Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert is a resident of the Hopi community in Arizona and therefore, is very concerned about Senate Bill 2109, which I’ve discussed in previous posts; including just yesterday. The Hopi and Navajo communities are still battling against this piece of pending legislation. This post is from Matthew’s blog “Beyond the Mesas,” in which former Navajo Chairman Peter MacDonald explains why SB 2109 is fraught with danger and racism. I honestly think Senators Jon Kyl and John McCain still believe the Hopi and Navajo communities will just let this go and ultimately not fight it. Let’s show them how wrong they are!
MacDonald: If Navajo can build casinos, it can build waterlines
Gallup Independent June 7, 2012
By Kathy Helms
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — If the Navajo Nation can borrow $200 million to build casinos, why would it give away the Navajo people’s future for $199 million worth of groundwater projects when it could borrow the money, build the pipelines itself and not have to answer to anybody?
That’s what former Navajo Nation Chairman Peter Mac-Donald wants to know.
“It doesn’t make sense to me at all,” he said. “You don’t have to give anything away that belongs to your people and particularly to the future generation.”
But that is exactly what Navajo will be doing if it agrees to the proposed Navajo-Hopi Little Colorado River Settlement and the two water projects it offers, he believes.
“It’s really sickening to see senators and representatives exploit the economic misery of the…
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Chief Writing Wolf 
Thanks, ChiefWritingWolf, for reblogging this post! I really appreciate your help in letting people know about SB 2019 and Hopi and Navajo attempts to stop this bill from becoming law. We must protect our indigenous rights!