Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation: Executive Branch and Legislative Action Needed for Closure and Transfer of Activities
Fast Facts
A 1974 law divided land used by the Navajo and Hopi tribes into two regions, requiring families to move. Eligible families could receive relocation expenses.
Lawmakers anticipated 1,000 families would relocate in under 5 years, but decades later, over 3,600 families have relocated and the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation—created to carry out the relocation—continues to operate. The office stated its intent to close by September 2018.
We recommend that the office take steps to help ensure that its uncompleted relocation activities can be transferred to other agencies if it closes.
Example of a Relocation Home
A photo of a ranch-style relocation home.
Highlights
What GAO Found
As of December 2017, the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation, and its predecessor agency (collectively, ONHIR), has relocated 3,660 Navajo and 27 Hopi families off disputed lands that were partitioned to the two tribes and provided new houses for them. Although the Navajo-Hopi Settlement Act of 1974 (Settlement Act) intended for ONHIR to complete its activities 5 years after its relocation plan went into effect, the agency has continued to carry out its responsibilities for over three decades beyond the original deadline and the potential remains for relocation activities to continue into the future. For example, GAO found that by the end of fiscal year 2018
- at least 240 households whose relocation applications were previously denied could still file for appeals in federal court and if the court rules in their favor these households could become eligible for relocation benefits under the Settlement Act, and
- ONHIR is still responsible for helping homeowners who might request repairs for 52 relocation homes that remain under warranty.
ONHIR believes that it has substantially completed its responsibilities under the Settlement Act and has stated its intent to close by September 2018. However, ONHIR does not have the authority to close its operations and has not yet taken the steps necessary to facilitate such a closure. GAO identified a number of areas where either executive branch or congressional actions would be needed to affect a closure of ONHIR, as shown in these examples:
- The Settlement Act states that ONHIR will cease to exist when the President determines that its functions have been fully discharged. ONHIR, however, has not requested a determination nor provided specific information to the President that could facilitate such a decision.
- ONHIR has prepared a transition plan and identified potential successor agencies that could assume its remaining activities. However, officials at these agencies said they currently do not have authority under the Settlement Act to undertake ONHIR's activities. Without congressional authorization these agencies would not be able to succeed ONHIR.
- ONHIR has prepared an implementation plan to guide its closure but has not yet taken necessary steps to ensure that all the key information about its activities has been compiled. For example, ONHIR's database for tracking warranty requests is missing information, such as the date of warranty repairs and other contractor information. Similarly, ONHIR has not prepared complete information from its files on the remaining denied households who could file for federal appeals. Federal internal control standards state that agencies should identify and respond to risks and use quality information. By not preparing complete information on the relocation activities it has been engaged in, ONHIR places an effective transition of its functions to another agency at risk. This is because any successor agency authorized to continue these activities will not have the complete information needed to effectively fulfill these functions.
Why GAO Did This Study
In 1974, the Settlement Act was intended to provide for the final settlement of a land dispute between the Navajo and Hopi tribes that originated nearly a century ago. The act created ONHIR to carry out the relocation of Navajo and Hopi Indians off land partitioned to the other tribe. ONHIR's relocation efforts were scheduled to end by 1986. However, those efforts continue today.
GAO was asked to review ONHIR's operations. Among other things, this report discusses (1) ONHIR's management and the status of relocation activities and (2) executive branch and legislative actions that may be needed for ONHIR to close and transfer remaining activities. GAO reviewed documentation; interviewed officials at ONHIR and other federal agencies, as well as from the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe; and conducted two site visits to ONHIR's offices and the Navajo reservation in Arizona.
Recommendations
GAO is making four matters for congressional consideration; including that Congress provide successor agencies necessary authority to continue ONHIR's remaining activities if it closes. GAO is also making five recommendations to ONHIR, including that it request a closure determination from the President and prepare necessary information to facilitate the transfer of its activities to a successor. ONHIR neither agreed nor disagreed with the five recommendations and stated it had either already taken steps or planned to once a successor is identified. GAO continues to believe the recommendations are valid, as discussed in the report.
