Desert Tango

These images are the first in a series of posts about a recent trip I made to Tuba City, Ariz. on the Navajo Reservation to photograph people affected by the Bennett Freeze. The Bennett Freeze is a 1.6 million acre tract of land known that, for over 40 years, has been frozen from development due to land dispute claims between the Navajo and Hopi. Because of it’s disputed nature, no federal dollars could go into improving and developing the land, leaving many with no access to running water and electricity. The freeze was officially lifted in May of this year by Congress, but I wanted to take a look and see what, if any, effect this may have had to people living on Bennett Freeze land.

This particular part of the series focuses on the family of Irene George with emphasis on her daughter Denise Almeida. About three years ago Denise’s mobile home burned to the ground, leaving her family of 9 with nowhere to live. They ended up in a small travel trailer on her mothers property on the outskirts of Tuba City, sleeping eight people in the smallest of spaces with nothing but a small electric heater to keep them warm. For a variety of reasons, Almeida has not been able to receive help.