animals at his residence on HPL. Any
other action would constitute a violation of his rights to dual residency and
conjugal rights with his wife. Certainly Kee Shay is not a threat to the
Hopi tribe, rather he should be respected and treasured as an elder that
possesses great integrity. Rather than being threatened with exclusion, Kee
Shay should be protected as an elder that is handicapped and hard of
hearing. It is my hope that this court will dismiss the exclusion order
issued against Kee Shay.

Yours sincerely,

 

Marsha Monestersky
Consultant to Sovereign Dineh Nation

cc: Joe Washington, Esq. and Scott Canty, Esq

 

 

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