Tribe and Robert Redford's Group Approve Wild Horses Management Plan
The Navajo Nation, along with a group founded by former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and actor Robert Redford, has reached an agreement to manage the wild horse population on the reservation. This plan aims to prevent the horses from being sent to slaughterhouses and includes adoptions, veterinary services, sanctuaries, and funding for feeding the animals.
The memorandum of agreement represents a long-term, humane solution to the overpopulation of horses on the vast Navajo reservation, which has limited financial resources. Navajo President Ben Shelly, who previously supported horse slaughter, reversed his stance after discussions with Richardson, emphasizing the sacred nature of horses to the Navajo people.
Critics of previous roundups on the reservation had raised concerns about the treatment of horses, including injuries and the separation of mares from foals. Public outcry also led the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to issue new directives for more compassionate treatment of wild horses on federal lands.
The Navajo Nation estimates that approximately 75,000 feral horses are causing ecological damage and depleting water resources. Under the new agreement with the Foundation to Protect New Mexico Wildlife, the tribe will cease supporting horse slaughter publicly and will stop sending horses to slaughter facilities once sufficient funds for humane management are secured.
Some Navajo groups have expressed concerns that the agreement still allows for horse slaughter as a management option. They emphasize the importance of reflecting Navajo cultural ties to horses in any management plan.
"While not all of these concerns have been addressed to date, the Navajo Nation's willingness to enter into the MOU is an important first step in ensuring that horse (and) range management decisions will be more humane and better informed going forward," said Howard Shanker, an attorney for the groups.
The tribe is not currently conducting roundups, according to its Department of Agriculture. A formal signing of the agreement is planned for the summer in Window Rock, the tribal capital, with Richardson and Redford in attendance. The agreement is set to expire a year from the signing date, with several animal welfare groups pledging their support.
"The Navajo Nation's efforts to create humane horse management programs will serve as a model for other tribes and will be a source of pride for the entire tribe for years to come," said Stephanie Boyles Griffin of the Humane Society.
Richardson and Redford established the Foundation to Protect New Mexico Wildlife to combat horse slaughter efforts in New Mexico and beyond.
Originally Posted By Associated Press