# ~Est. 1987 • OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE HOPI TRIBE • NEWS SOURCE FOR THE HOPI PEOPLE~

> Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more.

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Ahopi_arizona%3A280e7755333c8ebd

## Record

- **Collection:** Tribal code
- **Document type:** Tribal code

## Text

Volume 31
Number 7
54˚/32˚
Winds increasing

WEDNESDAY
APRIL

5, 2023
~Est. 1987 • OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE HOPI TRIBE • NEWS SOURCE FOR THE HOPI PEOPLE~

Hopi Veterans Services and American Legion
Hopi Domestic
“Lori Piestewa” Post #80 Honors and Recognizes Violence Program
Local Hopi Vietnam War Veterans on March 29th hosting Conference
In May, see info here...
...
- National Vietnam War Veterans Day
Details...PG 5

Report places
Arizona first for
rate of COVID-19
deaths

...

PG 8

Job Announcements
Page 12

HTI Job Announcements

COMMUNITY

Page 3

HLES PSA PERSON OF INTEREST Thurman Yazzie...

Pictured above (l-r) are Vietnam War Veterans: Gene Pooyouma, Phillip Quochytewa, Gary Joshevama, Anthony Honahnie, Elson Selestewa, Gary Setalla, Michael Ladeyo, Lucas Namoki, Bruce Talawyma, Clifford
Balenquah. Photo taken at Hopi Day School in Kykotsmovi, Ariz. by: Romalita Laban, HT

Hopi Tribe Passes Resolution in Support
of America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act
Bill Before Congress Would Protect Over 8 Million Acres of Public
Lands in Utah for Wilderness, Wildlife, and Cultural Values
pg. 7

HOPI TUTUVENI
PO BOX 123
KYKOTSMOVI, AZ 86039
1110-01600-7460

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Hopi Tutuveni April 5, 2023

2

Hopi Veterans Services and American Legion
“Lori Piestewa” Post #80
Honors and Recognizes Local Hopi Vietnam War
Veterans on March 29th - National Vietnam War
Veterans Day
By: Romalita Laban, Managing Editor
Kykotsmovi, Ariz. – March 29, 2023 American Legion “Lori Piestewa”
Post #80 honored and recognized local Hopi Veterans in salute during National Vietnam War Veterans Day on March 29, 2023 at Hopi Day School.
The event was humble and quaint with approximately 40 people attending.
Eugene Talas, Director of Hopi Veterans Services Program of the Hopi
Tribe provided the Welcome with background, history, and information about
the Hopi Veterans who had served in the Vietnam War.
Local Hopi Day School Parent Liaison, Deborah Baker sang the National Anthem after which Phillip Quochytewa, local Hopi Veteran provided a
prayer. Judith Youvella, Hopi Tribe Secretary and Nada Talayumptewa, Hopi
Tribal Treasurer representing Hopi Tribal Leadership provided remarks about
the 50th Commemoration event. Gene Pooyouma, Commander, Lori Piestewa Post #80 who is also a Vietnam War Veteran also provided comments and
encouragement to his fellow comrades.
Bruce Talawyma, local Hopi Vietnam War Veteran shared personal recollections of time served during the war and how his family has supported
him up to today, by asking about his service and recognizing his service and
commitment.
Veterans who attended the event and who served on active duty in the U.S.
Armed Forces at any time from November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, received
one Vietnam Veteran Lapel pin commemorating the 50th Vietnam War.
Vietnam War Veterans present included: Gene Pooyouma, Phillip
Quochytewa, Gary Joshevama, Anthony Honahnie, Elson Selestewa,
Gary Setalla, Michael Ladeyo, Lucas Namoki, Bruce Talawyma, Clifford
Balenquah.
Family members of the Veterans also received a complimentary pin which
was acquired by the Hopi Veteran Services staff. Light treats and drinks were
provided were attendees visited, acknowledged each other and expressed
gratitude for the Veterans commitment and service to their country and the
Hopi people.
The Hopi Veterans Services Office will be issuing the lapel pin to Veterans who meet the period dates and welcome them to stop by during work
hours, Monday through Friday, and the staff will issue the Veteran a lapel pin
and certificate. The Hopi Veterans Services office is located in the Honanie
building at the Hopi Tribal Complex and can be reached by phone at: (928)
734-3461

Pictured at the top (l-r) are Eugene Talas, Director of Hopi Veterans Services
Program of the Hopi Tribe who provided the Welcome with background, history,
and information about the Hopi Veterans who had served in the Vietnam War. and
Phillip Quochytewa, local Hopi Veteran who provided a prayer.
Pictured at the bottom (l-r) are Judith Youvella, Hopi Tribe Secretary and Nada
Talayumptewa, Hopi Tribal Treasurer representing Hopi Tribal Leadership provided remarks about the 50th Commemoration event. Gene Pooyouma, Commander,
Lori Piestewa Post #80 who is also a Vietnam War Veteran also provided comments
and encouragement to his fellow comrades. Photos taken at Hopi Day School by:
Romalita Laban, Managing Editor - Hopi Tutuveni

Hopi Tutuveni April 5, 2023

Hopi Tribe Department of Public
Safety Provides the Importance
of Having a Smoke Detector
Submitted by: Kevin Dennis,
Structure Firefighter - Department
Of Public Safety
Kykotsmovi, Ariz. – March 20,
2023 Smoke detectors can alert residents before they become fire victims.
A smoke alarm is critical for the early
detection of a fire in your home and
could mean the difference between
life and death. Fires can occur in a
variety of ways and in any room of
your home. But no matter where or
how, having a smoke alarm is the first
key step toward your family’s safety.

Importance of fire prevention
In a fire, mere seconds can mean
the difference between a safe escape
and a tragedy. Fire safety education
isn’t just for school children. Teenagers, adults, and the elderly are also
at risk in fires, making it important
for every member of the community
to take some time to make sure they
understand how to stay safe in case of
a fire.

Home fire escape planning and
practicing
It is important for everyone to
plan and practice a home fire escape.
Everyone needs to be prepared in
advance, so that they know what to
do when the smoke alarm sounds.
Given that every home is different,
every home fire escape plan will also
be different.
Have a plan for everyone in the
home. Children, older adults, and
people with disabilities may need assistance to wake up and get out. Make
sure that someone will help them.

