Flagstaff Business News
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“I didn’t want the village to go without representation,” he said.
Hopi Tribal Councilmember Cliff Balenquah says the Hopi Tribe has a lot of potential for economic development, but it has to overcome obstacles to reach that goal.
“I didn’t want the village to go without representation,” he said.
Balenquah, who has served on the council on and off for the past 12 years, said the recent purchase of a hotel in Clarkdale was a positive step forward. He said other economic development opportunities include developing land between Flagstaff and Winslow just off I-40, which the tribe owns, and maybe purchasing Hank’s Trading Post, which closed recently, located between Flagstaff and Cameron off of Highway 89.
“If we play that right, we can make some money,” he said.
Balenquah praised the tribe’s recent hiring of Jamie Kootswatewa as the chief administrator.
“Jamie has a full understanding of what the priorities are and that we have to spend money to get money,” he continued. “Jamie can get things moving, but he needs the support of the Hopi Tribal Council.”
Balenquah said the tribe needs to decide what the right type of development would be along the I-40 corridor. He said Hopi is studying the possibility of opening a casino; a few years back, Hopi voters rejected opening casinos, saying it went against their culture. The proposal would have to be brought back to Hopi voters to be approved.
Balenquah serves on the Hopi Tribal Council’s Investment Committee and Law and Order Committee. He was recently elected as a last-minute candidate when two other candidates dropped out because they took new jobs.
“I didn’t want the village to go without representation,” he said.
Balenquah said the proposed water rights settlement for Hopi and Navajo with the federal government, which would bring water from the Colorado River to both reservations, is crucial to economic development on both reservations. The N-aquifer is the major source of water currently for both tribes.
“The water on the N-aquifer is going down,” he said. “We need the water for our livestock.”
Balenquah noted that Hank’s Trading Post had to have water hauled in for the business.
Balenquah said trash disposal remains an issue, as the solid waste site is filling up and residents don’t have money for trash service.
“We’re slowly but surely making progress. We’re trying to keep the village people from dumping in public areas,” he said.
Balenquah said one positive is that Hopi is doing a better job of preserving and protecting its culture.
“We’ve had some problems with youth listening to their phones rather than their elders, but recently there have been more youth participating in the ceremonies and listening to their elders,” he said. “When I hear the drums, it makes me feel good.”
Balenquah said his main goal on tribal council is to try to do something good for the Hopi people’s future. He noted that three villages do not have representation on tribal council, so he tries to make sure the council actions are good for all the Hopi villages.
Born and raised in Bacavi, Balenquah graduated from Ganado Mission High School before earning a business degree from Haskell Junior College in Kansas. He served in the Army in Vietnam before going to work for the Bureau of Indian affairs (BIA). He worked for 30 years in finance for the BIA and Indian Health Service (IHS) in Albuquerque.
Balenquah is concerned about the recent firings of federal workers and the pause in some federal programs. He is especially concerned about how these actions will impact the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, IHS and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). He said the United States has never lived up to its treaty responsibilities.
“It’s like we’re being treated as stepchildren and never get what we’re told we would get,” he said. “Hopi is in a remote place away from the interstate, so we’re often forgotten – and I’m frustrated about that. We were told we could rely on the federal government and we would be taken care of.”
Balenquah is also concerned about natural resources on Hopi. The Hopi Reservation is surrounded by Navajo Reservation and some Navajos cut timber on the Hopi Reservation.
“We don’t have the manpower to monitor that,” he said.
Balenquah said the biggest challenge is understanding bureaucratic language involving federal rules, legal issues and scientific issues.
MY SUPERHEROES
All the elders and people who came before me, both male and female, who taught us.
IN MY SPARE TIME
I spend time on my ranch with my horses, cattle and farming. I also spend time with my family, clan and veterans.
FAVORITE ADVICE
Take it one day at a time.
FAVORITE PLACES
My corn field and my ranch. I don’t have a desire to go anywhere else except Australia because I have a friend there.
BEST ADVICE FOR YOUTH
Don’t forget who you are. You are Hopi. FBN
By Stan Bindell, FBN
Photo by Stan Bindell: Coconino County Supervisor for District 5 Lena Fowler met up with Hopi Tribal Councilmember Cliff Balenquah at the State Legislature earlier this year.
Filed Under: Community Profile, FBN Spotlight
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