Subj: Support letters for Marsha Monestersky in Exclusion
Process
Date: 12/23/99
To: <A HREF="mailto:meyesol@eudoramail.com">meyesol@eudoramail.com</A>
Letters of Support for Marsha Monestersky
Norris Nez
P.O. Box 371
Tuba City, AZ 86045
December 15, 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,
I wish to affirm that I fully support Marsha Monestersky and
want to ensure
her continued ability to serve as legal assistant on Hopi Partition
Lands
(HPL).
During the several years I have known her, I have found her
to be of great
benefit to me and my people. Since I am not schooled well in
the English
language, I rely on her expertise, which I know to be strong and
of great
benefit to me and my people. Marsha Monestersky is well educated,
able to
communicate with non English speaking people. She demonstrates
a
comprehensive knowledge of US governmental laws and international
human
rights norms and standards and has taught us we have rights.
Marsha Monestersky is a true friend to me and my people. I support her 100%.
Yours sincerely,
Norris Nez
Medicine Man
Translated and witnessed by: _______________________________________
Carlos Begay, Sr.
cc: Joe Washington, Esq.
Scott Canty, Esq.
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Rena Babbitt Lane
P.O. Box 539
Tonalea, AZ 86044
December 13, 1999
To: Hon. Eldridge Coochise
Hearing Officer
Hopi Tribe
8565 W. Granada Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85037
Dear the Honorable Coochise,
Re: The Hopi Tribe, Petitioner vs. Marsha Monestersky, Respondent
in the
Hopi Tribe Exclusion Process, Hopi Indian Reservation, Kykotsmovi,
AZ
I am submitting this statement to support the continued work
and presence of
Marsha Monestersky on what is known as Hopi Partition Land (HPL)
in the Black
Mesa region of Arizona.
My husband, John Lane and I do not understand the English language
and cannot
read any official documents which concerns the relationship between
my family
and the Hopi Tribe. A lot of times, we are not able to respond
to the Hopi
Tribe in an official capacity since we only speak the Navajo language
and
have no way to communicate. We cannot even recognize our written
names in
the English language.
For the past several years I have needed and depended upon
the services of
Marsha Monestersky as our legal assistant on numerous occasions.
Without the help of Marsha Monestersky, I would be concerned
for my health,
well-being, and the continuity of my livelihood on my own land.
Her legal
assistance is the only thing I have to count on and affirm that
her presence
here on HPL is essential to me and the survival of my family and
my people. I
fully support her and her work on our behalf.
It is my hope you will exempt her from exclusion because she
serves me and
the Dineh people as legal assistant. Thank you,
Yours sincerely,
Rena Babbitt Lane
Translated and witnessed by: ____________________________________________
cc: Joe Washington, Esq., counsel for Marsha Monestersky
Scott Canty, Esq., counsel for the Hopi Tribe
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Leonard Bennally
P.O. Box 733
Hotevilla, AZ 86030
To: The Hon. Eldridge Coochise
Hearing Officer
Hopi Tribe
8565 W. Granada Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85037
December 13, 1999
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
I have known Marsha Monestersky for seven years, since 1992.
All this time I
have known Marsha to be very supportive to the peoples struggle
out here.
She has helped strengthen our resistance by teaching us that we
have these
rights, also serving our elderly people as legal assistant. When
the elders
need help, when they come to me in the middle of the night, people
like
Pauline Whitesinger, Rena Babbitt Lane and others, the person
they ask to see
is Marsha to tell what has happened and to get help.
For too many years, the people in Window Rock knew about our
struggle here
and finally Kelsey Begay our President has concern for us at the
last minute.
It is time now for them to help. Our suffering and denial has
been going on
for so long. The US government is supposed to give us freedom
but from all
we see them internationally decrying human rights violations,
they have not
dealt with us who are the first people on this continent.
I believe we do have rights and cry out against Justice that
is blind to my
people of Big Mountain. Marsha Monestersky helps us and from the
people of
Big Mountain, I say she has a right to stay here and continue
to help us.
Yours sincerely,
Leonard Bennally
cc: Joe Washington, Esq.
Scott Canty, Esq.
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Kee Shay
P.O. Box 203
Kykotsmovi, AZ 86039
December 14, 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, the people that reside in the Big Mountain area are being
threatened with
exclusion order from Hopi Partition Lands. On the other hand,
Marsha
Monestersky who is from far away in the east has saved us many
times with her
paper work. We really appreciate her work for us.
From the English language, she told us we have rights. And
that is how she
is helping us to express our rights for those of us that cannot
read or
write. So that is a miracle that she is helping us with the English
way of
processing papers as our legal assistant.