Smoke alarms
Smoke alarms sense smoke well
before you can, alerting you to danger. Smoke alarms need to be in every
bedroom, outside of the sleeping
areas (like a hallway), and on each
level (including the basement) of
your home. Do not put smoke alarms
in your kitchen or bathrooms.
Choose an alarm that is listed with
a testing laboratory, meaning it has
met certain standards for protection.
For the best protection, use combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that are interconnected
throughout the home. These can be
installed, so that when one sounds,
they all sound. This ensures you can
hear the alarm no matter where in
your home the alarm originates.
The Department of Public Safety
is again providing a free service to
all home owners in partnership with
the Red Cross and Hopi Fire/Rescue
by providing the free safety device.
The device can ensure, in case of any
structure fire or carbon monoxide is
present in the home that it may be detected in the home at any given time.
We encourage you to share this
information with family members
and those that don’t have access to
the Tribal email. Everyone is eligible to receive the smoke detectors.
You may contact Hopi Fire/Rescue
at (928)734-3661 or by email to any
Fire Personnel at the following email
addresses: Humewysi Sockyma at
HSockyma@hopi.nsn.us, Michael
Shupla at MiShupla@hopi.nsn.us,
Paul Saufkie at PSaufkie@hopi.nsn.
us, and/or Kevin Dennis at KDennis@hopi.nsn.us.

3

Hopi Law Enforcement Services

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Person of Interest

Thurman Yazzie
of Beshbito Valley, Arizona

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
By: Sergeant Glenn Singer – Hopi Law Enforcement Services
Kykotsmovi, Ariz. – March 28, 2023 Hopi Law Enforcement Services is sharing the Navajo Police Department Dilkon District’s Person
of Interest information for Thurman Yazzie (Age 22) of Beshbito Valley,
Ariz.
The Navajo Police Department indicates an incident occurred in Beshbito Valley, Ariz. on March 26, 2023 and Thurman Yazzie is a person
of interest. The picture provided by NPD of Thurman Yazzie depicts
Yazzie with short hair, however, Yazzie currently has shoulder length
hair and is considered armed and dangerous. This is an active investigation involving the Navajo Police Department and FBI.
Contact Navajo Police Department at 928-657-8075 or Hopi Law
Enforcement Services at 928-734-7340 if you see Thurman Yazzie.
XXX

Hopi Tutuveni April 5, 2023

4

HOPI TRIBAL COUNCIL
2nd Quarter Session
March 1, 2023
Month of March 2023 AGENDA
X. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Rock Wilderness Act – Author/Stewart B. Koyiyumptewa, Director, Hopi Cultural Preservation Office – **Time
1. Discussion and possible action – Letter dated March Certain Tuesday, March 7, 2023 at 9:00 a.m.
31, 2022 Re: Village of Shungopavi’s request for informa5. Action Item #031-2023 – To approve Hopi Tribe
tion regarding land lease, including ownership of the prop- Pandemic Recovery Committee Bylaws – Author/Mark
erty comprising the Hopi Cultural Center – Craig Andrews, Talayumptewa, Author/Mark Talayumptewa, Chairman,
Vice Chairman, Hopi Tribe – Tabled
Hopi Tribe Pandemic Recovery Committee **Time Cer2. Discussion and possible action - Letter dated by
tain Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 9:00 a.m.
September 19, 2022 RE: Survey conducted by Hopi Elec6. Action Item #32-2023 – Business Lease between the
tions Office from Dale Sinquah, Tribal Council RepresenHopi Tribe, FMCV and the Arizona Department of Public
tative, First Mesa Consolidated Villages – Tabled
Safety for DPS Communication Tower for Public Safety
3. Action Item #090-2022 - Intergovernmental Agree- – Author/Michele Honanie, Realty Specialist, Real Estate
ment between the State of Arizona and the Hopi Tribe –
Services
Author/Donovan Gomez, Hopi Senom Transit – Tabled
7. Action Item #033-2023 – To approve Ordinance 15
4. Action Item #093-2022 – To amend the Rules of
(AMENDED) establishing the Housing Authority by Hopi
Order for the Hopi Tribal Council to provide a streamlined Tribal Council – Author/Albert T. Sinquah, HTHA Board
process of the Tribal Council parliamentary procedures that Chairperson
will be followed during meetings of the Tribal Council –
8. Discussion & Possible Action – Letter dated SepAuthor/Marilyn Fredericks, Tribal Council Representatember 2, 2022 from Ronald Honahni, Governor, Upper
tive, Village of Bacavi – Tabled **Time Certain, WednesVillage of Moenkopi; RE: Request to Explore Gaming
day, March 8, 2023 at 1:00 p.m.
in the Upper Village of Moenkopi – Leroy Sumatzkuku,
Tribal Council Representative, Upper Village of Moenkopi
XI. NEW BUSINESS
– Referred to Hopi Gaming Committee
9. Letter dated November 29, 2022 from Bernalda
1. Action Item #021-2023 – Walpi Housing Management Poleahla Navasie; RE: Letter of Interest for vacant RegAgreement – Author/Fred Lomayesva, General Counsel,
ular member position and Alternate position on the Hopi
Office of the General Counsel
Election Board – Dwayne Secakuku, Tribal Council Rep2. Action Item #026-2023 – Approval of the final draft of resentative, Village of Bacavi. Interview – **Time Certain,
the “Hopi Reservation Forest Management Plan” – Author/ Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 1:00 p.m.
Carl Seweyestewa, Forester, Wildlife & Ecosystems Man10. Letter dated December 8, 2022 from Rachel Hood,
agement Program
Yavapai-Apache Nation, Deputy Political Director, Arizo3. Action Item #028-2023 – T o amend the Procurement
na Democratic Party; RE: Update on election – Rosa HonPolicy to provide flexibility for the Hopi Tribe Pandemic
ani, Tribal Council Representative, Village of Sipaulovi –
Recovery Committee to utilize the American Rescue Plan
**Time Certain, Monday, March 20, 2023 at 9:00 a.m.
Act Funds – Author/Mark Talayumptewa, Chairman, Hopi
11. Letter dated December 16, 2022 from Ivan Sidney,
Tribe Pandemic Recovery Committee
Village Administrator, First Mesa Consolidated Villag4. Action Item #030-2023 – The Hopi Tribe supports the es; RE: Contact Information for First Mesa Consolidated
protection of more than eight million acres of land manVillages – Rosa Honani, Tribal Council Representative,
aged by the Bureau of Land Management in the State of
Village of Sipaulovi
Utah as Wilderness through the passage of America’s Red

