The Canoncito Band of Navajo Indians applied for status clarification in 1986 and again in 1992 to the Office of Federal Acknowledgement (OFA), US Department of Interior in Washington, D.C. The application was submitted for the express purpose of CBN gaining the federal recognition as a distinct Indian tribe in order to carry on government to government relationship as a sovereign with the United States of America. It has been over twenty five years since the first application was submitted. As an aside, other Indian groups who petitioned for federal recognition after CBN’s application have been either recognized or denied recognition because they were well funded to submit a full documented petition packet. CBN, on the other hand, has never had any funds to complete its work.
In the course of seeking recognition, the Navajo Nation appeared to oppose CBN’s efforts when they submitted documents to squash CBN efforts, but theNavajo Nation have been unsuccessful in their attempts. The local governmental arm of the Navajo Nation, the Tohajiileeh Chapter of the Navajo Nation, had been used as a vehicle to interfere with CBN’s efforts. At one time, both the Tohajiileeh Chapter and the CBN claimed to be the authorized body to seek the acknowledgement. This happened because many members of the CBN are also governmental agents of the Navajo Nation as elected officials or as employees of the Navajo government. As far as the OFA is concerned, it is only the CBN that has rights to the petition. The federal government made it clear that the Tohajiileeh Chapter and the Navajo Nation are “third parties” to this petition. As third parties, they would be given a chance to make their statements after the government has made its decision on whether or not the CBN is a tribe.
While the CBN waits for funding to complete the work that would lead to a decision, the Navajo Nation has taken the opportunity to exert its jurisdiction and authority over the people and land. The Navajo Nation legal staff is trying to dismantle the Acts of Congress and all the records of the Canoncito people.
This project will review the 1992 application or petition for federal acknowledgement and convert it into a polished, impeccable petition for use by the Office of Federal Acknowledgement. The completed documentation will prove once and for all that the Canoncito people deserve to be what they were originally in the eyes of the federal government in historical times.