"One of the most enduring complaints of American Indian officials has been that getting anything done on a reservation takes forever because of the red tape involved in dealing with the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs or the tribal council.

There's even an old joke that Navajos sometimes tell: How long does it take to start a business on the reservation? Answer: Twenty years to life.

Indians are no strangers to projects being delayed by the need to comply with the alphabet-soup regulations of four or five agencies, but in the case of Coleman Road the tribe is evidently out of patience. It has refused to change its decision requiring that Coleman Road, which crosses reservation land and leads to a wildcat subdivision, be closed by Friday.

Coleman Road is the only access to a small group of homes that are not on the reservation. In all, 72 homeowners will lose access to their homes, west of Three Points and south of Arizona 86, if the Tohono O'odham stick to a decision to close the road."

Get the Story:
Editorial: O'odham should let Coleman Road stay open awhile (The Arizona Daily Star 8/30)

Related Stories:
Tohono O'odham Nation ready to close illegal road (07/18)