Continued pg. 5

Hopi Tutuveni April 5, 2023

5

HOPI TRIBAL COUNCIL
2nd Quarter Session
March 1, 2023
Month of March 2023 AGENDA, continued...
XII. REPORTS
1. Office of the Chairman
2. Office of the Vice Chairman
3. Office of Tribal Secretary
4. Office of the Treasurer – Wells Fargo Bank Report, Mr. Greg Heap,
Relationship Manager and Mr. Tyler Taygrien, Vice President, Investment Services – **Time Certain, Monday, March 20, 2023 at 9:15 a.m.
HOPI TRIBAL COUNCIL 2nd Quarter Session March 1, 2023
MONTH OF MARCH 2023 AGENDA
5. Office of the General Counsel
6. Land Commission
7. Water/Energy Committee
8. Transportation Committee
9. Law & Order Committee
10. Investment Committee
a. Moencopi Developers Corporation
b. Walpi Housing Management Agreement Communications
c. Updating of the Hopi Tribe’s Investment Policy
d. Status of Moenkopi Developers Corporation Hopi Loan
11. Health/Education Committee
12. Pandemic Recovery Committee – Narrative written programmatic
report and financial status regarding the recovery efforts undertaken utilizing said funds – Wallace Youvella, Jr., Tribal Council Representative,
First Mesa Consolidated Villages
13. Tawa’ovi Investigation Report by R. Gehl Tucker as requested in
Hopi Tribal Council Resolution – **Time Certain, Thursday, March 9,
2023, 9:00 a.m.
XIII. ADJOURNMENT
*Hopi Tribal Council may go into Executive Session on any agenda
item
**Time Certain Requests
Hopi Tutuveni Managing Editor NOTE: On March 7, 2023, after
New Business Item #4 was addressed and approved, Hopi Tribal Council recessed until March 20, 2023.
Hopi Tutuveni attempted garnering an updated AGENDA from Hopi
Tribal Secretary and in consideration of Time Certain Requests listed
during times after March 7, 2023, however, an updated Agenda was not
provided.

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Hopi Tutuveni April 5, 2023

6

Heritage Shield Award to
Protect Sípàapu
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Submitted by: Troy Honahnie, Media Liaison – Black
Mesa Trust

Hopi Tutuveni
wants to help with your
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928-734-3281

Kykotsmovi, Ariz. – March 20, 2023 On behalf of the
various indigenous tribes associated with the Colorado
Plateau, representatives from the International Committee
On Monuments and Sites International Science Committee
(ICOMOS ISC), a non-governmental international organization dedicated to the conservation of the world’s monuments and sites, ICOMOS ISC will meet with Black Mesa
Trust (BMT), a Hopi Grass Roots Organization,on Saturday
March 25, 2023, to recognize the Sípàapuni as an important cultural place and award it the ICOMOS ISC Water and
Heritage Shield.
In receiving the ICOMOS ISC Water and Heritage Shield,
the Sípàapu will become the first in the world to receive
this honor. The purpose of the Shield is to help the public
become aware of the significance of water and indigenous
sacred sites all over the world and the right to cultural historical memory.”You came from far away to honor Sípàapu as
culturally significant and worthy of protection.” Said Vernon
Masayesva, BMT Founder and Director. “You have put an
arrow in our quiver to be used to save Sípàapu, and other
sites in the Lower Colorado River ecosystem.”
Sir Diederik Six, Vice President of ISC Water and Heritage
Bureau, and Former President of the Royal Dutch Historic
Society, will give the Shield award to the Black Mesa Trust
in recognition of Hopi history and tradition in managing water and water-related heritage from time immemorial.
Sir Diederik Six will be accompanied by Sergio Augusto
Ribeiro, Director General for International Centre on Water
and Trans-disciplinarity, Henk van Schalk, Heritage Ambassador for ICOMOS, Van Schalik, Water and Heritage Ambassador for ICOMOS, and Mona Polacca, Indigenous Water
Ethics Coordinator.
The hour and a half event will take place at Country Inn
& Suites (2nd Floor Conference Room, Mikes Pike St.,
Flagstaff, AZ) beginning at 2:00 p.m. While the in-person
presentation is by invitation only, the event can be viewed
virtually by Zoom at the following link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81035304758?pwd=cWhuSlVTMXNxOUowUWRBQStTSTRxdz09
###

Hopi Tutuveni April 5, 2023

Hopi Tribe Passes Resolution in Support
of America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act

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7

Bill Before Congress Would Protect Over 8 Million Acres of Public
Lands in Utah for Wilderness, Wildlife, and Cultural Values
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kykotsmovi Village, Ariz. – March
24, 2023 At its March 7, 2023, regular
session, the Hopi Tribal Council passed
a resolution formally endorsing America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, a federal bill that would protect more than 8
million acres of federal public lands in
Utah as wilderness.
In a historic first, the resolution was
written in the Hopi language, the first
time the Tribal Council has passed a
resolution in Hopi since the contemporary Hopi government was established
in 1936. Typically, resolutions and
other official documents from the Hopi
Tribal Council are written in English.
The passage of the resolution was
proposed and supported by the Hopi
Cultural Preservation Office (HCPO)
and the Hopi Cultural Resource Advisory Task Team and presented to the
Council by HCPO Program Manager
Stewart B. Koyiyumptewa. The resolution was endorsed by Kiqötsmovi
Representative Herman G. Honanie,
Chair of the Hopi Land Commission,
who had previously recommended the
resolution advance to the full Tribal
Council.
“Hopi peoples have lived in the canyons and mountains and on the mesas
included in America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act since time immemorial,
and these areas comprise one of the
most significant cultural landscapes in
the United States,” said Koyiyumptewa. “The passage of this resolution in
Hopi is an assertion of our tribal Sovereignty and a reminder that our relationship with the landscapes that would
be protected by America’s Red Rock

Wilderness Act precedes both the United States and the state of Utah.”
“Passing this resolution supporting
wilderness protection of public lands in
Utah makes clear that the Hopi Tribe
desires meaningful federal protection
over cultural resources important to
the Hopi Tribe, and the preservation
of qualifying lands managed by the
Bureau of Land Management in Utah
as wilderness,” said Koyiyumptewa.
“Designating these lands as Wilderness
would help protect the record of Native
habitation and better protect scarce water resources while allowing the plants
and animals that live on the land the
chance to adapt to and endure a changing climate.”
Sponsored by Senator Dick Durbin
(D-IL) in the U.S. Senate and Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-NM1)
in the U.S. House, America’s Red Rock
Wilderness Act would designate more
than 8 million acres of Bureau of Land
Management land as wilderness, the
highest form of protection for federal
lands. The bill would protect iconic
Utah landscapes such as Cedar Mesa,
the Kaiparowits Plateau, and the Greater Canyonlands area. Introduced in
both the House and Senate in previous
Congresses, the formal introduction of
the bill into the 118th Congress is expected later this year.
The Hopi Tribal Council consists of
22 representatives from the villages of
Upper Munqapi, Paaqavi, Kiqötsmovi,
Supawlavi, First Mesa Consolidated
Villages (Walpi, Sitsomovi and Tewa),
and Musungnavi.
XXX

