It’s being called a “historic step” by not only the Hopi Tribe but the U.S. Department of Interior and Governor Katie Hobbs, resolving a decades-old tribal land dispute has been made with the transfer of nearly 21,000 acres of state land to the Hopi Tribe. This marks the first phase of an almost 30-year-old agreement to transfer approximately 110,000 acres to the Hopi Tribe under The Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act of 1996.
The transfer involves the Hopi Tribe paying $3.9 million to the State of Arizona for the land, equating to about $185 per acre. The land, located in Coconino County south of Interstate 40 near Winslow, has been leased by the tribe for ranching purposes and is interspersed with existing Hopi-owned lands. The current land agreement has the land rights divided checkerboard-like where each parcel owner doesn’t own the parcels next to them on all four sides. This has historically made the land less than ideal for large ranches or developments of any kind.
The agreement is the first in a series of anticipated transactions that will consolidate checkerboarded land holdings into a contiguous area managed by the Hopi Tribe. Over time, the Hopi Tribe is expected to spend more than $20 million to acquire a total of 110,000 acres in Coconino and Navajo counties. The land will be held in trust by the United States, a designation that provides tribal sovereignty and federal protections.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division stated that the transfer would eliminate interspersed ownership and improve the tribe’s ability to use the land for ranching and agricultural activities. The Department of the Interior will oversee the trust process following the transfer of the title to the United States.
The Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute Settlement Act of 1996, which authorized the transaction, was enacted to resolve longstanding hostilities between the Hopi Tribe and the Navajo Nation. The Hopi Tribe’s reservation, currently encompassing 1.5 million acres, is surrounded by the Navajo Nation’s 17 million acres in northeastern Arizona.
Hopi Chairman Timothy L. Nuvangyaoma acknowledged the significance of the event, coinciding with the tribe’s Soyal’ang ceremony, which marks the start of the Hopi New Year. He expressed gratitude to the various state and federal agencies involved, including the Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior, and the Arizona State Land Department.
Governor Hobbs emphasized the importance of collaboration in addressing tribal concerns and stated that the agreement reflects Arizona’s commitment to supporting tribal communities.
The transfer includes all appurtenant water and mineral rights but does not affect existing easements or public utility rights of way.
Attorneys from the Department of Justice’s Land Acquisition Section managed the legal aspects of the transaction. The process is expected to continue until all 110,000 acres are placed into trust for the Hopi Tribe.
