A series by Taiwanese-American photographer and author Elliot Ross exploring water politics on the Navajo Nation. Based in rural southern Utah, Ross’s practice focuses on long-term projects that examine how landscapes shape communities and cultures, struggles for Indigenous self-determination, and cultural flashpoints that push back against the values of the American West. The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American reservation in the United States. The Diné (Navajo) people do not take water for granted, as more than a third of them must travel long distances to transport water to their rural homes. They are 67 times more likely than the average American to lack running water, according to the nonprofit DigDeep.
Eighty miles away, residents in Washington County, Utah, rely on the same water supply but pay less. This contrast not only reflects rural and racial inequalities in power and opportunity; it also comes with caveats. Huge population growth, competing values and deadlocked disputes have exacerbated bureaucratic shortcomings as record-breaking temperatures become the norm around the world. For the first time in more than a century, the federal government is drafting a new plan that promises to put the world’s most litigated river system on a sustainable path and include meaningful tribal input. Of course, Indigenous communities remain deeply skeptical, given the federal government’s history of broken promises:
“This project is close to home for me – on a daily basis, I live between two communities and I rely on the same water to enjoy safely, cheaply and reliably. As an artist and journalist, I feel compelled to shine a light on the inequities faced by my Native neighbors. To be clear, Washington County is not the reason the Navajo Nation is thirsty. The water gap is Manifest Destiny’s lasting legacy; the infrastructure and legislation that came with it are still largely defined by How the water is being used. Between the two communities, I found Washington County residents largely unaware of the Diné people’s plight, but for their part, the Diné people were neither surprised by how much water people in Washington County were consuming nor outraged by the benefits it brought, they were just asking for the same opportunities. Rancher Billy Charlie, leaning around Monument Valley’s iconic spiers, said succinctly: “We have to prioritize people, not corporations. “Prioritize balance. If we do that, maybe the worst of the storm can be avoided.”
Elliot Ross is shortlisted for our 2025 Booooooom Art & Photography Book Awards.
