Tribal Employee

Obama's Indian Policy

2008-11-05T00:27:00.003-07:00

Congratulations to Barak Obama for becoming the first African-American person to win the U.S. Presidency.

What does this mean for Indians? For starters, here's his pre-election statement about his Indian policy.

This might mean Native American representation at the White House, possible appointments of new U.S. Supreme Court justices that will be more sensitive to Indian issues, even possibly BIA reform.

One good question is how Obama's promises towards Indians will fit in into the bigger job of rehabilitating the U.S. economy?

As he says, there’s a lot of work for the road ahead.

Message From Obama: Tribes Will Have Voice in White House
October 25, 2008
By Barack Obama

For 20 months now, I've traveled this country, often talking about how the needs of the American people are going unmet by Washington. And the truth is, few have been ignored by Washington for as long as American Indians. Too often, Washington pays lip service to working with tribes while taking a one-size-fits-all approach with tribal communities across the nation.

That will change if I am honored to serve as president of the United States.

My American Indian policy begins with creating a bond between an Obama administration and the tribal nations all across this country. We need more than just a government-to-government relationship; we need a nation-to-nation relationship, and I will make sure that tribal nations have a voice in the White House.

I'll appoint an American Indian policy adviser to my senior White House staff to work with tribes, and host an annual summit at the White House with tribal leaders to come up with an agenda that works for tribal communities. That's how we'll make sure you have a seat at the table when important decisions are being made about your lives, about your nations and about your people. That'll be a priority when I am president.

Here's what else we're going to do. We're going to end nearly a century of mismanagement of the Indian trusts. We're going to work together to settle unresolved cases, figure out how the trusts ought to operate and make sure that they're being managed responsibly — today, tomorrow and always

Tribes' Tragic History

Now, I understand the tragic history between the United States and tribal nations. Our government hasn't always been honest and truthful in our dealings. And we've got to acknowledge that if we're going to move forward in a fair and honest way.

Indian nations have never asked much of the United States — only for what was promised by the treaty obligations made to their forebears. So let me be absolutely clear — I believe treaty commitments are paramount law, and I will fulfill those commitments as president of the United States.

That means working with tribal governments to ensure that all American Indians receive affordable, accessible health care services. That's why I've cosponsored the Indian Health Care Improvement Act in the U.S. Senate, and that's why I've fought to ensure full funding of the IHS so that it has the resources it needs.

It also means guaranteeing a world-class education for all our children. I'll work with tribal nations to reform No Child Left Behind and create opportunities for tribal citizens to become teachers so you can be free to educate your children the way you know best. We'll increase funding for tribal colleges. And I will make Native language preservation and education a priority.

To give families in our tribal communities every chance to succeed in a 21st century economy, I will cut taxes for 95 percent of all workers, invest in job training and small business development, and put people back to work rebuilding our crumbling roads, schools and bridges.

Service and Sacrifice

And I will never forget the service and sacrifice that generations of American Indians have given to this country. We have to keep our sacred trust with Indian veterans by making sure that no veteran falls into homelessness, and that all our veterans get the benefits and support they have earned.

Let me just close by saying this. I was born to a teenage mother. My father left when I was 2 years old, so I never knew him well. I was raised in Hawaii by a single mother and my grandparents, and we didn't have a lot of money — we even turned to food stamps at one point just to get by.

Where I grew up, there weren't many black families. So I know what it feels like to be viewed as an outsider. I know what it's like to not always have been respected or to have been ignored. I know what it's like to struggle.

Every president is shaped by his own experience. These have been mine. And so I want you to know that I will never forget you. The American Indians I have met across this country will be on my mind each day that I am in the White House. You deserve a president who is committed to being a full partner with you; to respecting you, honoring you and working with you every day. That is the commitment I will make to you as president of the United States.

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois is the Democratic candidate for president. This essay was made available to reznet by the Obama for America campaign and is used with permission. Obama for America is located at 233 N. Michigan Suite 1100, Chicago, IL 60601.

Auto Dealerships and Navajos

2008-10-30T14:05:00.010-06:00

They say that the Navajo Nation is about the size of the state of West Virginia. It is wide open dusty land. It is covered by a network of paved roads owned by the state and federal governments. There are also a lot of dirt roads where pave roads fall short.

Now Navajos live in communities. Many Navajos also live in the remote boondocks. All these Navajos need food and goods to live. These food and goods are available primarily in the stores which are located in bigger communities like Chinle, or in the bordertowns, like Gallup. To obtain these food and goods which are necessary to life, Navajos need durable vehicles to get goods. Navajos also need vehicles for other reasons: to heard sheep, to haul water, etc.

Most Navajos who live on the reservation are uneducated. I would not be surprised if the average education of reservation Navajos is less than the high school level. Most Navajos who are educated, i.e. college-educated, have left the reservation (to get educated) and never returned. Thus most reservation Navajos have little education. They do not understand some basic things that other Americans understand such as buying a vehicle. A lot of those who do purchase vehicles also don’t speak English. How do you effectively communicate with this situation?

American entrepreneurs look for opportunity to make money. The automobile industry is no different. They are like sharks. Where there is a profit to be made, they’ll be there. That is the case with auto dealers and Navajos. Auto dealers take advantage of uneducated people like reservation Navajos to make the most profit they can make. That is the reason a lot of auto dealers, such as Ford and Chevy target Navajos. That’s also the reason Bashas and Walmart compete for Navajo business (because Navajos have that need and most Navajos are not educated).

Because Navajos need vehicles for transportation, many uneducated Navajos fall prey to the deceptive tactics of auto dealers and loan companies. As a result, many auto dealers, finance companies, and other businesses cheat a lot of Navajos. That is the reason there is a lot of ads for vehicles, predatory loans, a lot of which results in repossessions.

Because of this situation, it is important that Navajos understand the car buying process. The article below shows how to avoid some of the most common tricks used by the auto dealers. I thinks it's important issue. It is important that we understand how vehicle-purchasing works so we won't be cheated out. It is important that we understand what “financing means", or what “dealer invoice price” is, or how “zero down” affects you. If you know of uneducated Navajos who want to purchase a vehicle, help them understand these terms.

7 ways dealers make you pay extra
Winning strategies for playing the car-buying game to win.
ConsumerReport.org
October 30, 2008

Your goal is to get the best car at the best price. The dealers goal should be to help you do this, but too often its simply to make as much profit as they can. As a smart shopper, you need to know the common strategies that dealerships use to pad their bottom line--from tricky negotiating tactics to trying to sell you unnecessary extras--and how to avoid playing their game. Consumer Reports auto-test staff, which buys more than 50 vehicles a year, has had hundreds of dealership experiences. Following are some of the most common things you could encounter and CRs advice on how to avoid falling prey to them.

1. Mixing negotiations. Salespeople like to combine the vehicle price, trade-in, and/or financing negotiation, often asking you what you can afford to pay per month. This gives them more latitude to provide a favorable figure in one area while inflating figures in other areas. In the end, this could cost you more overall.

Avoid this trap by negotiating one thing at a time, starting with the price of the car. Approach this as if you were paying cash, with no trade-in. To get the best deal, you should go in with a starting price thats based not on the vehicles sticker price but on how much the dealer paid for it. The dealer invoice price is commonly available on Web sites and in pricing guides, but that isnt necessarily what the dealer paid. Behind-the-scenes bonuses, such as dealer incentives and holdbacks, give the dealer more profit margin--sometimes thousands of dollars--which gives you more room to haggle. To help, Consumer Reports New Car Price Reports (available via ConsumerReports.org) includes the CR Bottom Line Price, which is the dealer invoice minus any incentives, holdbacks, or rebates. A reasonable starting price is 4 to 8 percent over the CR Bottom Line Price, depending on how much demand there is for the model.

