CAMERON, Ariz. — Under a relentless 100-degree sun, a team of linemen works with one mission – to bring light and power to families who have lived decades without it.
Now in its sixth phase, the Light Up Navajo initiative began in 2019, uniting utility workers from across the country to connect homes on the Navajo Nation to electricity, many for the very first time.
In Cameron, the Cameron North Phase 1 project will span 13 miles and bring electricity to 50 families who have waited 20 to 30 years. For Bryan English, a foreman from Trico Electric Cooperative in Marana, Arizona, this isn’t just a job.
“If I can have electricity, so should these people up here,” said English.
English’s team, Joe Tsethlikai (Navajo), Troy Mead, and Dustin Boyce, have already framed and set 59 poles. As of July 29, they’ve completed two miles of the 13-mile route along Highway 89. The project has been years in the making, with help by Navajo Tribal Utility Authority’s Tuba City District team, including Alicia Richards and Gyalda Tso.
Each connection brings joy. English recalls one elder excited just to watch TV. Mead remembers a woman thrilled to receive her first toaster.
“To be a part of history, help my own people out, that is just something that I am fully on board with,” said Tsethlikai. “You can’t just sit home and not do something about this.”
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren visited the crew to thank them for their dedication.
“This work is life-changing,” said President Nygren. “When you bring power to a home, you bring opportunity, dignity, and hope. That’s what building the Nation looks like.”