Saving Black Mesa :: Argumentative Persuasive Papers

Saving Black MesaWorks Cited Missing To the northeast part of Arizona lay a conflict between 2 indigenous groups from the surrounding area and the worlds largest coal company formerly know as Peabody Coal (now Peabody Energy). The Hopi and Navajo reservations surround a region known as Black Mesa. Black Mesa is located on both the Navajo and Hopi military reserves which is a target source for underground water called the N-aquifer. The N-aquifer contains a great come of pristine Ice Age water. As time drew on, many indigenous people were alarmed that the water was carelessly being depleted from their land. mine on Black Mesa should be stopped because the inhabitants are affected by Peabody, livestock in the area must depend on the local springs, groundwater is being depleted at an average of 3.3 million gallons per day, and the water is being contaminated (SBMW Online par 1). In the beginning, the Black Mesa region expanded from the Hopi Reservation in to Navajo borders. On the borderline between the Navajo and Hopi two were at constant disagreements over the claim of territory. Based on three Arizonan judges, the land was to be proclaim as Joint Use Area which lasted 15 years from 1962 to 1977, between the two tribes. Still not content the two groups had bitter political feelings towards oneness another. In 1977 the land was divided by giving the Hopi tribe 900,000 acres, accounting for most of the land. Both tribes shared the mineral deposits and as little land as the Navajo tribe had acquired from the settlement, Hopi land in all is an island reservation surrounded by the Navajo Nation. Although having the Hopi at a major disadvantage, many of the Navajo people that lived all their lives in the typify Hopi reservation had moved out (LUHNACP Online par 8). Although many people would insist that the Navajo and Hopi people had agreed to let Peabody mine their land, the problem is a little more(prenominal) compl icated than what seems obvious. In 1966 a lawyer for the Hopi tribe by the name of John Boyden convinced several members of the Navajo tribe to start a council.