Make it clear to the salesperson that you want the lowest possible markup over your starting price, and that youll visit other dealerships selling the same vehicle and will buy from the one with the best price.

Once youve settled on a price, discuss financing and any trade-in separately. This makes it easier to get the best deal at every step of the transaction.

2. 0 down, 0 interest, 0 payments for one year. This may sound good, but there are downsides that can cost you money. After the first year, you still owe all the monthly payments youve delayed, often at a higher-than-necessary interest rate. In short, you end up owing much more than the sticker price on a vehicle that is now a used car.

Consider this kind of deal carefully. No down payment, for instance, means youll have to finance more, which makes the monthly payments higher and increases the amount you pay in interest over the life of the loan. Be sure you know what the interest rate will be after the first year, and compare with rates that are currently available. Keep in mind that many buyers dont qualify for zero-percent loans and other low rates. Knowing the current rates can also help you avoid being talked into a rate thats higher than what you could get elsewhere.

3. The leasing game. Many leasing customers assume that the monthly payment the salesperson quotes is a nonnegotiable figure. Thats not true. The figure is often based on a vehicles sticker price with no discount, and can be negotiated just as if you were buying the car. In fact, to keep the transaction simple, you can negotiate the vehicle price before mentioning that you want to lease.

Other negotiable lease items include the down payment, annual mileage limit, and purchase-option price. Just as when buying, you can have dealers compete against each other, giving your business to the one that offers you the best deal.

4. Financing and your credit score. Dealers like to arrange the financing for your vehicle because it gives them another source of profit. But the interest rate they offer may be higher than you could get elsewhere. Dont make financing a purchase-time decision. Before visiting the dealership, make sure you know how youll pay for the vehicle. Call ahead to find out what the dealers rate is, and compare it with what you could get from banks, credit unions, or other lending institutions. If you are preapproved for a loan, you can keep the financial arrangements out of the negotiations.

Remember that your credit score will affect what interest rate youre offered, so its good to know it in advance. Ideally, check your credit score a couple months before buying the car so that you have time to correct any errors in your report.

Knowing your credit score can also protect you if a disreputable dealer tries to give you a higher interest rate than you deserve. Any score over 700 should ensure you the lowest rates. A report with a credit score costs $15 or less at each of the major credit bureaus: Equifax, www.equifax.com, 800-685-1111; Experian, www.experian.com, 888-397-3742; and TransUnion, www.transunion.com, 800-888-4213.

5. Loading on the options. Salespeople will sometimes try to make up for a low price on a vehicle by talking you into a lot of optional equipment. Do your homework, so you know what options you want and which you can live without. Many options are available separately, but others can only be bought as part of a package. Consider these carefully. Option packages can make you pay for features you dont need to get a few you want. Its best to choose a vehicle trim level that gives you most of the options you want, then add other options separately. If a model doesnt have the features at the price you want, consider another.

Remember that you can negotiate the price of options. Various Web sites and Consumer Reports New Car Price Reports give you dealer invoice price for all available options.

6. Extras you dont need. Another profit source for dealers is extras such as rustproofing, fabric protection, paint sealant, and etching your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on windows to deter thieves. Sometimes, these types of charges will simply appear on your bill of sale without anyone having mentioned them to you. Dont waste your money. What could cost the dealer about $90 can cost you $1,000 or more.

Vehicle bodies are already treated to protect against rust. Upholstery is typically treated at the factory, or you can do it yourself with a can of spray-on fabric protectant. Paint sealants and waxes are available for under $15 at any auto-parts store or supermarket. Some states do require dealers to offer VIN etching, but none require that you buy it from them. If you want VIN etching, you can do it yourself with a $25 kit.

Dealer prep fees--such as checking tire pressure--should be included in the purchase price, not listed as extras. If these items are on your bill of sale, refuse to pay for them.

7. The question of extended warranties. At some point in the buying process, the dealerships financing manager will try to sell you an extended warranty, which can cost hundreds of dollars. Consumer Reports does not recommend buying an extended warranty unless you plan on keeping a trouble-prone vehicle for an extended time after the original warranty runs out. Most manufacturer warranties are sufficient, with bumper-to-bumper coverage of at least three years or 36,000 miles and powertrain coverage thats often longer. If you want an extended warranty, ones offered by the auto manufacturer are typically better than those offered by third-party companies.

Some disreputable dealers may tell you that you must buy an extended warranty because the bank requires it. In fact, lenders typically dont require it, and making you pay for one under these pretenses is illegal in some states.

As’ah na’adah

2008-10-28T07:39:00.000-06:00

This article is about as’ah na’adah or living a long life. The one tip most applicable to Navajos is cutting the soda. Something in pop makes you more vulnerable to heart disease and diabetes says the article. Heart disease and diabetes are a major Navajo health problems. The next time we go shopping at Bashas or Walmart, we need to think about as’as na’adah.

4 Surprising signs you'll live a long time
by Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, PREVENTION
Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:57am PDT

We all know the obvious ways to add years to your life: Don't smoke, eat your veggies, wear a seat belt (even in the backseat). But there are other, lesser-known habits and attributes that can help you live to a ripe old age.

YOU SKIP SODA (EVEN DIET)
I finally kicked my diet cola habit in my 20s, a good thing too, because scientists in Boston recently found that drinking one or more regular or diet sodas every day doubles your risk of metabolic syndrome-- combination of conditions that increase your chances of heart disease and diabetes. The exact culprit isn't completely understood, but it could be the caramel color added to colas and other dark sodas, which increased the risk for metabolic syndrome in animals. Experts also speculate that exposing your tastebuds to the sweet fizzy flavor of soda conditions you to crave sugary foods, which can lead to weight gain. Whatever the reason, it's an easy enough habit to quit. Club soda (sodium free, of course) with a splash of juice satisfies the fizz craving with just enough sweetness. For a good alternative, try Sassy Water.

YOUR LEGS ARE STRONG
Lower-body strength means you also have good balance, flexibility, and endurance. While you probably care more about how your legs look in a mini and a pair of knee-high boots right now, as you get older those attributes reduce your risk of falls, injuries, and hip fractures, all of which are associated with declining health in older folks. So do some squats, lunges, and stair climbing to look good now-- and be strong and healthy later. It's win-win! Get up to 10 pounds lighter and take 10 years off your body with this workout.

YOUR MOM HAD YOU YOUNG
If she was under age 25, you're twice as likely to live to age 100 as someone born to an older mom, according to University of Chicago scientists. The reason, they suspect, is that younger moms' best eggs go first to fertilization, which may mean healthier offspring.

YOU EAT AND DRINK PURPLE THINGS
Red wine, concord grapes, blueberries (okay, not quite purple, but close enough) all get that deep rich color from polyphenols- compounds that reduce heart disease risk and may even protect against Alzheimer's disease, according to new research. So crack open a bottle of Pinot (don't overdo it), snack on some grapes, or make a blueberry pie and ponder all the years that lie ahead. Talk about happy and healthy! Get healthy with these great recipes.

Tony Hillerman dies

2008-10-28T07:05:00.000-06:00

Tony Hillerman, the man who writes mystery novels about Navajo police officers Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn, has died. Some people think he was a good writer writing about Navajo canyons, ye’ii bicheis, and the like. Others think that he exploited Navajo culture for selfish reasons (money and fame). However one thinks about it, there will be no more new books about Jim Chee by the original author.

Obituaries in the news
October 27, 2008
By The Associated Press

Tony Hillerman

PHOENIX (AP) — Tony Hillerman, author of the acclaimed Navajo Tribal Police mystery novels and creator of two of the unlikeliest of literary heroes — Navajo police officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee — has died. He was 83.