Marsha has worked on the land issue so the people can have
their beauty way
of life back. She wants us to be free to walk the land and to
live our life.
She has been around in this area for a lot of years and she knows
where our
homesites are and the roads that go to different households where
she is
welcome.
To this day we know that the Navajo Nation has turned their
back on us on
behalf of the land dispute. The Navajo Nation was established
to represent
us in the past but their entity has never come forward to help.
So that’s
why Marsha is here to help us.
The Navajo Nation workers have never helped us with paper work
including
computers and printers. Right now, we know that we have a Navajo
President
in Window Rock. He has never come over here to set up a computer
to help us
on our behalf.
I don’t believe this land belongs to the Hopi Tribe like
they say because we
Navajo people and Hopi people share the same customary use areas.
And to
this day, the Hopi have taken jurisdiction over this land. We
also had a
trading system with the Hopi a long time ago and all those things
are of the
past because the Hopi Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is controlling
the land
which is part of our customary use area. We use the land for
grazing our
livestock and we also depend upon the land for our garden, crops.
All this
is part of life for traditional people.
December 14, 1999
The Hon. Eldridge Coochise
Hearing Officer
Hopi Tribe
Page 2
I know the prophecy where the Hopi had originated from. They
came from where
the rivers meet, the Little Colorado River and Lake Powell. They
originated
from there and they wanted Black Mesa. But they didn’t survive
there because
the Creator didn’t let them. Their leader which led them
to their Mesas,
planted them there, and that place became a rock statute at Second
Mesa.
That is where the customary use area is for the Hopi people.
They survived
there which shows that is theirs, not Black Mesa. So they cannot
claim Black
Mesa. These are the oral traditions that has been passed down
to me from my
ancestors when I was the age of seven or so.
We know the research that there is a lot of natural resources
that was
discovered in the 1800’s while our Navajo ancestors were
at Fort Sumner.
This is why we are being forced out. But we can find no other
land that is
like this. This is our designated grounds and the Hopi’s
designated grounds
is at Second Mesa.
I support Marsha Monestersky to continue working for us like
before. And
this is what we want.
Yours sincerely,
Kee Shay
Translated and witnessed by:
_________________________________________________
Bonnie Whitesinger
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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.
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Pauline Whitesinger
P.O. Box 1073
Hotevilla, AZ 86030
December 16, 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,
From my point of view, I want to make a statement that I have
known Marsha
Monestersky for several years. She has helped Dineh people at
Big Mountain
and vicinity. We had no Consultant to do paper work for us.
She has helped
a lot of people with their problems. That is how I know her.
We probably
have educated people but they don’t want to come forward
to step in the mud
with us. That is the condition here.
There is nobody that can meet Marsha’s credentials. That
was how it was
before she came here to this area. Our livestock were being impounded
and we
could do nothing about it but to look at which way they went to
the stock
yard. We have witnessed Marsha help release animals from impoundment
for the
people from this area. That is what I witness here. If she is
excluded
there would be nobody else to replace her because of her credentials.
Marsha has been adopted by the Navajo people because her heart
and complexion
is like mine. We feel that she is a part of Navajo descendents
from a long
time ago. That is why we don’t feel that she should go.
The white people
have divided the Indigenous people all over. The white people
had destroyed
my people with white man’s education. We’re not of
any other descent but the
Navajo people. And the white people are foreigners that are about
to starve
us to death.
We are being told that we are affected by the Hopi tribe but
I see my own
Navajo people working against me. You use our own people because
our people
have endurance. I support all Indigenous causes. You probably
know that I
do. You don’t use your own Hopi language to attack us.
You use the English
language and white man’s laws to attack us. And that is
what ruined you.
You teach in the schools that you will be smart and survive if
you know the
English language but now I know that it is the opposite. That
is how I look
at it.
To: The Hon. Eldridge Coochise
Hearing Officer
Hopi Tribe
December 16, 1999
Page 2
I am Dineh and I speak Dineh language. That is all I have to say.
Yours sincerely,
Pauline Whitesinger
Translated and witnessed by: ______________________________
Bonnie Whitesinger
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Date: December 16, 1999
To: Honorable Ledridge Coachise, Hearing Officer of Hopi Tribe
From: Mae Washington of Black Mountain
__________________________________________________________________
This is a statement for Ms. Monestersky, she has been providing
Technical
Assistance to HPL residents, who are experiencing extreme heardship
due to
force relocation. She assists the victims who are experiencing
Posttraumatic
Stress Syndrome during the process of relocation. Therefore,
I am pleading
with you to allow her to remain on Dine' Land to continue assisting
HPL
residents.
You may contact me at (520) 283-6271, ext. 122
Thank you,
cc: Joe Washington, Esq.
Scott Canty, Esq.
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