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BIA blames harassment of elder on Hopis


The Bureau of Indian Affairs says its agents did not rough up an elderly Navajo woman who lives on Hopi land in Arizona.

The BIA says it was Hopis who harassed Rena Babbitt Lane, 84. "They are not BIA employees," a Washington, D.C., official told The Gallup Independent.

Lane had identified, by name, three BIA agents whom she said dragged her from her home on November 4. She suffered a heart attack during the incident.

The BIA said the Hopi Tribe will address the incident. The Independent said the tribe didn't have a response as of Wednesday.

Get the Story:
BIA: Hopis allegedly abused woman (The Gallup Independent 11/30)

Relevant Documents:
Hopi-Navajo Intergovernmental Compact

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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