HOPI H.E.O.C UPDATES

8

Hopi Tutuveni April 5, 2023

Hopi Tribe Department of Health and Human Services Covid-19 Emergency Response
By: Romalita Laban, Managing Editor
Kykotsmovi, Ariz. - March 31, 2023 Due to transitions occurring in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) the August 26, 2022 COVID 19
report was the latest data being provided for the public.
Hopi Tutuveni was informed by DHHS staff that until DHHS and Tribal Leadership determined roles of the Public Health Authority, no reports would be
submitted to Hopi Tutuveni.
Hopi Tutuveni Staff and Editorial Board know the importance of providing such health information to the Hopi public. Since Hopi is still officially under
Pandemic status and there are known active COVID cases on Hopi, we continue to welcome updates from DHHS and/or the Hopi H.E.O.C. about that important
information which impacts the Hopi public.
Hopi Tutuveni continued republishing the last and latest Covid-19 Report dated August 26, 2022, received from DHHS and up through the third year of the
pandemic, in the March 15, 2023 publication. The August 26, 2023 Response report can still be found online at: https://www.hopi-nsn.gov/news/hopi-tutuveni
Until the Hopi DHHS provides an update the only data Hopi Tutuveni has to report to the Hopi public was from August 2022 however a place holder will be
held for that information, and once updated it will be provided in this dedicated space for important health information for the Hopi public.

Report places Arizona first for rate of COVID-19 deaths

The study adjusted state death rates to account for age variations in each state’s population
Story by: Lux Butler - Cronkite News
Phoenix, Ariz. – March 30, 2023 Arizona had the highest rate of COVID-19 deaths in the nation over three years, according to a research analysis published
in March in the medical-science journal The Lancet.
“I think Arizona is a state with inequality, some poverty, and ultimately some of the vaccination rates and behaviors didn’t line up to have good outcomes,”
said Joseph Dieleman, a professor and senior author of the study, in a video news release.
Arizona residents were less likely to be vaccinated, wear masks and maintain social distance, according to researchers in a peer-reviewed study.
The study says Arizona recorded 581 deaths per 100,000 people from Jan. 1, 2020, to July 31, 2022, the highest rate by far among states in the U.S., where the
national rate was 372 deaths per 100,000. Hawaii had the lowest rate, at 147 per 100,000.
The report said Arizona’s death rate was similar to that of the three nations with the highest coronavirus death rates in the world – Russia, Bulgaria, and Peru.
The study adjusted state death rates to account for age variations in each state’s population. But even at the unadjusted rate, Arizona was fourth-highest, with
539 deaths per 100,000, trailing West Virginia with 575, Mississippi with 550 and Alabama with 540.
In three years, 33,225 Arizonans have died of COVID-19, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services website. AZDHS officials did not respond
to emailed requests for comment.
“The more robust a health system, the better a state performed in the pandemic, but only in states where the public was willing to make use of health care services for vaccination or to get early treatment for their conditions,” said Dieleman, an associate professor at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health
Metrics and Evaluation, in a statement to Axios.
The study also aligns with previous research that found Latinos and Blacks were more likely to die of COVID-19 than other racial groups. One out of four
Arizonans who died were Hispanic, according to ADHS data, which is higher than the percentage of people who identify as Hispanic in the census.
The Lancet researchers analyzed other factors such as poverty rates, education levels, access to quality health care and levels of interpersonal trust, in order to
better understand the number of COVID-19 illnesses and deaths. The higher the poverty rate and lower the average education level of a state, the more infections it saw.
The Census Bureau said nearly 13 percent of Arizonans lived in poverty in 2022, compared to 11 percent for the U.S. as whole. Nationally, nearly 34 percent
of people had at least a bachelor’s degree, compared to 31 percent in Arizona.
“This report is great because it really backs up and gives scientific evidence to the things we already thought about,” said Will Humble, executive director of
the Arizona Public Health Association. “It takes away the argument that our state just has an older population and that’s why we had high COVID death numbers, and instead looks at the whole picture.”
The report also details how race plays a role in the number of COVID deaths and illnesses.
“Many of the worst-performing states and territories in our study are also those with the highest populations of people identifying as Black (Washington, DC;
Mississippi; and Georgia), Hispanic (Arizona and New Mexico), or American Indian and Alaska Native (Idaho, Nevada, Alaska, Wyoming, and Montana),” the
researchers wrote in The Lancet report.
COVID-19 continues to kill. ADHS regularly reports virus updates.
Since March 5, at least 27 people have died.

Hopi Tutuveni April 5, 2023

9

TCRHCC CEO Joette Walters testifies before the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on
Interior, Environment and Related Agencies
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 30, 2023 Tuba City Regional Health Care Corporation CEO Joette Walters recently testified on Capitol Hill before a House
subcommittee about the lack of funding for cancer treatment centers across Indian Country.
According to the Navajo Nation Department of Health, before COVID-19 cancer was the leading cause of death on Navajo. “Treatable cancers are killing
American Indians simply because federal policies won’t allow cancer treatment to reach them,” she said on March 9.
TCRHCC is the only cancer treatment center across Indian Country. Walters explained in her testimony how TCRHCC did not use federal construction funds
to build a much-needed cancer treatment center in 2018.
When the cancer treatment center opened and began treating patients, TCRHCC had to fund its operational costs and now, seeks funding for operational sustainability and fairness and equity regarding patient cost reimbursement.
Further challenges include how Medicare will not reimburse for certain expenses and that in 2022, TCRHCC had to absorb much of the cost.
“We’ve been to Capitol Hill before to share our story but yours is the first committee to invite testimony about why dedicated federal funding is needed to
make cancer treatment locally accessible to American Indians,” she said.
“Both the IHS (Indian Health Service) and the National Cancer Institute repeatedly told us that they don’t do cancer treatment on Indian reservations, said
Walters. “So, we did it ourselves with the help of private and philanthropic donations.”
TCRHCC tackled their first challenge by raising funding to equip and construction a cancer treatment center without any federal funding dedicated to that
purpose.
Use of third-party resources and donations from corporations, philanthropists and individuals were collected. The launch of a GoFundMe campaign was advertised on a donated billboard high above U.S. Interstate 40 and an employee collection was also done.
Walters also spoke in support of all tribes regarding how the National Cancer Act of 1971 was passed to provide research funding and assistance needed to
create the cancer treatment infrastructure most Americans now take for granted—and how tribes were forgotten.
“More than 50 years later, the federal agencies with the trust responsibility to provide health care to Indian tribes now say they do not have the authority to do
so for cancer, which just so happens to be the most complex, costly, and deadly disease of all.”
TCRHCC Specialty Care Center has already provided chemotherapy infusions and other lifesaving treatments to about 800 cancer patients in just four years.
The second challenge the cancer care center faces is sustainability.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) refuses to pay TCRHCC the same reimbursement for chemotherapy drugs that they pay non-tribal
providers. About 50% of claims are rejected by CMS.
When that happens, CMS only allows TCRHCC to bill Medicare the all-inclusive Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rate for outpatient visits to a
tribal health care facility, which last year was just $541 per patient for the entire fiscal year.
The $541 OMB all-inclusive rate for chemotherapy does not even cover our cost for the drugs, Walters said.
The OMB all-inclusive rate captures the average cost all tribal health care providers incur for all services. It is unreasonable to expect it to reimburse the cost
of lifesaving chemotherapy infusion and oral drugs. The OMB all-inclusive rate does not contemplate the cost of oncology because the IHS does not provide it.
If our two oncologists were administering infusion and oral therapies to our Navajo patients in a cancer treatment facility in Flagstaff or Phoenix instead of at
Tuba City, then CMS would reimburse them based on the average sales price of the drug, she added.
Chemotherapeutics are expensive and Medicare’s refusal to fairly reimburse TCRHCC for the raw cost of these medicines threatens the entire operation (of
the cancer care center). About half of costs for cancer drugs are never reimbursed.
“We cannot, and would not profit from patient disease, but we also cannot afford to continue to lose money every time we treat cancer,” she said.
Walters also asked the committee to include language that directs CMS to reimburse chemotherapeutic drugs administered by a tribal health care provider that
elects to do so the same way it reimburses other health care providers.
TCRHCC is a tribal health innovator that is led by a Community Board of Directors who represent the Navajo, Hopi and San Juan Southern Paiute communities within a 35,000-patient service area and is steered by a Senior Leadership Team of mostly Navajo health care professionals who are supported by a nontechnical staff that is also 95% Navajo.
###

