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Former Navajo chair issues challenge on Peabody
Thursday, May 4, 2006

Former Navajo Nation Chairman Peter MacDonald said the tribe needs to stand up to Peabody Coal and every other corporation that is seeking to exploit natural resources on the reservation.

MacDonald said current tribal leaders appear to be bending to the will of Peabody in a dispute over the operation of coal mines on the reservation. "Everybody starts shaking in their boots and then they say, 'OK, what else do you want?'" he told a Navajo water rights group, The Gallup Independent.

But instead of coming from a position of weakness, the tribe should be proactive, MacDonald said. He said if Peabody isn't willing to pay for the use of Navajo assets, the company should "go fly a kite."

MacDonald supports the jobs and revenues generated by the mines. But he said the promise of employment and money is being used to back the tribe into corners.

Get the Story:
'Tell Peabody to fly a kite' (The Gallup Independent 5/3)

Relevant Links:
Hopi Tribe - http://www.hopi.nsn.us
Navajo Nation - http://www.navajo.org
Peabody Energy - http://www.peabodyenergy.com
Southern California Edison - http://www.sce.com

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