Jesse Monongya was raised on the Navajo Reservation by his grandmother. He is both Navajo through his mother, and Hopi through his father and produces finely crafted stone inlay jewelry worthy of international acclaim. Navajo’s are a matriarchal people. Jesse generously gave me some of his time to speak about indigenous land rights from his experiences in the South West.

Aside from the highway belonging to the state that cuts through the Navajo reservation, Jesse believes that his people only have surface rights to the land, grazing rights, and mountain grazing rights- useful in the summertime to replenish the low lying land. Mineral rights are seen as belonging solely to the government- or perhaps to companies that come in to extract resources. Jesse had no knowledge of land rights until high school.

One issue that has come up with below-the-surface coal mining has been the replacement of topsoil. In the past, topsoil has been so improperly replaced that nothing can be grown in it. With agriculture sustaining a large part of both Hopi and Navajo cultures soil degradation has been a problem.

Issues between which tribe, either Hopi or Navajo, presiding over which areas of the land, has also been a problem. At Black Mountain, one coal mining company compensated the wrong tribe. Lawyers became involved, and elders were seen as caught in between. The dispute persists. The government has put up a fence and it is now patrolled. Various people of indigenous decent have retaliated and have tried to tear down the fence.

Jesse has felt some discomfort on this issue because of his inter-tribal heritage but has also been sought out for his unique and valuable perspective pertaining to land rights.

Today there is debate surrounding water rights. Who controls what water where is something being struggled over in an area known for its dryness. While Jesse’s grandmother has passed on to him teachings about underground water, intertribal conflict has made water rights the next contentious area of interest.