This is a Time of Emergency

Since March 14, 2020, over 71.6 million Americans filed initial claims for unemployment. U.S. employers were down 20.5 million jobs in April 2020 alone. Since March 2020, America has lost a net of 8.6 million jobs. America is in crisis.

For the Navajo Nation, sadly, this is virtually business as usual. Here, unemployment has hovered around 40% for decades. When the federal government oversaw the resolution of the land dispute between the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe, the decision was to freeze all development activity for 40 years. No infrastructure was built. No water systems were constructed. No houses were fixed. No fences were mended. On very rare occasions some development occurred, but only after years of painstaking negotiations with the Hopi Tribe.

When the federal government was seeking a place for the 10,000 Navajo people who were forced to relocate, land was bought in the watershed downstream of the largest release of radioactive material in U.S. history—bigger than Three Mile Island.

When the Coronavirus struck in March 2020, 60% of all Native Americans in the United States testing positive were Navajo. They could not wash their hands because they have no water systems. They could not socially distance because there were already four generations of Navajo people living in their dilapidated homes. Compounding matters, the last time that America had a pandemic, 102 years ago, the death rate for Native Americans was four times greater than any other ethnicity.

Navajo Nation is in crisis.

But…Navajo Nation Has a Plan

The Nez-Lizer Administration, combined with the 24th Navajo Nation Council, has made a strong commitment to the plight of those impacted by the Bennett Freeze and the Forced Relocation. Known today as the Navajo Thaw Implementation Plan, Navajo is leading a regional planning approach designed to establish, for the first time, a diversified economy on the Nation’s largest Indian Reservation.

Already, 10 Chapters impacted by the Bennett Freeze and Forced Relocation have a Chapter Recovery Plan. Twelve years of research has been compiled, best practices have been combined, and Navajo Nation is ready to realize an economic renaissance. Only funding is needed.

All Boats Must Be Lifted

As severe as the social and economic impact is, the planning described above only benefits 10 of Navajo’s 110 Chapters. The remaining 100 Chapters are also in need of an economic revival. Although the level of specific planning for the remainder of Navajo is not in place, such planning can be replicated, and projects can be advanced.

Action Needed Right Now

It is widely anticipated that a future Economic Stimulus Bill will be seriously considered by the Trump Administration and the United States Congress. One of the priorities of such a bill is likely to be the economy and investment in infrastructure. This is a perfect fit for the Navajo Thaw Implementation Plan and the needs of the expansive Navajo Reservation, covering 27,000 square miles in portions of three states.

The investment needed for the Navajo Thaw Implementation Plan is $4 billion. An additional $1 billion would serve to plan for the remainder of the Navajo Nation, and to implement additional Priority Projects throughout Navajo.