Nellis Kennedy-Howard's blog

On July 15th, thirty-one years ago, all was usual in the Church Rock area of the Navajo reservation. Life was “everyday normal” for Navajo families, but maybe not “everyday normal” for the average person living in the United States. You see, at this time, many Navajo families had no electricity and drove several miles to haul potable water, as no running water was available. This was life as normal for the area. Read more...

Again. Really? “This is not your land. This is not your land. This is not your land.” Repeatedly, the federal government continues to proclaim that this land does not belong to its original inhabitants. This time, the 10th Circuit of Appeals, has told plaintiff's Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium Mining (ENDAUM) and the entire Navajo Nation that allotted lands in the checkerboard area of the Navajo Nation do not fall within the definition of "Indian Country" and are therefore not under the jurisdiction of the Navajo Nation. Read more...

On March 25th, I will be heading down to Tempe, Arizona to represent Honor the Earth at the Tribal Energy Economies: Investing In a Sustainable Future conference. Read more...

This weekend my wife and I were invited by our Auntie to take a canoe tour of No Name Lake in Cass Lake, Minnesota. In 2002, oil giant, Enbridge, detected a heavy crude oil spill just outside the Enbridge pumping station on the Leech Lake reservation. This 48,000 gallon spill was 28 feet below ground and borders what is now known as No Name Lake. As a result, Enbridge purchased several acres of the contaminated land and has been assessing the damage since then. Remediation remains “ongoing.” Meanwhile, just within walking distance of this spill is No Name Lake. Read more...

This extended holiday weekend was especially exciting for me and I would like to share it with you.

July 2nd
Our crew was ready and our crane was set. After plenty of hard work, our turbine tower was erected. The many months of planning are coming to fruition and I am extremely proud to be a part of it. Read more...