Hopi Tutuveni April 5, 2023

10

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
AUDITOR
Public notice is hereby given on this day March 21, 2023 that the
Village of Bacavi is accepting sealed proposals from qualified and
licensed firms for Audit Services for 2020 with renewal options for
2021 and 2022 Audit years. All Requests for Proposals (RFP) must be
submitted prior to the closing date of April 28, 2023 by 5:00 pm to be
considered for selection. Late proposals will be disqualified. In order to
be considered for selection, bidders must submit a complete response to
the RFP. RFP Packets and more information are available at the Village
of Bacavi Community Center or email Bacsecretary@hopitelecom.
net. Village of Bacavi reserves the right to reject any and all proposals
submitted, to waive any information or irregularities, to advertise in its
best interest, and to request additional information from all proposers.
Hopi Owned and Non-Hopi Owned firms and individuals are invited to
respond to this RFP. Interested firms and individuals will be evaluated
in accordance with the requested proposal and applicable law. Any and
all work intended to be contracted as part of the bid submittal must be
accompanied by background materials and references for proposed
contract(s). No exceptions.
Mail Sealed Bids to: Village of Bacavi Board of Directors
C/O Marla Dacawyma, CSA
P.O. Box 185

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Hopi Tutuveni?
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The Hopi Tribe P.O. Box 123 Kykotsmovi, AZ 86039
Ph: (928) 734-3281 • Ph: (928) 734-3283
Editorial Board of the Hopi Tutuveni
Wilma Dengavi , Gary LaRance, George Mase
Hopi Tutuveni Staff
Managing Editor - Romalita Laban
RLaban@hopi.nsn.us

ARTICLES:
The Hopi Tutuveni welcomes
original articles reporting on
local, state and national news
items on issues related to Hopi
or of interest to Tutuveni readers.
We are especially interested
in articles reporting on issues
impacting the Hopi community or on events and activities
involving members of the Hopi
Tribe. Articles should not exceed
750 words and should follow
Associated Press (AP) style and
formatting. The Managing Editor
reserves the right to edit articles
for style, length and clarity. If
significant editing is required, the
Managing Editor will communicate with the author prior to
publication.
PRESS RELEASES:
Press releases must be submitted
on official letterhead and include
the name of the organization,
contact person, telephone
number and email address. Press
releases should not exceed 500
words and submissions may be
edited for length and clarity at
the discretion of the Managing
Editor.
LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR:
Letters should not exceed 250
words and must include the
name of the author and complete
contact information (address,
phone number or email address)

CIRCULATION

and the headline and date of
the article on which you are
commenting. Anonymous letters
and letters written under pseudonyms will not be published.
The Tutuveni Editorial Board
reviews all submissions and
reserves the right not to publish
letters it considers to be highly
sensitive or potentially offensive
to readers, or that may be libelous
or slanderous in nature.
OPINION EDITORIALS:
Submissions must be exclusive
to Hopi Tutuveni and should not
exceed 1,000 words. Include with
your submission your name and
complete contact information,
along with a short 2-3-sentence
bio.
SUBMISSION
INSTRUCTIONS:
All press releases, articles, letters
to the editor and Opinion Editorials electronically as a Word
document or as plain text in the
body of an email to the Managing Editor, Romalita Laban. Articles, press releases and editorials
that include photographs must
be in high resolution, 300dpi
or more and must be your own.
All photographs must include
photo credit and a caption for
each photo listing the names of
all persons included in the photo
and description of what the photo is about. (call 928-734-3283
for deadline schedule).

The Hopi Tutuveni is published twice a month, with a circulation
of 2,500 copies throughout the entire Hopi Reservation. The paper
is delivered on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month to the
following locations: Moenkopi Travel Center, Moenkopi Legacy
Inn, Hotevilla Store, Kykotsmovi Village Store, Tribal Government
Complex, Hopi Cultural Center, Hopi Health Care Center, Polacca
Circle M, Keams Canyon Store.

