Vina Horseherder
P.O. Box 97
Kykotsmovi, AZ 86039

December 19, 1999

To: The Hon. Eldridge Coochise
Hearing Officer
Hopi Tribe
8565 W. Granada Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85037

Re: The Hopi Tribe Petitioner vs. Marsha Monestersky, Respondent in the Hopi
Tribe Exclusion Process, Hopi Indian Reservation, Kykotsmovi, AZ

Support Statement for Marsha Monestersky

Dear The Hon. Eldridge Coochise,

We support Marsha Monestersky because she knows and has experience working
with lawyers and support people. She has the support of the elderly here in
Big Mountain and we trust her. Marsha’s work for my people and watches us 24
hours a day during what ever emergencies face us is done in a good and
powerful way. She works honestly and from the heart to support us. She came
from a long way away from us to help us. We asked her to help us and we want
and depend upon her. We believe in her. She is all we have since the tribal
government does not help us. We appreciate her and have no help other than
her and her support people. We hope this help will continue as long as we
live in struggle, and for as long as we live.

We do not trust our younger sister who is testifying against Marsha or others
that say they are speaking for the elderly at Big Mountain. When we need
help the person we go to see is Marsha Monestersky when we need help.
Whatever is sent by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Hopi tribal
government impounding animals and telling us how to live-we do not want this
life. We are suffering. We want our life back and our freedom. We can no
longer think. We want the harassment to stop. We are uneducated and have to
pen up our animals. We need our animals for our food and our economy. This
is as important to us as a bank. We have no money. What else can they do to
us, we want to live here and the Holy people put us here. We still look
forward to a future where we are treated like anybody in the U.S., even the
President of the U.S. because we are no different from anyone else. We are
all humans but we have been made powerless by the U.S. government. This is
why we need Marsha here with a strong mind, a honest mind to defend us
everyday. This is why I support Marsha and I trust her. From my heart I can
feel she has a heart enough to stay with us and help us and am thankful. She
went to school for us and hard work for us. We are very helpless and we
cannot get anywhere.
December 19, 1999
To: The Hon. Eldridge Coochise
Hearing Officer, Hopi Tribe
Support for Marsha Monestesrky
Page 2

We are trying to remain here in freedom but to do this we need Marsha’s help.
Just because of the natural resources this is happening. When the Holy
people placed us here we were all neighbors, the land was not divided. I
don’t think we made any mistake but the U.S. is against us. We did not do
anything wrong. The U.S. government is against us but who put limits on us
in the Executive Order. Why doesn’t their paperwork expire. Is it because
we were Indians. We were here even back in the 1200’s. I know my
generation, back to our grandfather and great great grandfather. We were
always in this area.

I know my father’s story. He died about 13 years ago, and my grandfather
died at the age of 106. I know his story because I was raised by him. There
used to be a horse trail and missionaries with running water, a clinic and a
store owned by the Spanish. We used to ride horses there and then some Hopi
came to live on the mesas, there from Santa Fe. There used to be only 15
houses in Orabi. Now the Hopi are just now moving to their second houses.
The Anasazi, who used to build in the cliffs because there were monsters,
birds who used to try to eat us. There were big birds like dragon birds that
could get us and eat us so they hid in the cliffs. Back 60 or 70 years ago,
they used to hide, afraid of strangers and other human beings, used to being
threatened, killed. It was only after education that we began to
communicate. He used to tell us with his mouth and true heart and says the
Hopi lied about being here long before anyone else. If this was so they
would have a longer life up to 150 years ago, they are a modern people, easy
to catch disease. The old ones used to live this long before the old age
gets them. Many, many years ago, people used to hide in the winter in the
cliffs. It was like this. So I believe this when I look around to see what
is really ancient and what is modern.

So, we see who can really help us and we are really suffering because there
is no other time for a good life for our family. We want to survive with our
family. Even our kids are weary and we should be able to just live the way
they want to. We worry how our sheep can eat the next day and the Ranger
will come and take away our sheep. How much do they want from us?

Our lives are very stressful and very depressing. From Washington, DC they
have no heart. They only care when they will fight their next war and get
their natural resources. The greedy people have no heart and do not care
about people and a lot of peole died from it. We have no money and we want a
better life. This is what we need. So I believe the Hopi are just resources
and being greedy with the resources so they can have more. We only want to
be able to survive for us and our families. We have become dependent on
welfare to survive when we used to be independent relying on our animals for
our survival. Is this what the U.S. government seeks to do to us, starve us
off our land? Please, we need and rely upon Marsha Monestersky to help us.
Please let her continue to stay with us and help us.
Sincerely yours,

Vina Benally Horseherder

Elvira Benally Horseherder
cc: Joe Washington, Esq., Scott Canty, Esq.