Hillerman's daughter, Anne Hillerman, said her father's health had been declining in the last couple years and that he was at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque when he died of pulmonary failure Sunday.

Hillerman lived through two heart attacks and surgeries for prostate and bladder cancer. He kept tapping at his keyboard even as his eyes began to dim, as his hearing faded, as rheumatoid arthritis turned his hands into claws.

"I'm getting old," he declared in 2002, "but I still like to write."

Lt. Joe Leaphorn, introduced in "The Blessing Way" in 1970, was an experienced police officer who understood, but did not share, his people's traditional belief in a rich spirit world. Officer Jim Chee, introduced in "People of Darkness" in 1978, was a younger officer studying to become a "hathaali" — Navajo for "shaman."

Together, they struggled daily to bridge the cultural divide between the dominant Anglo society and the impoverished people who call themselves the Dineh.

Hillerman wrote 18 books in the Navajo series, the most recent titled "The Shape Shifter."

Plot To Assisinate Obama Foiled

2008-10-27T18:06:00.006-06:00

It looks like some extremists are becoming real afraid of the possibility of a first Afro-American U.S. President. There are already plots to assassinate candidate for president, Barak Obama. As sad as it is to say, racism is real and it shows its ugly head every so often.

Feds disrupt skinhead plot to assassinate Obama
October 27, 2008

WASHINGTON – Two white supremacists allegedly plotted to go on a national killing spree, shooting and decapitating black people and ultimately targeting Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, federal authorities said Monday.

In all, the two men whom officials describe as neo-Nazi skinheads planned to kill 88 people — 14 by beheading, according to documents unsealed in U.S. District Court in Jackson, Tenn. The numbers 88 and 14 are symbolic in the white supremacist community.

The spree, which initially targeted an unidentified predominantly African-American school, was to end with the two men driving toward Obama, "shooting at him from the windows," the court documents show.

"Both individuals stated they would dress in all white tuxedos and wear top hats during the assassination attempt," the court complaint states. "Both individuals further stated they knew they would and were willing to die during this attempt."

An Obama spokeswoman traveling with the senator in Pennsylvania had no immediate comment.

Sheriffs' deputies in Crockett County, Tenn., arrested the two suspects — Daniel Cowart, 20, of Bells, Tenn., and Paul Schlesselman 18, of Helena-West Helena, Ark. — Oct. 22 on unspecified charges. "Once we arrested the defendants and suspected they had violated federal law, we immediately contacted federal authorities," said Crockett County Sheriff Troy Klyce.

The two were charged by federal authorities Monday with possessing an unregistered firearm, conspiring to steal firearms from a federally licensed gun dealer, and threatening a candidate for president.

Cowart and Schlesselman are being held without bond. Agents seized a rifle, a sawed-off shotgun and three pistols from the men when they were arrested. Authorities alleged the two men were preparing to break into a gun shop to steal more.

Jasper Taylor, city attorney in Bells, said Cowart was arrested on Wednesday. He was held for a few days in Bells, then moved over the weekend to another facility.

"It was kept under lid until today," Taylor said.

Until his arrest, Cowart lived with his grandparents in a southern, rural part of the county, Taylor said, adding that Cowart apparently never graduated from high school. He moved away, possibly to Arkansas or Texas, then returned over the summer, Taylor said.

Attorney Joe Byrd, who has been hired to represent Cowart, did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday. Messages left on two phone numbers listed under Cowart's name were not immediately returned.

No telephone number for Schlesselman in Helena-West Helena could be found immediately.

The court documents say the two men met about a month ago on the Internet and found common ground in their shared "white power" and "skinhead" philosophy.

The numbers 14 and 88 are symbols in skinhead culture, referring to a 14-word phrase attributed to an imprisoned white supremacist: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children" and to the eighth letter of the alphabet, H. Two "8"s or "H"s stand for "Heil Hitler."

Court records say Cowart and Schlesselman also bought nylon rope and ski masks to use in a robbery or home invasion to fund their spree, during which they allegedly planned to go from state to state and kill people. Agents said the skinheads did not identify the African-American school they were targeting by name.

Jim Cavanaugh, special agent in charge of the Nashville field office for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, said authorities took the threats very seriously.

"They said that would be their last, final act — that they would attempt to kill Sen. Obama," Cavanaugh said. "They didn't believe they would be able to do it, but that they would get killed trying."

He added: "They seemed determined to do it. Even if they were just to try it, it would be a trail of tears around the South."

An ATF affidavit filed in the case says Cowart and Schlesselman told investigators the day they were arrested they had shot at a glass window at Beech Grove Church of Christ, a congregation of about 60 black members in Brownsville, Tenn.

Nelson Bond, the church secretary and treasurer, said no one was at the church when the shot was fired. Members found the bullet had shattered the glass in the church's front door when they arrived for evening Bible study.

"We have been on this site for about 120 years, and we have never had a problem like this before," said Bond, 53 and a church member for 45 years.

The investigation is continuing, and more charges are possible, Cavanaugh said. He said there's no evidence — so far — that others were willing to assist Cowart and Schlesselman with the plot.

At this point, there does not appear to be any formal assassination plan, Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren said.

"Whether or not they had the capability or the wherewithal to carry out an attack remains to be seen," he said.

Zahren said the statements about the assassination came out in interviews after the men were arrested last week.

The Secret Service became involved in the investigation once it was clear that an Obama assassination attempt was part of this violent far-reaching plot.

"We don't discount anything," Zahren said, adding that it's one thing for the defendants to make statements, but it's not the same as having an organized assassination plan.

Helena-West Helena, on the Mississippi River in east Arkansas' Delta, is in one of the nation's poorest regions, trailing even parts of Appalachia in its standard of living. Police Chief Fred Fielder said he had never heard of Schlesselman.

However, the reported threat of attacking a school filled with black students worried Fielder. Helena-West Helena, with a population of 12,200, is 66 percent black. "Predominantly black school, take your pick," he said.

Senator Stevens found guilty

2008-10-27T17:29:00.004-06:00

Today Federal Senator Ted Stevens was found guilty of felony corruption charges – of lying to the federal government and the people of Alaska. Corruption not only exists at our local Navajo chapter houses, but even within the federal system. Mr. Stevens is famous for his statement against Indians:

"The road they're on now is the road to destruction of statehood, because the Native population's increasing at a much greater rate than the non-Native population. I don't know if you realize that. And they want to have total jurisdiction over anything that happened in a village without regard to state law and without regard to federal law.'' Statement by Senator Stevens to the media (October 2, 2003)(read transcript)

Sen. Ted Stevens found guilty in corruption case
By MATT APUZZO and JESSE J. HOLLAND

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was convicted of seven corruption charges Monday in a trial that threatened to end the 40-year career of Alaska's political patriarch in disgrace. The verdict, coming barely a week before Election Day, increased Stevens' difficulty in winning what already was a difficult race against Democratic challenger Mark Begich. Democrats hope to seize the once reliably Republican seat as part of their bid for a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.

Stevens, 84, was convicted of all the felony charges he faced of lying about free home renovations and other gifts from a wealthy oil contractor. Jurors began deliberating last week.

Visibly shaken after the verdicts were read — the jury foreman declaring "guilty" seven times — Stevens tried to intertwine his fingers but quickly put his hands down to his side after noticing they were trembling. As he left the courtroom, Stevens got a quick kiss on the cheek from his wife, Catherine, who testified on his behalf during the trial. He declined to talk to reporters waiting outside.

