My message was not intended as an attack against the Navajo Nation. The purpose for putting out the information was to inform our community of their desires. Just like any other property owner they have an absolute right to regulate what occurs on their lands. During my conversation with the Sergeant I told him that I would do what I could to get the message out.
Ken
WhereRwee?
----- Original Message -----
From: mike and gale jett
To:
listserv@azgeocaching.com
Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2003 12:18 PM
Subject: [Az-Geocaching] Navajo Nation
Two of you wrote
Also, I had the opportunity to speak to a Sergeant with the Navajo Nation
>Police Department. He told me that they will not allow any geocaches on
>their lands. If you are caught on their lands without a permit you can be
>arrested. This is just a reminder to please not place any caches on tribal
>lands.
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.
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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