Discussion of Diné Nihi Kéyah Project: Mapping Navajo Nation Land History, Law and Custom

Last July 21, Cooperative Professionals Guild hosted a conversation entitled "Decolonizing the Cooperative Movement: Personal and Professional Experiences of CPG Attorneys and other Allies."

This coming Thursday Sept. 22, the dialog continues with a presentation on the unfolding "Diné Nihi Kéyah Project: Mapping Navajo Nation Land History, Law and Custom," which is gathering together information needed by communities on the Navajo Nation in order to begin envisioning a tribal future, from communities up. (Please see https://dinelanduse.org/.) CLE is available for this webinar. Presentation will be by Josey Foo, Executive Director of Indian Country Grassroots Support, which is serving as the project coordinator, and Gloria Dennison, a community matriarch.

In order to serve clients in a culturally competent way and to work towards communities' ultimate goals, lawyers need a unified vision from communities--the communities' clear vision, however impractical, and however illegal it may presently seem, especially if it seems out of reach. In the Diné Journey Narratives, we emerged through darkness, beauty, disorder, then to our present heroic tests asked of each of us, not only to preserve our Diné way of life, but the existence of the Fourth World. Many lawyers already understand that change needs to happen. The urgent part for communities is, If communities themselves do not put forward their visions, there is nothing lawyers can do. Thus, we are inviting our members and friends to engage in deep listening with us. 

Diné Nihi Kéyah (our land) Project is a project of Indian Country Grassroots Support.