HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY DYNAMICS OF WATER IN RELATION TO DINÉ PEOPLEHOOD

Abstract

The Navajo peoples, who refer to themselves as Diné, are one among many Indigenous cultures whose rich history is inextricably linked to water. The Diné word for water––tó––is found as a prefix to the names of clans, sacred places, and ceremonies. The lands where they have resided since time immemorial are locatedin the Colorado Plateau region of the American Southwest. This territory is noted for harsh climatic conditions that place the presence of water as a vital and necessary component for the continued success of their way of life. Water is part of the Diné way of being and, as such, can be thought of as an element of identity or peoplehood. Indigenous cultures that have been negatively influenced by the encroachments of settler colonization have invariably found themselves in legal battles to secure the right to have access to water. The relatively large land area of the Navajo Nation, coupled with an ever-growing population, has made access to water a prime concern of Diné leaders dating back to the 19th century and continues to this day. The dynamic interplay between those who have wished to usurp the Navajo claim to water––federal and state officials, industrial developers, and non-Native agriculturalists––and Diné herdsmen, farmers, spiritual leaders, and tribal councils, is an ongoing battle that remains poignant in the present day and shows no sign of letting up. This is a story of Diné identity and the sovereignty that is inherent when a people assert their rightful claim to the resources found within their land base