Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Arizona) is helping a Navajo Nation family maintain its connection to Wupatki National Monument in Arizona.

Stella Peshlakai Smith, 89, is the last tribal member with a residency permit in the monument. When she dies, the permit goes away unless Congress takes action.

“We’re trying to figure out the best path forward and will continue to keep stakeholders engaged,” Kilpatrick's chief of staff told The Washington Post.

Navajo families lived on the land before it became a monument in 1924. But many were evicted, or were told to leave, by the National Park Service.

”If anyone is allowed to claim to live on public lands, how are they public lands anymore?” Kayci Cook, superintendent of the Flagstaff Area National Monuments, told the Post.

Get the Story:
The last of the Navajos to live at Wupatki National Monument? (The Washington Post 3/26)

Related Stories:
Navajo Nation family wants to stay on national monument land (3/21)