Water is life.
On the Navajo Nation, many still lack running water, and of those with running water, many continue to consume water that that is not fit for human consumption.
Couple that with the growing population of the Southwest, with large cities expanding at the edges of American Indian communities, and with ever-increasing water demands, and you get a sense for just how precious and precarious the water situation has become.
To some, this settlement is the best way to protect the water from future competition. However, many Navajo activists argue that this is agreement is forfeiting the most precious element of the Navajo way of life, including a group of young adults calling themselves the Sacred Elements Youth Collective (SEYC).
“Water is not a commodity to be sold, and especially not without due process,” says artist and Collective member Randy Sabaque (Navajo/Jemez). “We formed our efforts as young people who saw that not only was our water about to be sold, but it was being done in secrecy, without giving the public any clue as to what was going on.”
