A delegate to the Navajo Nation indicated that the tribe would drop its objections to air tours over or near its lands in exchange for economic incentives. In testimony before the U.S. House natural resources oversight and investigations subcommittee yesterday, Carl Slater, a Navajo Nation Council delegate, enumerated a list of tribal, cultural, and environmental objections to air tourism, including disruption of wildlife, desecration of sacred sites, and interruption of native ceremonies. But he indicated that such objections could be dealt with given the proper incentives.
“If you want to win over tribal support for air tours in and around tribal lands, ensure tribes participate in the economic benefits,” Slater said. “Currently there is almost no economic benefit to the Navajo people from air tourism despite the hundreds of millions of dollars generated by this industry adjacent to the Navajo Nation.”
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