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Congress should consider providing necessary authority for other agencies to continue remaining activities when ONHIR closes. (Matter for Consideration 1) | Based on searches on Congress.gov conducted in March 2024, the status of this matter remains open. The report accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2024 directs ONHIR to work with (1) the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs and affected Tribes on resolution of appeals and completing relocation actions, and (2) the appropriate congressional authorizing committees to develop legislation as necessary to affect its closure. We will continue to monitor any relevant legislation. | |
| Congress should consider determining (1) whether the requirement for the land acquired pursuant to the Settlement Act as amended to be used solely for the benefit of relocatees should continue and (2) how grazing on the New Lands should be regulated. (Matter for Consideration 2) | Based on searches on Congress.gov conducted in March 2024, the status of this matter remains open. The Senate committee report accompanying ONHIR's fiscal year 2024 appropriation noted that the Senate committee has concerns about matters related to ONHIR's closure and directed ONHIR to work with the appropriate congressional authorizing committees to develop legislation as necessary to affect its closure. We will continue to monitor any relevant legislation. | |
| Congress should consider addressing the mandatory trust acquisition provision for the Navajo Nation in the Settlement Act as amended. (Matter for Consideration 3) | Based on searches on Congress.gov conducted in March 2024, the status of this matter remains open. The Senate committee report accompanying ONHIR's fiscal year 2024 appropriation noted that the Senate committee has concerns about matters related to ONHIR's closure and directed ONHIR to work with the appropriate congressional authorizing committees to develop legislation as necessary to affect its closure. We will continue to monitor any relevant legislation. | |
| Congress should consider whether the requirement for the Navajo Nation to repay the U.S. Treasury for appropriations made to the Navajo Rehabilitation Trust Fund should continue. (Matter for Consideration 4) | Based on searches on Congress.gov conducted in March 2024, the status of this matter remains open. The Senate committee report accompanying ONHIR's fiscal year 2024 appropriation noted that the Senate committee has concerns about matters related to ONHIR's closure and directed ONHIR to work with the appropriate congressional authorizing committees to develop legislation as necessary to affect its closure. We will continue to monitor any relevant legislation. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation | The Executive Director of ONHIR should request a presidential determination as to whether ONHIR has fully discharged its responsibilities and whether it should close. (Recommendation 1) |
The explanatory statement to the Consolidated Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2019 states that the determination that ONHIR's functions have been fully discharged requires development of a comprehensive plan. In May 2021, ONHIR officials stated that they regularly communicate with the Office of Management and Budget and provide monthly program updates to Congress. As of December 2023, no request for a presidential determination on the closure of ONHIR has been made. According to ONHIR officials, ONHIR is unlikely to close for various reasons including resistance from the Navajo Nation, pending federal court litigations, and pending legislation. We will continue to monitor ONHIR's actions in response to this recommendation.
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| Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation | The Executive Director of ONHIR should prepare complete information on the remaining denied households who could still file for federal appeals. Such information could include paper case files and information in ONHIR's client database for those households. (Recommendation 2) |
As of June 2020, ONHIR officials had developed a schedule of cases that were still eligible to file for federal appeals and reported that the files have been gathered, organized, and prepared. Officials also stated that all closed case files that are not subject to an administrative appeal were transferred to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). In May 2021, ONHIR officials stated that they would be able to easily assemble complete case files for a successor when needed, and that they needed to know who the successor would be before preparing any guidance on accessing needed information. Officials continued to reiterate that they will be able to prepare complete information on remaining denied households. In a written response to GAO in October 2023, officials explained that ONHIR has lists of all final agency actions within the six-year federal statute of limitations. The detailed and complete casefiles for each such applicant are located either at ONHIR Flagstaff or NARA. However, in September 2020, Interior's Inspector General found examples of incomplete case files in the samples they reviewed. In their December 2023 written response to GAO, ONHIR stated that the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted normal file review and agency response. While ONHIR provided supplemental case file documentation, the OIG reported that ONHIR can improve its case file management, as it will be vital to a successor agency. We maintain that proactively compiling complete documents would facilitate transition to another agency upon ONHIR's closure, as appropriate. We will continue to monitor ONHIR's actions in response to this recommendation.
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| Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation | The Executive Director of ONHIR should prepare complete information on warranties and contractors. Such preparation should include linking warranty complaints to the relevant contractor, completing missing warranty information, and completing information on contractors' past performance. (Recommendation 3) |
As of May 2021, ONHIR's warranty file database remained incomplete based on our review. For example, the name of the contractor is not linked to the warranty complaint. Officials stated that information about the status of warranties is available in its database system. However, in March 2022, we found the database system also lacked complete information. For example, we reviewed a more recent client's report and found missing information on the contractor's response to a warranty complaint even though the system has fields to enter key dates of correspondence (i.e., initial, final, and completed date) as well as repair costs. When asked about the missing information in the database system, ONHIR said details concerning any warranty issues are in the paper file. We maintain that proactively compiling complete documents would facilitate transition to another agency upon ONHIR's closure, as appropriate. We will continue to follow up as appropriate.
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| Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation | The Executive Director of ONHIR should establish a comprehensive inventory of (1) properties located on trust land it administers, (2) leases of those properties, and (3) surface use and other use agreements for trust land it administers. (Recommendation 4) |
In June 2020, ONHIR reported that it had updated and maintains on its website a comprehensive inventory that includes property, leases, and surface use agreements on all trust land it administers. As of March 2022, our review of the updated inventory found that all leases identified at the time of our review are included, and a shopping center property being developed by the Navajo Nation to be leased with ONHIR's concurrence had been added to the inventory. According to ONHIR officials, no new buildings have been built by ONHIR on trust land it administers. In addition, the officials told us that all leases and surface use agreements require the approval of the ONHIR Executive Director and a copy of any such new lease is provided to the Chief Information Officer for inclusion in the inventory maintained on ONHIR's website.
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| Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation | The Executive Director of ONHIR should identify which leases and other agreements need to be amended or assigned because (1) ONHIR is the lessor, (2) the lease or agreement provides for annual payments to be made to ONHIR, and/or (3) the lease or agreement terminates upon ONHIR's closure. (Recommendation 5) |
In March 2022, ONHIR said it had not amended any leases to make the Navajo Nation or ONHIR's successor in interest the lessor because it was waiting for ONHIR termination legislation to be enacted. As of October 2023, ONHIR officials confirmed that they are still waiting for Congressional determination of the successor agency.
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