The Navajo-Hopi Dispute: A brief history, 1973-01-01 - 1974-12-31

Item — Box: 67, Folder: 9

Identifier: CAC_CC_009_2_67_9_0006

Staff Only

The Navajo-Hopi dispute is a centuries-old conflict over land ownership in northwestern New Mexico and northern Arizona. The Hopi tribe claims ownership of an area known as the Moencopi area, which is located within the boundaries of the Navajo reservation. The Navajo tribe argues that the Hopi have no claim to the Moencopi area because it was never formally allocated to them by the federal government. In 1958, a court ruled that the Hopi and Navajo have a joint, equal and undivided interest in the Moencopi area. However, the two tribes have been unable to agree on how to divide the land, and the Hopi have now obtained a court order to put them in possession of half of the Joint Use Area.