Advertise:   ads@blueearthmarketing.com   712.224.5420

Law
Navajo woman faces charges in Hopi tribal court


An 84-year-old Navajo woman pleaded not guilty to cutting a fence on the Hopi Reservation in Arizona.

Rena Babbitt Lane lives on land that was the subject of a dispute between the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe. The tribes agreed to end their disagreement and lift a decades-old ban on construction known as the Bennett Freeze.

But Lane, who only speaks Navajo, allegedly cut a fence in the freeze are on November 4, the Hopi Tribe says. That led to an incident with Hopi and Navajo officer in which she was allegedly harassed and suffered a heart attack.

The incident was initially blamed on Bureau of Indian Affairs officers but the agency says it was not involved.

Get the Story:
Lane pleads not guilty to cutting fence in Freeze (The Gallup Independent 1/9)

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

Related Stories:
Former Navajo chairman speaks on elder abuse (12/08)
Rep. Renzi seeks funds for Navajo-Hopi efforts (12/7)
Navajo elders march in protest of elder abuse (12/6)
Judge approves Hopi-Navajo land agreement (12/6)
BIA blames harassment of elder on Hopis (12/1)
Navajos upset over BIA treatment of elder (11/28)
Elderly Navajo woman says BIA rangers assaulted her (11/27)
Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe to sign agreement (11/3)
Hopi Tribe approves agreement with Navajo Nation (10/13)
Navajo president signs Hopi land agreement (10/2)
Navajo-Hopi land agreement moves forward (9/27)
Navajo-Hopi land agreement up for review (9/26)
Deal to settle Navajo-Hopi dispute rejected (08/24)
Deal reportedly near on Hopi-Navajo dispute (8/18)
Navajo Nation moves to fight land dispute bill (07/27)
Navajo-Hopi land conflict still stirs hard feelings (07/07)
Hopis, Navajos divided over land dispute measure (06/23)
Listening Lounge: Hearing on Navajo-Hopi land act (6/21)
House Resources hearing on Navajo-Hopi land bill (6/20)
Navajo woman refuses to leave home on Hopi land (02/06)
McCain prods tribes, government on tribal land dispute (07/22)
Senate hearing on Navajo-Hopi land settlement bill (7/21)
Navajos oppose McCain bill on Navajo-Hopi settlement (7/15)