Navajo Nation moves ahead with purchase of ranch near sacred mountain
Thursday, July 27, 2017
The Navajo Nation is moving forward with the purchase of a property in Colorado that sits near one of the tribe's four sacred mountains.
The Navajo Nation Council gave final approval on Tuesday to Legislation 0269-17. The bill authorizes the acquisition of the Wolf
Springs Ranch for $23 million.
“There is tremendous potential for development in certain areas of the ranch while also providing the opportunity for conservation of the pristine landscape from which our sacred mountain of Tsisnaasjini’ can be viewed,” President Russell Begaye said in a press release on Wednesday.
Tsisnaasjini’, or Sisnaajini, is the Navajo name for Mount Blanca. The sacred mountain marks the eastern boundary of the tribe's historical territory.
RMABrokers on YouTube: Wolf Springs Ranch - Westcliffe, Colorado - Ranches for Sale by Ranch Marketing Associates
“Our Navajo people have historically inhabited this area and this ranch brings us closer to connecting with our ancestral ties to the land,” Begaye said.
The Wolf Springs Ranch was put on the market for $54.7 million in 2014 although the price was recently lowered to $49 million. The entire property covers about 56,000 acres but the seller is willing to split it up into three portions, according to Ranch Marketing Associates.
The tribe has entered into a contract to buy a 16,357-acre portion for $23 million. The property includes more than 230 head of cattle and more than 300 head of bison, Begaye said.