Stevens faces up to five years in prison on each count when he is sentenced, but under federal guidelines he is likely to receive much less prison time, if any. The judge originally scheduled sentencing for Jan. 26 but then changed his mind and did not immediately set a date.

The monthlong trial revealed that employees for VECO Corp., an oil services company, transformed Stevens' modest mountain cabin into a modern, two-story home with wraparound porches, a sauna and a wine cellar.

The Senate's longest-serving Republican, Stevens said he had no idea he was getting freebies. He said he paid $160,000 for the project and believed that covered everything.

He had asked for an unusually speedy trial, hoping he'd be exonerated in time to return to Alaska and win re-election. He kept his campaign going and gave no indication that he had a contingency plan in case of conviction.

Despite being a convicted felon, he is not required to drop out of the race or resign from the Senate. If he wins re-election, he can continue to hold his seat because there is no rule barring felons from serving in Congress. The Senate could vote to expel him on a two-thirds vote.

"Put this down: That will never happen — ever, OK?" Stevens said in the weeks leading up to his trial. "I am not stepping down. I'm going to run through, and I'm going to win this election."

Democrats have invested heavily in the race, running television advertisements starring fictional FBI agents and featuring excerpts from wiretaps.

Stevens' conviction hinged on the testimony of Bill Allen, the senator's longtime drinking and fishing buddy. Allen, the founder of VECO, testified that he never billed his friend for the work on the house and that Stevens knew he was getting a special deal.

Stevens spent three days on the witness stand, vehemently denying that allegation. He said his wife, Catherine, paid every bill they received.

Living in Washington, thousands of miles away, made it impossible to monitor the project every day, he said. Stevens relied on Allen to oversee the renovations, he said, and his friend deceived him by not forwarding all the bills.

Prosecutors used a barrage of witnesses to question how Stevens could have been in the dark about VECO's work on the project. VECO employees testified to seeing Stevens at the house. One left him a company business card. Stevens sent thank you notes to others.

Stevens' conviction is the highlight of a lengthy FBI investigation into Alaska corruption, but prosecutors noted that it is not the end. Stevens' longtime Republican colleague, Rep. Don Young, remains under investigation for his ties to VECO. Stevens' son, Ben, a former Alaska lawmaker, is also under investigation.

Stevens is a legendary figure in Alaska, where he has wielded political influence since before statehood. His knack for steering billions of dollars in federal money to his home state has drawn praise from his constituents and consternation from budget hawks.

There was no immediate word on Stevens' campaign plans. His spokesman, Aaron Saunders, did not immediately return a message seeking comment on whether Stevens would stay in the race.

In Alaska, the Democratic Party issued a statement calling for Stevens to resign immediately. "He knew what he was doing was wrong," the party said. "But he did it anyway and lied to Alaskans about it."

Stevens is the sixth senator convicted of criminal charges. The last previous one was Republican David Durenberger of Minnesota, who was indicted in 1993 on charges of conspiring to make fraudulent claims for Senate reimbursement of $3,825 in lodging expenses. He later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and was sentenced to one year of probation and a $1,000 fine.

The jurors left the court without comment.

Said U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan: "The jurors have unanimously told me that no one has any desire to speak to any member of the media. They have asked to go home and they are en route home."

The jurors had been shuttled to and from the proceedings each day by court officials.

Read related blog entry.

Downsizing the Navajo Council

2008-10-22T17:55:00.000-06:00

President Shirley is trying to muster up enough support from the Navajo public to put up an initiative to vote for downsizing the Navajo council. It is significant that the President is now also accusing the Speaker and the Navajo council of not listening to the People.

A LETTER FROM NAVAJO NATION PRESIDENT JOE SHIRLEY, JR.

“NOW IS THE TIME FOR GOVERNMENT REFORM”

Yá’át’ééh! In order to make the Navajo Nation government more responsive, more accountable and more effective, the Navajo People have asked to reduce the size of the Navajo Nation Council from 88 to 24 members since 2000.

In 2002, 26 recommendations from the Government Reform Convention at Red Rock State Park were ignored by the Council’s Intergovernmental Relations Committee.

This year, when I began an initiative drive to put the Council reduction question on the election ballot, Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan asked to “talk things out” with me, signed an agreement with me to place legislation on the Council agenda, and then did nothing. Now he wants to increase the Council to 100 members, eliminate the Executive Branch, and abolish the Office of the President.

Because there is currently no way to rein in the Council’s spending of the People’s money, we are also seeking budgetary line-item authority for the Navajo Nation President. This will allow me and future Presidents to line out unnecessary and wasteful spending like gold rings for Council delegates, and cause the Legislative Branch to work with the President on budget rather than attach unlimited riders to legislation to continually drain the Undesignated, Unreserved Fund.

But for the People’s voices to be heard, this government reform effort is being done through the initiative process and a special election. An “initiative” is when the People speak to their government.

Please join the thousands of concerned Diné citizens who have already signed the petitions to get these two initiative questions on a special election ballot in a historic grassroots effort to collect the required signatures by Oct. 27. With enough signatures, we can hold a special election ballot, and then the People can decide.

To help reform Navajo Navajo government, you need to be a registered Navajo voter to sign the initiative petitions.

As you may expect, most of the Navajo Nation Council is opposed to government reform, opposed the Speaker’s talks with me, voted not to place reform legislation on its agenda, and don’t want Navajo voices heard. Let’s show the Navajo Nation Council that Navajo voices signatures have power, and that the government belongs to the People. Ahe’hee!

DR. JOE SHIRLEY, JR., PRESIDENT
THE NAVAJO NATION

Dine Policy Institute Reports on Navajo Government Reform

2008-10-22T17:42:00.007-06:00

It looks like a group of Dine scholars, Dine Policy Institute, got together and studied how the Navajo government may be reformed. They completed a report and the Navajo Speaker will be presenting it to the Navajo council to consider it. Among the many changes recommended by the report, there's a recommendation to eliminate the Office of the President. It amazes me to see how innocent projects can be used adversarily against each other. Anyhow, here's the report.

Speaker Morgan to present report on feasibility of a constitutional government for Navajo Nation during 2008 Fall session
October 13, 2008

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Navajo Nation Council Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan has announced the completion of a report which examines and analyzes the feasibility of a constitutional government for the Navajo Nation, a report that he will present to the 21st Navajo Nation Council during its Fall Session scheduled Oct. 20-24 at the historic Navajo Nation Council Chamber.

The report was conducted over a period of one year by the Diné Policy Institute of Diné College. It is based on extensive literature review conducted by policy researchers and in the report, they apply theoretical policy findings to a Navajo context for a constitutional government and support their recommendations with scholarly research and academic references.

“The report thoroughly examines the Navajo Nation government from an objective point of view and offers un-bias suggestions on government reform,” Speaker Morgan said. “The suggestions offered in this report are supported by legitimate scholarly research — making it creditable.”

The 71-page report is divided into four primary sections, which include: Constitutionalism, Governance and the Separation of Powers, Judicial Review in the Navajo Nation and Recommendations for the Future. A primary emphasis of the report was that the restructuring of the government should be conducted to embrace historic governing practices of the Diné.

The report examines the foundational principals related to constitutionalism, the concept of constitutionalism related to the Navajo Nation and its nation-state status. The study can be downloaded on the Navajo Nation Council’s website at www.navajonationcouncil.org. It was also given to each of the 88 council delegates for review.

Perhaps the most significant conclusion drawn from the study is the continuance of the Navajo Nation Code and “…legislation that will strengthen the powers of the courts, amend the Fundamental Laws of the Diné to remove references to structure of governance and to restructure the executive branch, removing the Office of the President and strengthening the regional agencies into naacids” (Constitutional Feasibility Study, p. 42).

