The Navajo Nation Council has taken a major step toward protecting one of its most precious water resources. A unanimously passed measure formally acknowledges the Confluence — where the Colorado and Little Colorado rivers meet — as a sacred site under tribal law. Doing so formally documents what Navajos already know — the spiritual and natural significance of where these two life-giving rivers converge in northern Arizona’s high desert. … Cataloging information from the Confluence may also be used to potentially deter future commercial development by industries like hydropower — while the Trump administration is eyeing energy projects on tribal lands.

Other tribal water news:

• KNAU (Flagstaff, Ariz.): New data added to map of safe water sources on the Navajo Nation​
• NPR Las Vegas: Tribes along the Colorado River are still fighting for their rights