Letter to the Editor from Katherine Smith

July 29th Navajo Times

We heard of a law called PL 93-531 about twenty three years ago. At that time, the people within the HPL were peaceful, all of our people smiled with nice faces and they were polite and helped each other. At that time, this crazy law came, we didn't even know that this law was made and what it did to us.

We didn't see the judge that passed this law , and we didn't go to court at that time. They passed this law in Washington, not on Navajo land.

Now, not only one law has been passed, more laws have come to us. I'm still here yet on the Big Mountain. I have fifty grandchildren, four generations. What happens to them now that the Hopi and the Whiteman have swallowed our land. They have swallowed our livestock and our big cornfields. Now they want to swallow our life, our body.

I've seen a lot of police around Big Mountain, because we have the Sundance. We left the gates of the dance and police chased us, stopped us and ticketed us. I think these police are so hungry, nothing to eat, they want to swallow us after they have eaten our land and livestock. After I am gone what are they gonna swallow next.

So police harassment is going on in the HPL today. The policemen have a badge, so they tell the jailor at the office lies about us on their land. Their words and stories are not true. The police want to capture me like they did Peter McDonald. If the big trouble comes, with large crowds and a lot of police, then somebody gets killed, then they will quickly capture the seven ladies who didn't sign the agreement and take us to prison.

We are already in prison, but they won't lock us up. I think thats why they are really bothering us. We can not support or let policemen make up stories to scare people.

Please read this letter.

This is a true letter.

Katherine Smith, Big Mountain