The report recommends restructuring the Executive Branch by “…moving away from the U.S. Presidential model, and more toward a parliamentary model with ‘checks’ on power coming from empowered local communities” (Constitutional Feasibility Study, p. 42). The report offers insight as to how a parliamentary government would possibly be applied to Navajo government while paralleling traditional values.

“This study was not completed to favor the Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch, nor the Executive Branch,” Morgan said. “It equally critiques each branch, how they work together and how the relationship between the three branches can be improved to better serve the needs of the Navajo people. In essence, this report depicts comprehensive government reform.”

The report includes other political structures for lawmakers to consider and offers various ways of restructuring the existing governmental paradigm. The recommendations for the future are broken into four models: Approaches for an Alternative Model Government, The Bicameral Parliamentary Model, and Diné Political Philosophy and Decentralization Model.

One Navajo researcher developed implementation of a 15-year plan that methodically marshals the Diné towards local level based government reform, while insuring delivery of governmental services. The report suggests:

Year 1 and 2: Assemble scholars, researchers, and traditional scholars to study the basic theoretical inconsistencies of Navajo thought and current political idealizations of the Nation.

Year 3 and 4: Assemble researchers to study the effectiveness of the current governmental system in meeting the needs of the people and achieving the aspirations of the Diné.

Year 5: Develop a set of recommendations on reform for the Navajo, based on this research.

Year 6 and 7: Take these recommendations to the Diné in forums, chapter houses, agency meetings, urban areas and so forth to determine the needs of the people.

Year 8 to 15: Revise set of recommendations of the people and slowly over the years implement the reform in manageable portions, so as not to shock the citizenry and to sure that vital government services are not disrupted.

“This approach resembles a systematic and comprehensive approach to develop group consensus at the local level for future changes,” Morgan said. “More importantly, it is a sophisticated treatment of governmental reform and not a reactionary initiative.”

Another major part of governmental reform rests on development and strengthening of the courts to resolve institutional differences between the Executive and Legislative Branches (Constitutional Feasibility Study, p. 40). The strengthening of the judicial branch is developed based on the concept of “rule of law,” which means government is best when the public officials follow the law. Accordingly, no branch or public official should be able to manipulate the law without good cause authorized by law.

“The report is to help direct the Navajo people towards a serious inquiry of comprehensive government reform,” Morgan added. “I encourage the members of the Navajo Nation Council to thoroughly educate themselves on the different ways we can improve the structure of our government and I await their decision regarding further actions on this matter.”

Navajo basket dance

2008-10-22T00:09:00.003-06:00

This is a very touching dance posted on Youtube. The late Ed Lee Natay's singing makes it all the better. Apparently the song may be sung in the Fire Dance.

Is economic development right for Navajos?

2008-10-21T23:42:00.008-06:00

I would like to hear more from Mr. Williams. He brings out some excellent points that economic development-minded Navajos need to consider. If Navajos do become engulfed in economic development, then would the American government be relieved of its trust responsibility to the Indians? Mr. Williams states that we should be wary of economic development. This is just like the issue with AHCCCS. Why should we have to be eligible for government health care when Indians should automatically have health care as a treaty right? The saying goes, "money is the root of all evil". Maybe we should remember our ancestor's warnings about greed and selfishness and take a real good look at ourselves. Maybe we should give economic development a second thought.

Money helped create some of the worst monsters
Navajo Times
Letter to the Editor
Oct. 16, 2008

This letter is in response to Milton Bluehouse Sr. Based on your letter ("New economic development leaders needed," Oct. 9, 2008), economic development is your proposal for how to eradicate current conditions of "social deterioration."

Your prescription is widely shared by Navajo Nation government officials and the Navajo people at large so this letter is also addressed to them.

For most, it seems that inept/uneducated leaders and unnecessary "red-tape" are all that stand in the way of guaranteed wealth. That by "opening up" and "streamlining" our leaders can be helpful in recruiting businesses and U.S. contracts.

And that if our leaders were more effective toward these ends, that businesses could finally "take off" and many of our ills would be eliminated.

In essence, many suggest that money can cure our problems. Wittingly or not, these views are founded on the philosophy of market fundamentalism.

Free market economists will insist that money is the key to human development, that human ambition and desire of profit has lead to all that has been gained by "modern" society. They will also insist that economic development is fully reliant on the establishment of a market that is open and free.

I have two basic problems with these assumptions. Firstly, discourse matters. The suggestion that a lack of money is at the root of our problems with "social deterioration" surrenders prematurely to the United States interest of wiping its slate clean.

By not mentioning this history we are unwittingly relieving the United States of its oppressive history and most importantly, how its past policies continue to harm us today. Any time that we discuss our social problems, the United States' history of genocide must be identified at the outset.

Secondly, a wide variety of scholarship exists on how "economic development" fails miserably to deliver on its promises. Based on my examination of this scholarship, I overwhelmingly concur.

While conducting research on these issues, I came across an article written by Dr. Lloyd Lee titled "The Future of Navajo Nationalism." In it, Lee identifies some of the problems that "economic development" creates.

According to Dr. Lee, "Some believe money will alleviate oppression and misery, but money, greed and materialism have not relieved the problems in Navajo society and, in many cases, it has enhanced the problems."

Recently, the Navajo Times found that the incomes of various council delegates were well over $50,000 per year. Does anyone truthfully believe that a decent income has adequately addressed the wide range of problems exhibited by some of these individuals?

In this context, money has aided in the creation of some of the worst monsters that the Navajo Nation has ever faced. Yet another example of presents itself in the impending desecration of Doko'oosliid and the Desert Rock power plant.

These examples of desecration are going to occur as a result of the very same "economic development" logic.

In the opinion of the United States and the Navajo Nation government, job creation and capital accumulation are much more important than our culture and traditions.

We can also look at what "economic development" has produced in the United States at large. The current economic crisis provides an obvious example of what greed leads to. We can also examine the immense failures created by IMF and World Bank policies that were "intended" to help needy nations but in reality amounted to little more than United States profiteering.

As we pursue paths toward "economic development" and the honorable goal of improving the overall livelihood of our people, we need to keep a wary eye trained on the dangers of greed and selfishness that seem to go hand in hand with strategies that make unquestioned use of market fundamentalism.

Simply "opening" us up to whatever the United States and business interests want will inevitably lead to unexpected problems.

When it is politically expedient, politicians argue for the infusion of Navajo perspectives, such as language and traditional teachings. But when it comes to economic concerns we are too often too willing to simply gulp down what the United States is feeding us.

Our ancestors warned us about greed, so we need to listen to their voices, especially when it isn't politically expedient. We already have leaders that do not question the underlying assumptions of "economic development."

With all due respect, we need leaders who will also question where this exclusive focus on money is leading us. We all need subsistence and I detest tar-paper shacks just as much as anyone else, but if their alleviation leads some to think that swimming pools and helicopter pads are a prerequisite, then we must be on the wrong path.

As a nation, the task is to address these situations while maintaining possession of our souls.

Jeremy Williams
Tse Bonito, N.M.

Navajo Hunting Program For Teens

2008-10-08T17:12:00.005-06:00

I have always heard that traditional Navajo deer hunting is very very very dangerous and there are many many many many strict rules the hunter must abide by. The activity is so dangerous that women and children are excluded. Women and children are excluded because their bodies are not strong. The article says that women may be allowed to hunt during times of war. Navajos are not at war and there are other ways of subsistence. I just gasp with disbelief when I read this article about Navajo adults allowing children to participate in this activity. I suppose the article has some good points as well which the reader may discern for himself. The Navajo Times should do a follow-up story in ten years of the participants of this program, how they will have fared, etc. It’s an interesting story.

