Our existence is a difficult one with the coming of industrialization and other events of the past 150 years. And so it happened. The HTC agreed to sell a major part of Hopi land to the US for $5 million (Docket 196). The person to ask is President Carter. The date chosen by the US for a vote was one on which the traditional's would hold a religious ceremony. No other day was possible. Thus, the decision was left to a minority. (Only about 250 out of 6,000 voted on that day.) To tell of all these malpractice's of the US against the Hopi people would only make a lot of noise.

The difficulties began with Hopi people who adopted the white man’s ways. This was followed by the split of Oraibi and the founding of Hotevilla in 1906 to carry on the ways of the creator. These problems continue to exist. We traditional's do not approve of the policies of the US government or its presidents. In the past they have ignored invitations to visit Hopi Land. The Hopi see the US as a neighboring country. Part of the problem is because the HTC doesn’t think much of traditional's since they only hold old fashioned ideas. For those reasons our elders stood firm on their beliefs, and so, have stood in solidarity with the Dine people of surrounding areas. Since the Hopi are in serious trouble, the US government has promised to do everything possible to help out, to stop damaging our sacred land. This is not easy, because now the Hopi are divided. Two worlds are in conflict. In the USA we are known as the Hopi Tribe; a government comprised of a people who speak the Hopi language, but this does not exist. We exist, as we have always existed, as autonomous villages. Each village has to speak for, and protect it’s own Clan lands, and has its own headman. Recently, the HTC has appointed fake religious headmen to make necessary agreements and to sign on issues concerning village matters. These new fake elders have made a deep cut through Hotevilla village to install the sewer and water pipes to most of the homes last year, before the deadline to take away US funds. This has been a disaster to Hotevilla people because the traditionalists do not accept running water or electricity from the government. All land is sacred and the only way to maintain our way of life.

The US government offered a lousy $5 million for this land, which the HTC now says now has built up to $28 million. Minority rules: Rule is in the hands of the few who want to live in the white man’s way.

A recent sign made for Hotevilla village indicates that every white visitor is under Hotevilla jurisdiction. This is nonsense. We have no borders, as our stone tablet testifies that we claimed this land for Maasauu, its original owner, to protect it as our mother.

We Hopi traditional's are in our right when we are against the Peabody Coal Company and their abuse of the Earth. We have been waiting for this help from the Navajo, Paiute, and all peoples who respect The Land.

We will have to break away from this system of one will pay and one will not.

So we are at this stage; the temptations still stand.

To be chosen … You and I will decide.

May 13th 2000

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Back in the real world, things have been muddy, muddy, muddy. Lots of late rain, and then some early snow. The reaction of most people has been to smile. Much of this moisture will stay in the ground through the winter and cause a blooming, green spring. It also means that things slow down a little. When its muddy, the "roads" are muddy, so people don't attempt to travel much. Also means we don't get visitors. This time of the year, if you do drive anywhere, then you travel with a shovel, axe, and blanket. The shovel to dig yourself out of the snow or mud. The axe to cut brush to get you out of the mud or snow, and the blanket because sometimes even with a shovel and axe you aren't going to move, so need to spend the night in the vehicle.