When Renae Yellowhorse comes to the area of the Grand Canyon where the Colorado and Little Colorado rivers meet, she feels the presence of her late father.
She says she sees him in the desert blooms, feels him in the breeze and senses him when she takes steps toward the edge of the canyon.
But the place Yellowhorse holds sacred, where she says her prayers and connects with her ancestors, could someday be the site of commercial development and an aerial tramway, along with the thousands of tourists that would follow.
The debate is sure to heat up soon. Unlike his predecessor Ben Shelly,聽 new Navajo President Russell Begaye is not committed to the project. He says the developers have not consulted the Navajo people about the project and what they want in development for the site and the region.
This spot on the north edge of the canyon is known as the Confluence. Developers want to build a project called the Escalade to make the area a commercial hub for tourists to learn about Navajo culture and have easy access to the bottom of the canyon and the Confluence.
But the land is considered sacred to the Navajo and treasured by hikers and conservationists who worry any development will tarnish its untouched beauty and strain water resources. Yellowhorse is the spokeswoman for Save the Confluence, an organization opposed to any changes 鈥� even though the developers behind the project say they will leave the sacred areas untouched.
鈥淲hen man comes in and does the blasting, the tearing into the heart of our mother, where does that construction end? Where will it stop? What鈥檚 next for this area?鈥� she said, sitting on a cliff overlooking the Confluence.
Some 25 miles away in Gap, Larry Hanks takes a dirt road to his small house, pointing out two couches, a wood-burning stove, propane bottles, a gas lantern. There is no electricity, no running water, not even a bed. He lives here with his 10-year-old daughter.
He and others in the Bodaway-Gap Chapter of the Navajo Nation support the Escalade project because they say it will provide jobs in one of the poorest and most undeveloped areas of the Navajo reservation.
鈥淚n an urban area, a city, a lot of kids have all the resources they want with their school. My daughter does not have that, as you can see,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no Boys and Girls Club. There鈥檚 no elderly care, there鈥檚 no places for them to hang out 鈥� There鈥檚 no such thing as a park here, where you can play, none.鈥�
People like Hanks say the development will bring hope and employment. Outgoing Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly also has said he supports it, but he didn鈥檛 respond to multiple calls for comment.
Arizona Rep. Albert Hale, D-St. Michaels, and a partner in the project, says it will help the impoverished Bennett Freeze area. The Bennett Freeze, imposed decades ago by federal authorities, prohibited any development on parts of the Navajo reservation because of a long-standing land dispute between the Navajo and Hopi tribes.
鈥淭here are no jobs available on the Indian reservation,鈥� said Hale, a former Navajo Nation president. 鈥淪o the people who are opposed, are they willing to step out and say, 鈥榊ou know, we have got to look at these things, we have got to find a way to keep our children here,鈥� and if we continue to not do anything our children will continue to move off because the opportunities are off the reservation.
鈥淧retty soon, who is going to be left?鈥�
Newly elected Navajo President Russell Begaye disagrees. Lynette Willie, his communications director, said Begaye thinks more conversation is needed.
鈥淗e doesn鈥檛 think the Confluence Partners are doing what the people want, it鈥檚 important to listen to the Navajo people about development,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey know what鈥檚 best for them.鈥�
Marie Peyketewa, whose family has worked the land as sheep farmers for generations, has the same concern. She said the project hasn鈥檛 been properly explained to the people and that Navajo Nation leaders have refused to meet with her.
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 want us to question how much money is going to come in and how much you (sic) promising us,鈥� Peyketewa said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what they don鈥檛 want to hear.鈥�
Peyketewa said a better way to bring prosperity would be to build the houses and bring the water and power lines necessary to improve their quality of life, rather than counting on the Escalade project.
Yellowhorse has been coming to the Confluence since she was a girl.
鈥淚f they bring in anything to dig up the earth, I will be here, hanging on with my bare hands if I have to,鈥� Yellowhorse said. 鈥淭hat cannot happen here. Not here.鈥