More than hunting
Teens learn other skills, gain knowledge on annual youth hunt
By Marley Shebala
Navajo Times
October 2, 2008

As Brandon Nicholls, 13, of Teec Nos Pos, Ariz., hunted on the high ridges and deep crevices of the Carrizo Mountains for trophy bucks, Navajo Nation Fish and Wildlife conservation officer Larry Joe pointed out various plants to him.

For Joe, one of 20 volunteer mentors in last weekend's 4th Annual Navajo Nation Fish and Wildlife Youth Hunt, hunting is more than hunting.

He learned from his grandparents and Navajo medicine men that hunting involves knowledge of Navajo culture and in the old days took several years to learn.

As Joe walked, he offered quick, quiet briefings to his young charge, telling what each plant was named and how they are used in the Navajo way.

He pointed out a small pine tree that had its branches broken on one side. That's where a buck had rubbed its antlers, he told Nicholls. Passing a small cluster of towering pine trees swaying in the wind, he pointed under them and showed Nicholls where deer had lain - here a buck, there a doe.

Joe had awakened Nicholls at 5 a.m. so they could be out in the thickest parts of the mountains while it was still semi-dark and cold - a time when the biggest bucks would be feeding.

Joe repeatedly emphasized to Nicholls that these trophy bucks would test his stamina.

They have lived to be the biggest, Joe explained, because they also are the smartest and strongest.

As man and boy chased two huge bucks, Nicholls grew more and more tired. It was not easy for him to climb up and down steep slopes that were thick with brush that hid loose rocks, all the while carrying a backpack and rifle.

Nicholls quickly learned that it took skill to trek the hills with as little noise as possible. Joe often had to turn and whisper a warning to walk more quietly because the sounds of breaking twigs and sliding rocks was keeping the trophy bucks ahead of them.

As the sun moved overhead, here atop the 10,000-foot Carrizo Mountains, the view was spectacular.

A cool breeze helped calm the flush in Nicholls' face. Joe smiled at him and gently advised him to get involved in sports, saying it would strengthen his body and spirit.

Nicholls said he herds sheep for his family but not on top of the Carrizos, though they are easy to see from his house. He could see his home in the distance as they walked across an eastern ridge of the range.

'Be quiet'

At about 3 p.m. when Joe and Nicholls resumed their quest joined by two other hunt participants, Nathan Dooley, 14, of Vanderwagen, N.M., and Kolt Mike, 12, of Mexican Springs, N.M., who had each harvested a buck.

Joe and Nicholls welcomed their company but warned them to be quiet.

The three-hour rest at camp had not revived Nicholls' initial desire for a trophy buck. Now he was ready to settle for any size buck or even a doe.

Joe pulled out a huge hunting knife and told Nicholls that he brought it along to gut and skin the trophy buck that Nicholls would bring down.

As they walked down a streambed lined with pine, blue spruce, cedar and pi–on trees, Joe showed the three teens the tracks of mountain lion, elk, bucks, does, and a bear.

Joe picked up two medium-sized stones and began whacking them against each other as he explained how their Navajo ancestors made arrowheads, axes and knives.

He pulled out a handful of bullets from one of his pockets and told the three boys that there may be a time when there are no more bullets and so they need to learn how to live off the land.

As the sun dropped low, they returned to Joe's four wheel drive truck and started back for camp. Then Nicholls spotted a "spike," or young buck with small antlers. It was about 6 p.m. when Nicholls, after several tries, brought it down but it was Mike, at Nicholls request, who made the fatal shot into the spike's neck.

Joe then showed how to field dress the carcass, starting with the first cut to remove the bladder and penis so the urine would not leak out and sour the meat. Then the large intestines were carefully removed.

Joe asked Dooley and Mike to tell Nicholls how they disposed of their bucks' intestines and when they said to throw it away, he laughed, pointed at a nearby pine tree, and told Nicholls to place the entrails on the east side of it.

He had Nicholls remove the stomach and take it to the tree, where he cut open the stomach and emptied its contents.

The three boys were then instructed to hang the carcass from the tree, using its antlers, so Nicholls could pull out the esophagus and tongue, all in one piece, and add them to the pile under the pine tree.

Joe explained to the young hunters that in the Navajo way, after all the entrails are placed on the east side of the pine tree, the hunter then makes an "X" with white corn meal.

"That makes the place holy, it becomes the center of the world," Joe said.

It is the entrance between this world and the spirit world for the young deer, he said.

Disposing of the innards in this way continues the breath of life in the spirit of the spike, who will bring life and strength to other bucks and does.

"If you come back here, there'll be another spike but it'll be bigger and healthier," Joe said.

Skinning the buck

When the hunters returned to camp, Joe demonstrated how to skin a buck in the Navajo way, keeping the entire hide, especially that covering the head and face, intact.

After the boys had skinned the body, Joe carefully began removing the hide from the head, which included gently pulling the hide off the ears and then slowly cutting around the eyes to loosen the hide until the entire hide was gently removed from the head of the spike.

And all of this was done by the light of Joe's truck headlamps. As soon as the sun set in a majestic blaze of color, darkness had enveloped the mountains.

As Joe prepared to break camp, Dooley asked if he would help him finish skinning the head of his buck and teach him how to tan the hide.

Another young hunter overheard Dooley's request and chimed in his request.

Joe smiled and nodded his head yes.

Traditional Deer Hunting

2008-10-08T17:00:00.001-06:00

This article is more about the apprenticeship of hunting.

Youth hunt couched in tradition
By Marley Shebala
Navajo Times
October 2, 2008

In the Navajo way, hunting is not a sport.

Years ago, when a Navajo family wanted a son to learn to hunt, they would seek out an individual who was well-known for his hunting skills, according to Larry Joe, a Navajo Nation conservation officer from Waterflow, N.M.

In those times, it might be 15 years before the apprentice was seen as knowledgeable enough to become a hunter on his own, noted Joe, who was a mentor in this year's Navajo Nation Fish and Wildlife Youth Hunt.

And, he continued, the family knew that in the Navajo way they had to pay the hunter to take their son as an apprentice. Joe said the family usually paid the hunter with a hunting tool, such as a bow and arrows or even a rifle.

And the girls? Joe said he asked some elders how girls fit into the tradition, and was told that females are not encouraged or discouraged from hunting.

There have been times when it fell to the women to do the hunting, such as when the Navajo people were at war, especially during the time of the Long Walk, he added.

There were rules to govern women's involvement, too. At times when a hunter decided to take his wife or another female family member hunting, the females and males each had their own camping area, sexual intercourse was prohibited, and menstruating women were excluded from the trip, he explained.

Joe, 55, said that during the Kinaald‡ (female puberty ceremony), the medicine man explains why menstruating females should not be around ceremonies and other events, including hunting.

It's understood in the Navajo way that women who are having their monthly period are in a very powerful state that can have the effect of good or bad, he said.

If the hunter and apprentice were part of a large camp, there might be other hunters with apprentices, but if the apprentice was the only one, he understood that he would be learning from all the hunters at camp, Joe explained.

And he noted that learning from all the hunters, who might number between 10 and 15, meant that the apprentice, like a medicine man's apprentice, "waited on them."

Joe, who is L—k'aa' Dine'é (Reed People Clan), born for Tsi'naajinii (Black Streak Wood Clan), said the apprentice was basically the camp crew - he gathered firewood, tended to the fire, cooked, and served the hunters their food and beverages.

In return, the apprentice would be allowed to follow - at a distance - behind each hunter, he said.

