[Az-Geocaching] Navajo Nation
mike and gale jett
listserv@azgeocaching.com
Fri, 07 Feb 2003 04:13:01 +0000
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<P>Take a good look at the abject poverty they live in and tell me they have a free ride. The average yearly income on the Navajo Reservation is $2000 a year. Yes I meant two thousand dollars per year. The average life expectancy for Native Americans is far lower than it is for other Americans. Infant mortality rates are higher... I could go on. The conditions they live in are like that of a third world country. As far as assimilation goes... My husband's family all went to college. Mike is a pharmacist, one brother an urban planner, another works at UMC in Tucson. His two surviving sisters are 1) physician's assistant and 2) a data management specialist with a cancer treatment center. My in laws are all upstanding and hardworking people who did not get a free ride. In fact, they all had to overcome the kind of racism that unfortunately many people still exhibit towards Native Americans.</P>
<P>Oh that Viking temperment...<BR><BR></P></DIV>
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<DIV></DIV>>From: "Mike Ingoglia" <MIKE@LEAPLAB.COM>
<DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: listserv@azgeocaching.com
<DIV></DIV>>To: <LISTSERV@AZGEOCACHING.COM>
<DIV></DIV>>Subject: Re: [Az-Geocaching] Navajo Nation
<DIV></DIV>>Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 14:50:01 -0700
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<DIV></DIV>>Let me step back a bit from all political correctness and voice my OPINION:
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<DIV></DIV>>It's unfortunate about the story of the geocachers being shot at. I've personally met a lot of Navajo people that have a hatred for "white people". These people (not all, but a good number) seem to have a chip on their shoulder about "us" taking the land from them. I've experienced this first hand as well as my wife experienced it growing up in Page, AZ. The way I see it, it is the way humans are. There's not a group of people in history that haven't fought over land rights... including all the Indians. Yeah, we've all become more civilized and politics prevent it from happening as much these days, but they just need to get over it and deal with it... they don't need to be shooting at anyone. If it was up to me, the reservations would become state trust lands and the Indians would have to integrate into our society rather than segregating themselves from it(sorry, I still have a few years until I'm old enough to run for President) :-). It's ridiculous the free ride our government gives them. I just love driving (NOT!) through the reservation (on the highway) and seeing run-down single wides with a satellite dish and a brand new Chevy pickup out front. I'm beginning to believe getting "free rides" is the American way.
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<DIV></DIV>> ----- Original Message -----
<DIV></DIV>> From: mike and gale jett
<DIV></DIV>> To: listserv@azgeocaching.com
<DIV></DIV>> Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 12:18 PM
<DIV></DIV>> Subject: [Az-Geocaching] Navajo Nation
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<DIV></DIV>> Two of you wrote
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<DIV></DIV>> Also, I had the opportunity to speak to a Sergeant with the Navajo Nation
<DIV></DIV>> >Police Department. He told me that they will not allow any geocaches on
<DIV></DIV>> >their lands. If you are caught on their lands without a permit you can be
<DIV></DIV>> >arrested. This is just a reminder to please not place any caches on tribal
<DIV></DIV>> >lands.
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<DIV></DIV>> The sergeant had a story to tell about a couple of cacher that wee shot at while looking for a cache. When they reported it to him they were sited for trespassing and told that if the people wanted to kill them they would have.
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<DIV></DIV>> I feel the need to defend the Navajo Nation. Some of you may know that Mike is Navajo born and raised. His family still lives on the reservation. I lived there for 2 years while working for Indian Health Service. Lately the tribe has been having a lot of trouble with gangs, a lot more than you might think. Part of it has to do with the extreme poverty up there as well as unemployment, alcoholism etc. There has also been a huge push lately to return to ultra conservative traditional ways which some older Navajos would like to take as far as cutting out the outside world. That won't ever happen. There are still many rational people up there. The upshot is, as long as you treat the Navajo, Hopi, or any other tribe with great respect, including laws and their privacy, you will be treated the same. Please don't read all of the above and be discouraged from visiting the reservations of Arizona. I've done so for over 20 years, with and without Mike, and have al! ! ways been treated very well. On a side note, Mike and I have been talking about doing an event cache in Canyon de Chelly. His family has a homestead ranch in the Canyon del Muerto branch beyond where the tourists go. There is a trail that leads down to his family's cabin (not a hogan). His family always welcomes guests and permits are not needed for friends of the family to visit. The views are spectacular. Would people be interested?
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