Grand Canyon Escalade Project Case Study

The Grand Canyon, located in Northern Arizona, is a spectacular site as it is 277 miles long and 18 miles wide. In 1919, The Grand Canyon became a National Park, yet before that it had been revered by multiple Southwest tribes for thousands of years. Native American occupation dates to 12,000 years ago and today there are 11 tribes that are traditionally and historically associated with the canyon. Throughout humankind’s history there has always been a debate concerning natural resources and the environment. Some people believe in heavy-handedly using the Earth for human uses and others argue for minimal human influence. This debate is currently being played out in the Navajo Nation concerning the Grand Canyon. The Navajo Nation comprises …show more content…
The site would have a gondola tram down to the floor of the canyon, a Riverwalk of the Colorado River, a cultural center, hotels, shopping centers, and vendor areas for Navajo artisans. Since 2010, Confluence Partners, L.L.C., which is the outside and off-reservation group that is leading the Grand Canyon Escalade project, has been promoting the project. If the Navajo Nation did support the project, according to the master agreement, they would be required to invest $65 million for off-site infrastructure coasts. Confluence Partners, L.L.C. would be contributing $120 million for on-site infrastructure. Navajo Nation would then receive 18 percent of the gross revenue. Since the moment that the idea was first proposed there has been a fiery debate. Confluence Partners, L.L.C. has faced opposition from Save the Confluence, a grassroots activist group run by the original families who lived near the confluence. Save the Confluence rallies against the project because they claim that it will harm the environment, traditional residents of the area will be relocated, there has been no mention of using revenue to aid residents or the environment, and the project will be built on sacred Navajo and Hopi sites. Both groups are passionate regarding their ambitions and …show more content…
Tribal sovereignty asserts one’s rule over itself and self-determination for a native nation is the ability to determine its own political status based on its own interests. As explained in the next paragraph, native nations sometimes lose their sovereignty and self-determination due to the U.S. federal government. Thus, the playout in the Navajo Nation government is vital to not only assert tribal sovereignty and self-determination but also because the nation will choose the decision that is best for the Navajo people because it is the Navajo