WASHINGTON, D.C. – On March 11, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and Speaker of the 25th Navajo Nation Council Crystalyne Curley met with U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego alongside leadership from the Hopi Tribe and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe to continue discussions on the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025.
The meeting took place prior to an oversight hearing with the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, where leaders from the Hopi Tribe and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe provided testimony on the importance of advancing the settlement and securing long-term water infrastructure for communities across northeastern Arizona.
President Nygren thanked Senator Gallego for co-sponsoring the legislation and for his continued engagement with tribal leadership, noting that the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss strategy and address key questions as the effort moves forward in Congress.
“We’re all neighbors talking together,” said President Nygren. “When we sit down like this and work through the issues, good things happen. I’m grateful to Senator Gallego and Senator Kelly for being allies from the start and for continuing to work with us. We look forward to the outcome of this meeting and the continued collaboration ahead.”
The discussion reflected the shared commitment among the tribes and Arizona’s congressional delegation to protect water as a source of life while working together to build support for the settlement and the infrastructure needed to deliver reliable water to communities across the region.