Hopi Tutuveni April 5, 2023

11

Vatican Rejects Doctrine that Fueled Centuries
of Colonialism

Hopi Tribal Council
Timothy L. Nuvangyaoma,
Chairman
Craig Andrews
Vice Chairman
Judith Youvella
Tribal Secretary
Nada Talayumptewa,
Tribal Treasurer
Alfonso Sakeva,
Sergeant-At-Arms
Village of Upper
Moenkopi
William Charley
Danny Humetewa Sr.
Leroy Sumatzkuku
Michael Elmer
Village of Bakabi
Marilyn Fredericks
Ruth Kewanimptewa
Dwayne Secakuku
Village of Kyakotsmovi
David Talayumptewa
Gary P. Kelhoyouma
Danny Honanie
Herman G. Honanie

FILE - People protest as Pope Francis meets young people and elders at Nakasuk Elementary School Square in Iqaluit,
Canada, Friday, July 29, 2022. The Vatican has on Thursday, March 30, 2023 formally repudiated the “Doctrine of Discovery.” That is the theory backed by 15th century papal bulls that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands
and form the basis of some property law today. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, file)

By NICOLE WINFIELD – AP
Vatican City (AP) — March 29, 2023 The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands
and formally repudiated the “Doctrine of Discovery,” the theories backed by 15th-century “papal
bulls” that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of
Native lands and form the basis of some property
laws today.
A Vatican statement said the papal bulls, or decrees, “did not adequately reflect the equal dignity
and rights of Indigenous peoples” and have never
been considered expressions of the Catholic faith.
The statement, from the Vatican’s development
and education offices, marked a historic recognition of the Vatican’s own complicity in colonial-era
abuses committed by European powers. It was
issued under history’s first Latin American pontiff,
who was hospitalized Thursday with a respiratory
infection, exactly one year after Francis met at the
Vatican with Indigenous leaders from Canada who

raised the issue.
On Thursday, these Indigenous leaders welcomed
the statement as a first good step, even though it
didn’t address the rescinding of the bulls themselves
and continued to take distance from acknowledging
actual Vatican culpability in abuses. The statement
said the papal documents had been “manipulated”
for political purposes by competing colonial powers
“to justify immoral acts against Indigenous peoples
that were carried out, at times, without opposition
from ecclesial authorities.”
It said it was right to “recognize these errors,”
acknowledge the terrible effects of colonial-era
assimilation policies on Indigenous peoples and ask
for their forgiveness.
The statement was a response to decades of Indigenous demands for the Vatican to formally rescind
the papal bulls that provided the Portuguese and
Spanish kingdoms the religious backing to expand
their territories in Africa and the Americas for the
sake of spreading Christianity. Continued pg. 15

Village of Sipaulavi
Rosa Honanie
Anita Bahnimptewa
Raymond Namoki
Village of Mishongnovi
Arthur Batala
Ronald Humeyestewa
Marilyn Tewa
Mervin Yoyetewa
First Mesa Consolidated
Villages
Albert T. Sinquah
Dale Sinquah
Wallace Youvella, Jr.
Vacant

Hopi Tutuveni April 5, 2023

12

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
Hopi Tribe, FY2023-2027 Tribal Transportation Improvement Plan (TTIP)
The Hopi Tribe, has prepared a Tribal Transportation Plan (TTIP) to present to
the BIA for the 2023 – 2027 funding. Funding from the TTIP will be used for
road improvement, salaries, roads maintenance, equipment/vehicle purchase,
and supplies.
Public comments concerning the TTP are welcome and copies can be obtained
from the Hopi Department of Transportation office located at the Kykotsmovi
Village, Youth & Elderly building.
Any questions concerning this can be directed to the Hopi Department of
Transportation at (928) 734-3182.
Deadline for comments will be April 30, 2023.

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Hopi Telecommunications, Inc. (HTI)
in Keams Canyon, Arizona is currently
seeking an energetic and highly motivated individuals to join the HTI team.
CURRENT OPENING
• Janitor (Part-time)
• Central Office Technician (Full-time)
• Outside Plant Technician (Full-time)
CLOSING DATE: OPEN UNTIL FILLED
Requirements: Experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of
the job. Possess a valid Arizona Driver License and pass a background check.
*Must complete and submit an HTI Employment Application. Application can be
obtained at the
Keams Canyon Office. Or through the HTI Website.
To view job description please visit the HTI website at: www.hopitelecom.com
For more information, please call the Keams Canyon Office at (928) 738-4674
or Flagstaff Office (928) 522-8428 or email info@hopitelecom.com

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Ho pi Telecommunications, Inc
2023 Summer Internship Positions Available
Hopi Telecommunications, Inc. (HTI) in Keams Canyon, Arizona is currently seeking
two (2) Summer Interns. Interns will assist HTI Technicians with installation, maintenance of telecommunications equipment & service customer premise equipment.
CURRENT OPENINGS
* Summer Intern - Outside Plant Operator
* Summer Intern – Central Office Technician
Requirements: Must be currently in High School, recent High School graduate, or
currently in college. *Must complete and submit an HTI Employment Application. Application can be obtained at the Keams Canyon Office or Flagstaff Office. Or through
the HTI website: www.hopitelecom.net. For more information, please call the Keams
Canyon Office (928) 738-4674 or Flagstaff Office (928) 522-8428.

Hopilavit - Everyday words
K
A
N
S
U
L
M
O
N
G
W
I
T
A
V
U
N

Y
W
I
I
K
I
Y
M
A
W
K
O
U
N
M
Y
H

E
F
U
N
A
Y
T
A
N
U
T
P
W
X
U
B
O

S M I S M
T U M A L
J U T P A
S P J P C
D I L T O
F T V M A
I A A A P
Y N S W V
O A P O V
H K O A I
O T A K A
T S U Q P
I Y T A B
I K A V O
Y T A L A
O Q E H I
P I
I Q A

U
A
L
R
V
I
U
U
A
K
L
I
I
N
R
I
T

Y A W
Y A B
A Q N
U A P
N W O
D I
I
Y S G
T T F
U O A
K H J
O G O
P K A
N I W
A Q O
I K I
H I K
S I N

A
D
X
M
K
N
G
A
H
U
T
S
A
P
S
O
O

G
Z
O
I
N
W
I
S
T
P
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N
Q
T
Q
S

N
T
K
T
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Q
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T
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P
O
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V
A

A
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J
K
H
F
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U

S T
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V T
A U
Q Q
O A
P Y
Q I
O W
T A
R Y
H U
A M
J A
N A
O Y
P K

HOPI WORDS

Kyesmismuyaw - December

Wiiki’yma - Guide (Singular)

Tuwi’yta - Able (skillful)

Pö’i’yta - Debt (Have)

Sivaqöpqö - Heater

Yuki’at - Accomplishment

Öqala - Determined

Hopiiqatsi - Hopi Way of Life

Tukopna - Accuse

Alögö - Different

Nù’okwa - Kind Hearted

Hintsakpi - Activity

Hötsiwa - Doorway

Ngahu - Medicine

Pu’ason - Afterward

Hiihiko - Drink

Muytala - Moon Light

Qe’ti - Back out of

Nan’ip - Each (of two)

Tömö - Season (Winter)

Novaki - Bakery

Tutuqayiw - Education

Nuvati - Snowed

Tuptsiwni - Belief

Töövu - Ember

Nawini - Suggestion

Kwusiva - Bring

Tumal’aya - Employee

Tsangaw - Thank Goodness

Pàato - Burst

Tunatya - Endeavor

Kyaamuya - Winter (Solstice)

Pitanakts - Cap/Hat

Naatsiki - Factionalize

Hihìiyà - Wow!