Joe noted that a majority of the apprentice's hunting skills were learned by observing the experts. He noted that his own knowledge of the Navajo way of hunting came from watching and listening to his grandparents and medicine men.

Joe remembered medicine men coming to his home to conduct ceremonies for family members throughout the year.

"They always have stories," he said with a smile.

The stories were most plentiful during the winter season, especially ones about the Long Walk and hunting, he recalled.

Joe said it was a natural part of a hunting apprenticeship for a hunter to point out plants to the apprentice and explain their use, which could be medicinal or for hunting.

There are herbs to block the human scent and to replicate the scent of an animal in heat and to tan hides, he said.

He noted that in the Navajo way, a hunting apprentice was responsible for field dressing all the animals that the hunters killed, which involves removing their guts and skins.

Nowadays, the field-dressed carcasses are stored in a mobile walk-in cooler provided by Sweetmeat Inc. of Waterflow.

Owner and operator R.G. "Squeak" Hunt Jr. and his wife, Carla, donate their time and labor, taking the deer carcasses back to their meat shop, where they are cut up, wrapped and frozen for the young hunters.

The young hunters are responsible for tanning the hides or finding someone to get it done.

Traditionally, Joe said, apprentices learned how to tan the hides by first watching the hunters and then doing it themselves. And the apprentice had to be very observant as the hunters showed him how to gut and skin an animal and tan the hide because hunters back then were very particular about how they wanted the hides tanned, he said.

He emphasized that in the old days, apprentices were not treated "softly."

But Joe said there were instances when a hunter would reward an apprentice for a job well done.

He said he was taught that a hunter should take a sweat bath before and after a hunt, which is for cleansing and healing.

The sweat is also a time to offer prayers for safety for yourself, your horse, a good hunt and to say thanks, Joe said.

Jiits'ilii

2008-10-02T12:09:00.000-06:00

You are not Navajo unless you experience Jiits'ilii (Golden Corral Restaurant) in Gallup or Farmington.

Doohats'iiyalti' Bi'ee'

2008-09-30T12:56:00.004-06:00

If I ever went to Paris, I would witness Doohats'iiyalti' Bi'ee' or French fashion.

Navajo Women As Murderers

2008-09-30T12:54:00.005-06:00

Man what’s up with our Navajo women being accused of stabbing people in the back and being murderers?

Read stories:

Roommate guilty in dorm knifing death

Family says teen was charged because of her race

Economic Development In Monument Valley

2008-09-30T12:16:00.009-06:00

This article has some interesting points about Navajos, Economic Development, and Gaming.

The beginning of the article romanticizes Navajos by citing a line from a Tl'ee'ji prayer. The articles says The View, the new hotel in Monument Valley, stands for the preservation of culture and the healing of an impoverished situation. Joe Shirley says this operation, from its construction to its operation, will employ Navajos to help address the high unemployment on the Navajo rez.

Then the article summarizes the Fort Sumner period in Navajo history. It's probably more accurate than most historical accounts when the article states that Navajos surrendered largely because the Army could provide food. From the oral stories, this seems to be the main reason Navajos voluntarily went to Fort Sumner. Then there were still many Navajos who never went to Fort Sumner.

The articles also discusses economic development as the top priority for Navajos. There is an interesting point that is raised:

“It’s not right to give welfare to people who are able to work. It makes them lazy,” Choudhary says.

I think this is true, but Navajos are also denied self-sufficiency through federal politics such as the Navajo sheep reduction of the 1920's and the current federal government-Peabody Coal scandal. (related article)

Overall, this article raises some good thought-provoking statements. As Navajos, we should ask ourselves whether this is what we really want and make our positions known. Is this the type of Navajo progress we are seeking?

Navajo open new hotel in Monument Valley
The Zonie Report
By Cyndy Hardy · September 29, 2008 ·

MONUMENT VALLEY PARK — An ancient Navajo prayer, “Night Chant,” begins in a “house made of dawn” and evokes transition, healing and restoration of hozho – or beauty, order and harmony.

Like a manifestation of the prayer, a promotional photograph shows the morning Arizona sun washing vivid color and new life over Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park’s man-made mesa, The View Hotel.

Monument Valley Park is located three hours northwest of Flagstaff on Navajo land in Arizona. The hotel is significant to the preservation of culture and to the healing of a depressed economy of the nation within a nation, say those close to the project.

“My biggest reward is knowing that whatever building I construct will create employment opportunities for people, and with this current project it will create employment opportunities for my people, The Dine People,” says Romona Tayah, assistant superintendent for FCI Constructors Inc., who built the hotel.

In a prepared statement, Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. said the project will create much-needed jobs while highlighting tribal culture.

“Job creation on Tribal land means economic opportunity but also translates into cultural preservation,” he said in a recent press release. “When family members can find employment close to their traditional homes they stay connected with their culture and their language. This fosters an environment where traditional ways of the Navajo people can be passed from generation to generation.”

TRIBE STRUGGLES FOR RECOGNITION

The road to projects like The View was a long and arduous for the Navajo, also known as the Dine People.

Beginning in January 1863, the U.S. Army forced more than 8,000 Navajo from their native lands on the Colorado Plateau in what is known today as The Long Walk, a roughly 300-mile trek to Fort Sumner in New Mexico.

“The instigator of this policy, General James H. Carleton, was involved in a wide variety of non-military activities that presupposed removal of Indians from their homelands …
Carleton was involved in a series of questionable activities regarding mining, the cumulative effect of which appears to have contributed to his decision to remove Navajos from their homeland,” wrote Neal W. Ackerly in his 1998 book, A Navajo Diaspora: The Long Walk to Hwéeldi.

But Carleton had underestimated the number of Navajos and Fort Sumner was ill-equipped to care for them, Ackerly wrote.

In May 1864, Dr. Michael Steck, then Indian Agent for the New Mexico Territory, condemned Carleton’s policy as a failure, stating that the captured Navajos surrendered largely because the Army could provide food.

“The rich and powerful portion of them are still in their own country … it will cost ten times the amount to catch and remove the wealthy portion of the tribe,” Steck wrote.

By early 1865, Carleton was losing federal and local support. Hundreds of Navajo began leaving Fort Sumner on their own, returning to their native land.

On June 1, 1868 the U.S. signed a treaty with the Navajo, officially allowing the remaining detainees to return home to a reservation of about 3 million acres, or 5,500 square miles.

NAVAJO ECONOMY IS TOP CONCERN

Today, the Navajo Nation covers 27,000 square miles in Arizona and New Mexico and includes 204,698 people, according to Trib Choudhary, a principal economic development specialist with the tribe. This makes the Navajo the largest Native American tribe in the U.S.

Government, mining and services such as hospitals and schools makeup the Nation’s main employers, however 50 percent of its people live below the U.S. poverty level. About 9,400 Navajo families nationwide depend on welfare programs to provide clothing, gasoline, and food stamps, Choudhary says.

The Navajo Nation government earned about $71 million from all mining revenue in 2005, accounting for almost 58 percent of the tribe’s $124 million general fund that year, tribal documents show.

When federal emission standards forced the coal-fired Mojave Generating Station in Laughlin to close on Dec. 31, 2005, the Navajo Nation’s pocketbook took a big hit.

“[The Navajo government] lost about $20 million,” Choudhary says. Replacing that revenue seems about as hard as the stratified formations speckled across the desert floor.

The next day, Peabody Western Coal Company shut down operations at the Black Mesa Mine on the Navajo reservation. Mojave was the mine’s only customer, buying about 5 million tons of coal annually.

About 240 people were employed at the Black Mesa Mine when it closed.

