Shiprock, NM—On November 15, 2024, High school students from all across the Navajo Nation participated in this year’s annual Water Symposium, hosted by Diné College at its south campus in beautiful Shiprock, New Mexico.
The students faced various challenges, including working in groups for a water filter-building contest and participating in a hydrology quiz. The Water Symposium represents a collaboration between Navajo Technical University and the New Mexico Tech Navajo Nation Water Purification Project. This initiative is part of a long-term effort to provide clean drinking water to rural areas within the Navajo Nation. These two institutions have partnered to offer educational and research opportunities for students interested in STEM, hydrology, water resources, community outreach, and leadership. The U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management (DOE-LM) funds the project.
Students from all participating high schools did an excellent job collaborating to build their team’s water filter. Each team received a one-liter plastic soda bottle, sandwich bags filled with gravel, dirt, rice, cotton balls, rubber bands, and coffee filters. They placed the supplies layer by layer inside the pre-cut plastic bottle. Once their prototypes were complete, the testing began. Team members poured dirty water samples through the sand, gravel, and rice layers, ultimately filtering them through a final layer to produce cleaner drinking water.
The keynote speaker for the symposium, Mr. Dwight Witherspoon, Water Rights Unit Attorney for the Navajo Nation Department of Justice, spoke to the students about his project, “Preserving Dinetah: Water Security for Generations.” Mr. Witherspoon shared insights into his work, emphasizing the importance of the Indian water rights settlement in protecting tribal resources and securing a sustainable future. He discussed the complexities of the Indian Water Rights Settlement, underlining its significance in ensuring sustainable access to clean water for tribal communities.
Navajo Technical University would like to express gratitude to our partners, sponsors, participating students, and volunteers who contributed to the success of this event. Your enthusiasm, creativity, and teamwork were inspirational as we collaborated to find innovative solutions for clean water. NTU also thanks Diné College for graciously hosting us at their lovely south campus.
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For more information, contact:
Abhishek RoyChowdhury, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Natural Resources
P: 505-387-7434
E: aroychowdhury@navajotech.edu
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