Sikiki - Car (Auto)

Qöpqö - Fire place

Kansulmongwi - Chairman

Saavu - Fire wood

Namora - Choice

Tuuqayta - Fluent

Iyoho’ti - Cold (Weather)

Qalaptu - Get Over (Recover)

TICK-TACK-TOE

Hopi Tutuveni April 5, 2023

Henrietta Mann, Native America Calling receive National
Humanities Medals

13

During a White House ceremony, President Joe Biden presented 11 awards

Henrietta Mann on her way into the White House for the 2021 National Humanities Medals dinner
and ceremony on March 21, 2023. (Pauly Denetclaw, ICT)© Provided by Indian Country Today
Story by Pauly Denetclaw • Indian Country Today
WASHINGTON — March 21, 2023 Legendary Native
American studies professor and historian, Henrietta Mann,
Cheyenne, was all smiles as she made her way into the White
House for the 2021 National Humanities Medals dinner and
ceremony on Tuesday afternoon.
Following close behind her was Shawn Spruce, Laguna
Pueblo, Jaclyn Sallee, Inupiaq, Denise Morris, Aleut, and Art
Hughes of Native America Calling and Koahnic Broadcast
Corporation, which produces the iconic radio show.
All were in Washington, D.C. to receive a National Humanities Medals presented by President Joe Biden. For 2021, only
12 medals were awarded. As a surprise, Sir Elton John was
awarded his medal in 2022.
“We’re here surrounded by some really interesting people,
some very notable, high profile individuals, celebrities from
the arts and humanities world,” Shawn Spruce, host of Native
America Calling, told ICT. “We’re just enjoying it.”
Spruce was calling from the East Wing of the White House
during the dinner that prefaced the medal ceremony. In the
background was the hum of conversations and laughter.
“The National Humanities Medal recipients have enriched

our world through writing that moves and inspires us; scholarship that enlarges our understanding of the past; and through
their dedication to educating, informing, and giving voice to
communities and histories often overlooked,” Shelly C. Lowe,
Navajo, chair for the National Endowment for the Humanities
said in a press release. “I am proud to join President Biden in
recognizing these distinguished leaders for their outstanding
contributions to our nation’s cultural life.”
Due to the pandemic the ceremony had been postponed. The
National Humanities Medals “honors individuals or groups
whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the
humanities and broadened our citizens’ engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy, and other humanities
subjects,” according to the National Endowment for the Humanities.
“But you know who it’s really about, it’s Indian Country, Native America, because the show is titled, Native America calling,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who’s hosting. It doesn’t matter
who’s producing. At the heart of the show are all the listeners
and all the Native communities who enjoy the show and who
call in with their feedback. This is an acknowledgement and

Continued pg. 14

Hopi Tutuveni April 5, 2023

14

Henrietta Mann, Native America Calling receive National Humanities Medals
During a White House ceremony, President Joe Biden presented 11 awards, continued...

recognition for everybody, whether you’re part of the show, as the
host or producer, or you’re the audience, you’re a listener. This is a
huge win for all of us.
”Native America Calling took to the airways in the summer of 1995
from the University of New Mexico at the KUNM radio station. The
format of the daily program is an hourlong live call-in show about a
specific topic or issue that centers the Indigenous voice. (On Tuesday,
it was about Native American Muslims.)
The show airs on over 130 radio stations, 74 are Native-controlled,
across the U.S. and Canada. When it first started, only 14 stations
carried the program.
The first caller was from the sovereign lands of the Oglala Lakota in
what is now Porcupine, South Dakota.
It cannot be understated how important Native America Calling is
for the hundreds of Indigenous nations across this land who often live
in rural communities and still rely on radio stations to stay updated on
current events.
“When the show first started, radio was one of the premier platforms for people to get news and information, along with television,”
he said. “Even though technology has evolved, and more and more
people are streaming content, or they’re getting information online, so
many of our Native communities, our rural communities, radio is still
the preferred method of communication and news information. A lot
of our communities they don’t necessarily have access to internet. So
tribal radio stations, public radio stations, are still very, very relevant.”
Spruce and Art Hughes, executive producer, got a cryptic email
from the National Endowment for the Humanities asking for a Zoom
meeting. Spruce created a list of questions and was prepared for what
he thought would be a story pitch from the federal agency.
“Art and I were both shell shocked,” Spruce remembered. “We were
like, ‘What?’ They don’t want us to report on the news. We are the
news. It was really exciting, definitely had to pinch myself like is this
really happening?”
“Every day from a studio in New Mexico, Native American Calling
airs a live radio show exploring everything from a legacy of Native
newspapers, to Native cuisine to Native American solidarity with
Ukraine, capturing the vastness of the Native American life, and it’s a
profound impact on the country.” President Joe Biden said during the
ceremony.
Mann is a pioneer of Native American studies, history, language
and culture. She was the first Native American to direct federal Indian
education programs when she worked at the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
She was a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, University of Montana and Montana State University, where she became
the first person to hold the Katz Endowed Chair in Native American
Studies. At each university she helped to develop Native American
studies programs.
After the creation of tribal colleges and universities, Mann put her
expertise on those newly established institutions. She helped to develop the Native American studies program at what is now Haskell
Indian Nations University.
Around the turn of the century, she became the founding president
of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal College, the nation’s first tribal
college that has since closed. Mann is a citizen of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma.

“We have to provide an environment for our young people,” Mann
said in an interview with Humanities magazine, “that is consistent
with who they are, so that they can take courses in American Indian
history, culture, language, philosophy, spirituality, literature, our oral
traditions, our stories, which hold so much of our history and culture
within them.”
On her way to getting her doctorate degree, Mann was told in her
master’s program that she could not study the oral traditions of her
nation because there would be no one to evaluate her work.
“I wanted to write about Indians. I was working toward my second
degree in English. And so I proposed this to my adviser, and was told,
no, you can’t,” Mann told Shelly Lowe, Navajo, in Humanities Magazine.
Generations of Indigenous researchers, professors, historians and
academics have followed in her footsteps and create knowledge about
their Native nations.
“Henrietta Mann, a teacher, a scholar and leader, she’s dedicated her
career to Native American education and to establishing a field of Native American studies,” Biden said. “Thanks in large part to her, Native American studies is now taught at universities across the country,
strengthening our nation-to-nation bonds for generations to come.”

