A bill introduced to Congress this week, if ratified, would establish a reservation in northern Arizona and southern Utah for the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe. It’s the only federally recognized tribe in Arizona that doesn’t have its own homeland.
The measure is part of the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act which has already been approved by the Navajo, Hopi, and San Juan Southern Paiute tribes. It sets aside five thousand, four hundred acres for the new reservation and water to supply it.
Robbin Preston Jr., the tribal president for the San Juan Southern Paiute, says, "I think it’s going to mean the world to us, especially in this day and age where everybody wants to have an identity, which we have, but also a place to call home."
Preston says his people have waited decades for this day and the reservation will allow the tribe to offer houses, jobs, and healthcare to its members. The two parcels that make up the proposed reservation are west of Tuba City in Arizona and near Navajo Mountain in Utah.
