Navajo indian irrigation project
Encyclopedia
The Navajo Indian Irrigation Project (NIIP) is a large agricultural development located in the northwest corner of New Mexico
. The NIIP is one of the largest Native American
owned and operated agricultural businesses in the United States
. This venture finds its origins in the 1930s when the federal government was looking for economic development for the Navajo Nation
. The NIIP was approved in 1962 by Congress
. The Bureau of Reclamation
received the task of constructing this project.
Originally designed to provide jobs for Native American family farms the project has transformed into a large corporate entity. Composed of over 110,000 acres (450 km²) the project is currently 70% complete (with about 68,000 acres (280 km²) in production). In many respects, this development is controversial because the project has had numerous economic and structural problems throughout its history. One of the main complaints regarding this endeavor is that it has taken over 40 years to construct and still remains unfinished. High federal budget deficits are sometimes blamed for the failure of the project. Some critics also contend this project does not rate high budgetary priority because it benefits only Native Americans.
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. The NIIP is one of the largest Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
owned and operated agricultural businesses in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. This venture finds its origins in the 1930s when the federal government was looking for economic development for the Navajo Nation
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory covering , occupying all of northeastern Arizona, the southeastern portion of Utah, and northwestern New Mexico...
. The NIIP was approved in 1962 by Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. The Bureau of Reclamation
United States Bureau of Reclamation
The United States Bureau of Reclamation , and formerly the United States Reclamation Service , is an agency under the U.S...
received the task of constructing this project.
Originally designed to provide jobs for Native American family farms the project has transformed into a large corporate entity. Composed of over 110,000 acres (450 km²) the project is currently 70% complete (with about 68,000 acres (280 km²) in production). In many respects, this development is controversial because the project has had numerous economic and structural problems throughout its history. One of the main complaints regarding this endeavor is that it has taken over 40 years to construct and still remains unfinished. High federal budget deficits are sometimes blamed for the failure of the project. Some critics also contend this project does not rate high budgetary priority because it benefits only Native Americans.
External links
- Navajo Indian Irrigation Project Bureau of Reclamation, US Department of the Interior
- The Bureau of Reclamation in San Juan County, New Mexico Stephan Patrick Moore, thesis submitted to New Mexico State University, 2006-05, 152p 1.92mb pdf