From left to right, Art Hughes, Jaclyn Sallee, Inupiaq, Denise Morris, Aleut,
and Shawn Spruce, Laguna Pueblo, representing Native America Calling, before heading into the 2021 National Humanities Medals dinner and ceremony on Tuesday afternoon. The celebration was postponed due to the pandemic. (Pauly Denetclaw, ICT)© Provided by Indian Country Today

Hopi Tutuveni April 5, 2023

15

Vatican Rejects Doctrine that Fueled Centuries of Colonialism,cont...
Those decrees underpin the “Doctrine of Discovery,”
a legal concept coined in a 1823 U.S. Supreme Court
decision that has come to be understood as meaning that
ownership and sovereignty over land passed to Europeans because they “discovered” it.
It was cited as recently as a 2005 Supreme Court decision involving the Oneida Indian Nation written by the
late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
During Pope Francis’ 2022 visit to Canada, where he
apologized to Indigenous peoples for the residential
school system that forcibly removed Native children
from their homes, he was met with demands for a formal
repudiation of the papal bulls.
Two Indigenous women unfurled a banner at the altar
of the National Shrine of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré on
July 29 that read: “Rescind the Doctrine” in bright red
and black letters.
Before that, Michelle Schenandoah of the Oneida
Nation had called for the Vatican to rescind the papal
bulls when she delivered the closing remarks of the First
Nations delegation that met with Francis during a weeklong visit last year by Native groups from Canada. On
Thursday, she called the Vatican statement “another step
in the right direction,” but noted that it didn’t mention
the rescinding of the bulls themselves.
“I think what this does is it really puts the responsibility on nation states such as the United States, to look at its
use of the Doctrine of Discovery,” she said in a interview
from Syracuse, New York, where she is a professor of
Indigenous law at Syracuse University’s College of Law.
“This goes beyond land. It really has created generation
upon generation of genocidal policies directed towards
Indigenous peoples. And I think that it’s time for these
governments to take full accountability for their actions.”
In the statement, the Vatican said: “The Catholic
Church therefore repudiates those concepts that fail to
recognize the inherent human rights of Indigenous peoples, including what has become known as the legal and
political ‘doctrine of discovery.’”
Phil Fontaine, a former national chief of the Assembly
of First Nations in Canada who was also part of the First
Nations delegation that met with Francis at the Vatican,
said the statement was “wonderful,” resolved an outstanding issue and now puts the matter to civil authorities to revise property laws that cite the doctrine.
“The church has done one thing, as it said it would
do, for the Holy Father. Now the ball is in the court
of governments, the United States and in Canada, but
particularly in the United States where the doctrine is
embedded in the law,” he told The Associated Press.
The Vatican offered no evidence that the three papal
bulls (Dum Diversas in 1452, Romanus Pontifex in 1455
and Inter Caetera in 1493) had themselves been formally abrogated, rescinded or rejected, as Vatican officials

have often said. But it cited a subsequent bull, Sublimis
Deus in 1537, that reaffirmed that Indigenous peoples
shouldn’t be deprived of their liberty or the possession of
their property, and were not to be enslaved.
Cardinal Michael Czerny, the Canadian Jesuit whose
office co-authored the statement, stressed that the original bulls had long ago been abrogated and that the use of
the term “doctrine” — which in this case is a legal term,
not a religious one — had led to centuries of confusion
about the church’s role.
The original bulls, he said, “are being treated as if they
were teaching, magisterial or doctrinal documents, and
they are an ad hoc political move. And I think to solemnly repudiate an ad hoc political move is to generate
more confusion than clarity.”
He stressed that the statement wasn’t just about setting
the historical record straight, but “to discover, identify,
analyze and try to overcome what we can only call the
enduring effects of colonialism today.”
It was significant that the repudiation of the “Doctrine
of Discovery” came during the pontificate of history’s
first Latin American pope. Even before the Canadian
trip, the Argentine pope had apologized to Native peoples in Bolivia in 2015 for the crimes of the colonial-era
conquest of the Americas.
Felix Hoehn, a property and administrative law professor at the University of Saskatchewan, said the Vatican
statement would have no legal bearing on land claims in
Canada today, but would have symbolic value.
“The most that any papal repudiation of the doctrine (or the bulls, for that matter) can do in relation to
Canadian law is to apply pressure on the Supreme Court
of Canada to renounce the doctrine as part of Canadian
law,” he said.
Beyond that, though, is the hope that the statement

could show that the Catholic Church wants to be an
ally with Indigenous peoples as they fight for their
human rights and their land, and to protect it, said
the Rev. David McCallum, an American Jesuit who
has worked with Indigenous peoples in the Syracuse area and was consulted during the drafting of
the statement.
“So now for the church to not only acknowledge
the damage, but also to repudiate the whole mindset of cultural superiority, of racial superiority to,
in a sense, renounce that whole way of thinking
and say that forever forward the church wants to
be an active ally in protecting Indigenous human
rights along with all human rights, I think it’s a big
statement,” he said.
_ __Rob Gillies contributed to this report from
Toronto.

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Hopi Tutuveni August 17, 2022

16

Hopi Day School Hosts
March 23, 2023 Reading Night
Kykotsmovi, Ariz. – March 23, 2023 Hopi Day School Parent Liaison Deborah
Baker hosted the March 23, 2023 Hopi Day School Reading Night with HDS Book
Club Readers present as special guests, some attending via ZOOM, as well as
local community members, staff of various Hopi Tribal departments and programs,
including Hopi Tutuveni’s Managing Editor, Romalita Laban.
Baker and Hopi Day School staff provided a very warm welcome
which included a welcoming path leading to the Hopi Day School
cafeteria where the event was held. Attendees were allowed to
mingle and visit various tables and booths which included the Hopi
Public Library, Hopi Vice Chairman Craig Andrews Office, Hopi
Three Mesas, Inc., Louis Tewanima Memorial Run Committee and
many more, including Hopi Day School’s Royalty.
Some of the HDS Book Club Readers who read at the event
included Hopi Vice Chairman Craig Andrews who read “The Mouse
Couple” while being present at Hopi Day School. Sam Taylor read
“Lewis Tewanima Born To Run” attended via ZOOM and was supported by his family who provided a wonderful table presentation
containing information about Louis Tewanima, the infamous Hopi
Olympic runner.
Other HDS Book Club Readers who were present included Romalita Laban, who provided statements about the time she was a
Reader and recalled with Baker about the beginning stages of doing
the readings and recording, as well. Ardelle Nachie provided attendees a peak at the book he read along with April Pavenyouma, past
Miss Hopi, who also had “The Berenstain Bears Summer Fun!” book
at her table.
Attendees were provided cake and drinks while they visited the
various tables and booths. All in all, the event was well attended and
attendees did not leave empty handed as some took books home, as
well. Hopi Tutuveni will follow up this article with more from Baker
about the event and the Hopi Day School Book Club soon.

---

Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Ahopi_arizona%3A280e7755333c8ebd. Public record. Not legal advice.