Orme Dam Protest Artifact

            The eagle is found in most Native American Tribes as a symbol of courage, wisdom and strength (Warpaths2peacepipes). When people see an eagle they more often than not will have a reaction to the bird. An eagle is seen as a strong and courageous being. It shows pride. The Orme Dam was to be built on land that was given to the Yavapai Nation and was home to an endangered species; the bald eagle. The Yavapai Nation printed a picture of a bald eagle that is barely floating above water. The eagle represents both the Yavapai Nation and the bald eagle and the water represents the water of the Orme Dam. If the Dam were to be built it would ultimately “drown” both the Yavapai Nation and the bald eagles. Both would cease to exist.

            The Yavapai Nation used this t-shirt as their main symbol of protest. It was used because it was a clear message that if the dam were to be built the water would take over the home of the Yavapai Nation and the nesting places of the bald eagle.  “The bald eagle was listed on the Endangered Species act in 1973 within the lower 48 states, except in Michigan, Minnesota, Organ, Washington and Wisconsin” (National Wildlife 2010). By having the nesting places in and near the Yavapai Nation’s reservation the “environmentalist” also backed the Yavapai Nation in the fight against Orme Dam.

            During the negotiations of the building of Orme Dam the taxpayers were being told that the water that was going to be stored at the Orme Dam were going to be used for public use. However 80% of the water was going to be used for agriculture to grow surplus crops. A surplus crop is a crop that “is not sold but often purchased by the government at a profitable price to the farmer“ (Businessdictionary). This cartoon shows a depiction used to enhance the public’s awareness on how to water from the Orme Dam was going to be used. The farmers would be charged a very low cost for the water in order to farm high yields surplus crops. The farmers that were for the Orme Dam saw the Dam as a lifesaver. They believed that if the Dam were to be built that they would be able to improve their yield and therefor improve their revenue. The water would be sold to them at a discount price the farmers would be able to tap into the source whenever they needed an extra few thousand gallons. Especially if the farmers were to farm rice. Agriculture uses about 70% of fresh water around the world, and rice uses 35%-45% of the 70% of fresh water. If the Dam were to be built it would have only benefited a few people and not the population as a whole. Carolina Butler an activist for the Yavapai Nation explains that an Economic study was done from a professor from Montana on the Orme Dam, the study showed that subsides cotton and alfalfa were the main crops that were going to be grown with the Orme Dam water. However the water would have to travel uphill to the dam, which would be an energy hog. Unlike the Hoover dam which produces energy when the water is released down stream. Down stream is the key word. The Orme Dam would have to travel up stream.

            

Throughout the process of the Orme Dam protest many of the Yavapai Tribal members felt as if the Government were treating the site of the Orme Dam as if there were nobody living there. And that exactly how the Bureau of Reclamation presented the plans to congress, as the main activist for Fort McDowell Carolina Butler remembers the senator of Florida’s reaction when he heard from the Yavapai Nation in their meeting with congress, "We were told there was nobody living at Fort McDowell."

            At the confluence of the salt and Verde Rivers is where the dam would be built. Although there were people living on the future site of the Orme Dam the Bureau of Reclamation saw it as more of a moneymaker than choosing a different site. The Bureau of Reclamation were blind to the fact that there were people living there. They didn’t want to believe that people lived there in order to make it easier for them to build the Dam.

            In order for the Yavapai Nation to make them known to congress they needed to get up and go to congress and not wait for congress to come to them. “The Yavapai decided to send a congregation to Washington to argue their cause. Twelve-year-old Kimberley Williams was part of the group”(AZPBS).  If the Yavapai Nation didn’t go to congress, congress would have had the perception that there was nobody living where they wanted the Orme Dam to be built. Carolina Butler explains that most of the Tribal leaders took a back seat when it came time to take a stand, only President of the Yavapai Nation Robert Doka was willing to rally those apposed to the building of Orme Dam. President Doka was the leader of the Yavapai Nation and when it was time to stand up and take a stand he was willing to be the one to help the members of the Nation to realize what was happening and how it was going to affect them.

            In order for the Yavapai Nation to be successful they needed to stand up and not stand-alone. They were willing to bring in others from outside the Nation to help, one of those were activist Carolina Butler, and Bob Witzeman. They both helped the Yavapai Nation to get everything ready for congress, such as the telegrams, travel, directions to congress, and a place to stay. Carolina Butler believes that the Orme Dam was successful because of the relentless fight from the Yavapai Nation and from the Secretary of the Interior James Watt visited the reservation and discovered that there were people living on the site where the Orme Dam was going to be built.