it ialso the poorest county the state. >> on the navajo reservation, the unemployment rate is around 72%. >> reporter: rebecca benally's county district includes theva reservation. she is currently the only native american serving as one of three countyommissioners, even though the navajo are a majority of the total population. c but that couldnge when residents go to the polls for a special election in asvember. lateyear, a federal judge ruled that the county voting districts had been gerrymandered, in violation ofe nstitution, by lumping the navajo into a single voting district. the ruling was a huge victory for the navajo nation. and for wired jones, a plaintiff in the lawsuit. >> there were some tears that were shed at that moment for my family on my side. >> reporter: jones decided to e because, he argued, navajo residing within the county district that includes the reservation had been denied critical services. ehis own sister died beca there was no ambulance available-- like this one in th nort take her to a county hospital. >> and she had a heart attack and they couldn't get t

on average residents of the navajo reservation pay 13 cents for a gallon of water.t is 72a times wha typical rate payer paints in sub arizona or new mexico. >> we spend a lot of our time out here working on water projects but a lot more time in our office in los angeles, for t instance, tryiconvince everybody in america they should pay attention to this problem, care about it, and want to do someth>>g about it. eporter: last year dig deep did manage to convince some nearby rotary club, which pledged some $75,000, which will fund about 18 installations lke this one in tina's home. the company has long been involved in water projects around the world, but jim bissonnette from scottsdale, arizona, said they never imagined doing this work in their own bac ikyard. 's a shock to think people in the united states don't have running water. we'll change the lives of this family dramaticallfro carrying water in pickle jars to actually having running water. hat's a great feeling. >> reporter: they ave a few small luxuries with the rooftop solar panel and also some basic l.e.d.

a fascinating look at a tragic collision of cultures on the navajo reservation during the new deal days of the 1930s. tonight, we're very happy to welcome back nathaniel philbrick, author of the last stand: custer, sitting bull and the battle of the little bighorn. nathaniel philbrick is the author of several books including the best-selling "mayflower" and "sea of glory" "in the heart of the sea." -- and "in the heart of the sea." with this new book, nathaniel applies the same exhaustive research and remarkable story-telling skills to one of the most iconic events in the history of the american west. that day in june 1876 when lives and cultures converged along the little bighorn river in central montana. please join me in welcoming nathanial philbrick. [applause] nathanial: thank you. it is great to be in the space. i was here when i first heard my hitt book "sea of glory" the best seller book shelf. back in 1946, i was a 14-year-old high school freshman in that maritime center of the universe, pittsburgh, pennsylvania. and it was in pittsburgh when i went to the movies and i saw litt

the sprawling navajo nation reservation is the size of west virginia and spreads across 13 counties in mexico, arizona and utah. toecial correspondent fred de sam lazaro traveleheroux, new mexico and has this report new efforts to get on t grid to get the water. it's part of his ongoing seriesg agents for ce and this week's "leading edge" segment. she is their linked to world outside patient load literally a lifeline. >> the kids are lling, running to the water truck when i come up to their house. >> reporter: she's known as the water lady in a region where e 40% of residents havno access to winning water. many live in such poverty they can't even afford large containers.da ofteene delivers more than just water, working with her church and other chits, she helps this family at the onset of last winter. >> i brought them food. i brought a trailer. we gave out some blankets to cover them. at that time it was snowing. >> reporter: it gets cold here. >> yes, it gets very cold and the only heating we have here is wood. >> reporter: back at tina bicenti's house, workers have finished the plu

who gave and after leading his people on a cross-country chase to avoid being put on a reservation. the navajo, who were incarcerated near america's concentration camp in 1860's. within 10 years, the indians were conquered. reservations were not supposed to be permanent. neither were the individual tribal nations. in the second half of the 19th century, the government began cracking down on assimilation measures by introducing land allotments. he's had two purposes. to secure more land for the united states and encourage indians to live like white people. 1887, president cleveland planned the general allotment act which divvied out land to indians. the act was named after henry does. propertythe private had the power to civilize. in his own words, dos explained that to be civilized was to wear civilized close. cultivate the land. live in houses. ride in wagons. to school, drink whiskey, and own property. the act divided reservation land into parcels, which is allotted to heads of households feared it calls for allottees to hold for 25 years after which individuals or their air's would only lan

get put to the test and, bringing clean water to the navajo nation-- the struggle to provide basic services to families in the sprawling u.s. reservation.

reservation. and we have the navajo, who are i incarcerats in what is known as america's concentration camp's. residents were not supposed to be permanent, and neither were the individual tribal nations. in the second half of the 19th century, the federal government began cracking down on simulation measures with land allotments. they meant to encourage indians to live like white people. president cleveland signed the general allotment act, which divvied out land to individual indians. dawes own words, explained to the civilized was to "wear civilized clothes, cultivate the land, ride in studebaker wagons, send children to school, drink whiskey and own property." to holdd for allottees land for 25 years, in which their heirs would become residents of the united states, but only if they were a part of other indians and adopted the habits of civilized life. by giving indians parcels of land, the government could open to white settlers. anybody that knows the history of the dawes act, this still affects indians today. it is the largest class-action lawsuit. reverse theg to effect of the dawes act