in the US workplace and politics yet still revere traditional teachings, a common view is being recognized. Many are beginning to view the dispute not as a Hopi vs. Navajo issue, but rather a US government vs. Hopi and Navajo issue. This new resolve does little to alleviate the impending pinnacle of conflict when the legally backed Hopi and Bureau of Indian Affairs forcibly relocate the Dineh this February. However, there remains a glimmer of hope for the future relations between the tribes as they both begin to identify big business as the only true victor in the struggle.While Dineh local to Black Mesa have always opposed the presence of Peabody Coal on the JUA - a presence made possible by a 35-year lease granted by the Hopis in 1966 - the new generation of leaders now views Peabody's practices as a flagrant exploitation of natural resources in the area, namely groundwater.Peabody Coal sucks 3,800 acre-feet of water from the ground each year to create slurry, which is then pumped 273 miles from the mining site at Black Mesa to a Southern California Edison owned power generating facility in Laughlin, NV. The Dineh assert that living close to the mine has caused permanent health problems while the Hopi contend that the operation has depleted their groundwater; fulfilling an ancient Hopi prophecy of vanishing water, and putting their survival in grave peril. Out of the fray comes a common cause for which both sides can fight side by side as Peabody's lease is considered for renewal in 2001.Despite the government's supposed efforts for peace in the region, the forces exerted have only aggravated existing conflicts. Many politicians agree. The late Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona, who helped the relocation law through congress in 1974, called the episode the biggest mistake of his career. Current Arizona Sen. John McCain has concurred. "The purpose of relocation was to settle land disputes in a timely and orderly fashion," he sai...
