The Hopi Tribe of Arizona has approved an agreement aimed at ending a decades-old dispute with the Navajo Nation.

The agreement seeks to ensure Navajo and Hopi tribal members can exercise their religious and traditional rights on land belonging to either tribe. It lifts the 40-year-old "Bennett Freeze" that prohibited construction on disputed land.

The Hopi council voted 18-0 this week to accept the deal. Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. and the Navajo Nation Council have already approved the agreement, which now goes to a federal judge and the Interior Department for review.

Get the Story:
Navajo, Hopi tribes settle long-running land dispute (AP 10/13)

Senate Bill:
Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Amendments of 2005 (S.1003)

Relevant Documents:
Hearing Before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on S. 1003, Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Amendments of 2005 (July 20, 2005)

Relevant Links:
Hopi Tribe - http://www.hopi.nsn.us
Navajo Nation - http://www.navajo.org
Black Mesa Indigenous Support, Navajo family support site - http://www.blackmesais.org

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