FEMA officials begin trek across reservation

By Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — Navajo Nation officials expected at 7 a.m. today to begin a two-day journey with a four-member team from the state of Arizona and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The scouts from Washington, D.C., will prepare an assessment to see if Coconino, Navajo and Apache counties, the Arizona portion of the Navajo and Hopi reservations, qualify for President Bush to release U.S. funds to help in repairs and the costs incurred in relief operations from the snow-rain mud emergency declared Jan. 7 in Navajoland.

The group started the tour in the Bird Springs and Leupp Chapters where Little Colorado River flooding began the winter weather crisis. Then the group was to go up on Black Mesa.

Pinon, Forest Lake
The Navajo group also will visit the Pinon and Forest Lake Chapters today, and if the roads are passable, the Black Mesa and Hard Rock Chapters. Shorty said the plan calls for an overnight stay in either Chinle or Window Rock. Thursday morning the group can see at least Tsaile-Wheatfields, Lukachukai and Crystal Chapters. If there is enough time, tribal officials also would like the federal-state team to get a look at chapters just across the border in New Mexico, including Red Lake (Navajo, N.M.) since it is adjacent to the Crystal Chapter.

A Navajo Nation Council delegate from the Church Rock and Bread Springs Chapter, Ernest Yazzie Jr., said people in the New Mexico chapters were getting stuck in the mud, too, and deserve some attention.

During the briefing, Lt. Ronni Wauneka, operations commander for Operation Hashtklish (Mud), said the road from Hard Rock to Forest Lake was washed out and that the road from Black Mesa to Rough Rock, which is at the northern foot off Black Mesa, "is a no go, too."

She said Kinlichee, Wide Ruins and the Pine Springs neighborhood of the Oak Springs Chapter need attention.

In addition to making first-hand assessments of the situation, the visitors will be given pictures, including some of Monday morning's Black Mesa Detail, when teams delivered 300 gallons of water, 200 bales of hay, 550 sacks of 20 pounds of potatoes, 115 food packages and five cords of fire wood.

1,000 hoursDespite putting in 1,000 manhours, one family about 10 miles north of Blue Gap could not be reached, and one request for baby formula about eight miles north of Blue Gap had to be filled later. Three other families need firewood.

Various tribal police high-clearance 4x4 Yukons led the convoys, trailed by heavily loaded pickup trucks and video-equipped Resource Ranger units.

Ranger Sgt. Kevin Gleason showed his videos of the Tachee-Blue Gap Chapter at Tuesday's briefing.

In the moonless darkness, the frozen mud appeared to be snow. When possible the vehicles steered on the ridges of the road, so as not to get trapped in the deep ruts or fall into the frozen water off the sides of the graded paths. Even then, he said, "we bottomed out several times...and we were going only about 15 mph, even though it looks as if we were flying."

Wauneka relayed comments from some of the residents, who saw the string of lights in the distance and welcomed the relief column's supplies. Comments included, "Here comes the cavalry." She added that in her mind, "It was worth getting tired for."

Eight triesIn one spot, two men attempting to get out to work were stuck and blocked the convoy.

"We couldn't turn around or go around them," Gleason said. The relief column helped the men by putting weight on the rear wheels of the two-wheel drive truck. "It took eight tries," he said, before the truck could continue on its way.

The sergeant added that it was easy to tell which families had stayed put the tracks into their housing compounds were in much better shape, not nearly as rutted out.

One stretch of the road was sandy."It was like a (smooth) highway to us," he explained in indicating how bad the roads were in the rest of the journey.

One of the last stops was a group of three homes where "One gentleman was 100 years old and the guy next door to him was handicapped. We left them food, water and wood. Every place we went, there was hardship. This is the most hardship I've ever seen as a ranger," he said.

To contact reporter Jim Maniaci, telephone (505) 371-5443.