The overall unemployment rate in Navajoland, including non-Indians, is 52 percent. Among Navajo people, the rate is 57 percent, according to tribal documents. Bout three-fourths of the 4,195 people living near the View Hotel project are unemployed, Choudhary says.

“The Navajos are trying to bring industry, but they often don’t have the money for infrastructure,” Choudhary says. Navajo lands are held in trust and cannot be leveraged to fund private enterprise – even by its own people. “Private companies don’t want to build because they can’t own the land.”

As a sovereign nation within the U.S., it is understandable that Navajo leaders would look to capture more of the tourism revenue currently bypassing its economy for lack of services.

About 2.5 million tourists annually visit the reservation’s many attractions like Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly and Chaco Canyon. They spent more than $100 million inside the reservation, according to the tribe’s 2006 economic report.

With only 13 hotels and few retail outlets on the reservation, much of the potential revenue leaks out to border towns.

So, borrowing from business models used by the U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Forest Service, the Navajo Nation set up a system to lease parkland through its Parks & Recreation Department.

OUTLOOK IMPROVES WITH THE VIEW

The View Hotel is the first such project. The Nation’s parks department leased land to ARTSCO, a family-owned company led by Armanda Ortega, of the Kiy`anníí – Dine for “Towering House” – Clan. The Ortega family has traded in Indian jewelry, arts and crafts since the early 1800s.

ARTSCO built the 90-room hotel with private funds on the site of a former campground that adjoined the park’s visitor center, using contractors that employ more than 90 percent Native American workers.

The project means a lot to Romona Tayah, assistant superintendent for FCI Constructors, Inc., who lives in a reservation home her parents built the year she was born.

“Maintaining ties to family land given to me and my sisters by my grandmother and mother is what keeps me coming home from wherever my work takes me,” Tayah says.

The View Hotel will employ about 100 people. A percentage of gross revenue on all sales will go to Navajo Parks & Recreation. The Navajo Nation will receive sales tax revenue.

“The hotel goes beyond what have become standard eco-friendly building practices using low-flow water devices, extra insulation, windows with energy-efficient values, and fluorescent lighting,” stated Mike Finney, owner of AZ Communications Group, which has worked with ARTSCO and the Navajo Nation office of tourism.

“There are operable windows in public spaces including the soaring two story lobby that allows for natural air flow for energy efficient cooling,” he says.

Modern utilities and a wastewater treatment plant will be in place before the hotel opens in mid-November, Finney says. Hotel management is taking online reservations now for arrivals beginning Dec. 6, 2008, he says.

QUESTIONS LINGER ABOUT GAMBLING, IMPACTS

Despite the much-heralded project and its promise of new jobs, the long-term effects of bringing more tourist services to the Navajo Nation remain unclear. Information regarding financial benefits – both to the Nation and its workforce – were not immediately available.

Speculation abounds about the role gaming should have in tribal culture. Gaming on Navajo lands was approved in November 2004 by the Navajo people in a referendum vote. The first tribal casino – Fire Rock Casino – is under construction in Window Rock and expected to open in November, Choudhary says.

Sources couldn’t say whether the new hotel will lead to a casino at Monument Park.

Choudhary advocates for tribal casinos and would support a casino at the View Hotel, he says; however he worries about the profit-sharing models used by other Native American tribes, which give between $7,000 and $38,000 to native individuals.

“It’s not right to give welfare to people who are able to work. It makes them lazy,” Choudhary says.

But a casino could help fill the gap in government revenue and jobs left by the mining industry, Choudhary says.

Former Chairman Macdonald Supports Obama

2008-09-29T19:41:00.005-06:00

Pretty interesting remarks about the presidential race by a former Navajo tribal president who has participated in Arizona politics in the past. Mr. Macdonald emphasizes the stark conditions on the Navajo reservation under Senator McCain’s leadership in Arizona. It is good to hear the pros and cons as well as the political viewpoints of past Indian leaders in deciding our own perspectives. Pretty good.

Navajo Nation Endorses Obama
Navajo Times, News report, Cindy Yurth, Posted: Sep 29, 2008
Tséyi’ Bureau

CHINLE — The Navajo Nation’s highest-profile Republican is crossing party lines this year, unless the McCain-Palin ticket can convince him it has Native Americans at heart.

“I think the Navajos’ only choice is to go with the Democratic ticket,” former Navajo Nation President Peter MacDonald said in a telephone interview.

MacDonald said he’s been a Republican for years, but he doesn’t see any significant changes for the Navajo Nation if Republican Presidential nominee John McCain is elected.

“The past eight years have been disastrous for Native Americans and my fear is that’s going to continue if John McCain is elected,” he declared.

While Native Alaskan activists have pounced on vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin for touting her husband’s Yup’ik Eskimo ancestry even while supporting drilling for oil on Native lands, MacDonald said Arizonans don’t have to look any further than John McCain’s record if they wish to know how Natives would be treated under a McCain-Palin administration.

“All the years John McCain has been the senator from Arizona and what do we have?” MacDonald asked rhetorically. “Unconscionably high unemployment rates, inadequate jails, not enough law enforcement personnel, zero economic development. I believe Arizona’s tribes should look at their own situation and decide if they want the senator from Arizona to be President.”

MacDonald also believes McCain bungled the partitioning of Navajo and Hopi lands.

“The federal government’s role should have been to facilitate the two tribes working it out for themselves,” MacDonald said. “Instead, the people in that area suffered needlessly and continue to suffer because of government meddling.”

With all that said, why be a Republican?

“I chose to be a Republican and I will continue to be a Republican,” MacDonald stated. “Over the years, we’ve had some very good Republican Presidents. Richard Nixon was a great President for Native Americans — he gave us the Indian Self-Determination Act.”

However, MacDonald also liked Democrats Jimmy Carter’s and Bill Clinton’s Indian policies.

“The way I see it, once a party selects the best they can, then it’s up to us to decide which person is the best for the job,” MacDonald said. “Some people vote blindly, Republican-Republican-Republican all the way down the ballot, or Democrat-Democrat-Democrat. We’re not obligated to do that in this country, so why would you do it?”

Read previous article about McCain

Navajo Culture And Leadership

2008-09-26T23:01:00.008-06:00

These are some pretty good comments by Mr. Hanley. His letter reminds me of a post I entered back in 2007 entitled Braindrain on the Navajo Reservation. Mr. Hanley's shares similar ideas as myself that the qualifications of the Navajo leadership need to be raised. They need to be required to be very educated both in Navajo and in American academics. As I said before,

I think that those in power in the Navajo government do not want to relinquish their power to educated Navajos who cannot speak Navajo and have no understanding of their culture. For those who become educated in the Bilagana institutions with professional degrees and licenses, these people are still considered to be uneducated because they still need education in Navajo culture and language. I think that’s one thing that our People fear: For educated fools who don’t know their culture and language to lead them.

Therefore, I stress these educated Naat'aanii's that Mr. Hanley refers to to learn all the Navajo language and culture they can learn. They are going to need it if they want to assume the leadership roles on the Navajo reservation.

Revise minimum qualifications for leaders
Navajo Times
Letter to the Editor
September 25, 2008

Recently I had an opportunity to listen to a group of young Navajo professionals employed and living in off-reservation communities. One of the issues we debated was why they weren't working for their tribe's government.

They feel that unless our leaders revise the minimum qualifications for council delegates, the president, vice president and the speaker, growth and development needs for Navajo people may never be addressed. This seems to be the main reason they seek employment elsewhere.

These young professionals are encouraged by the announcement that some level of reform is to start, but to them talk is cheap. They argue true reform will not occur unless we start electing people into office that are qualified and adequately trained.

Reform has been in discussion for years. "You must have the brain power behind any idea to make it work, the level of discussion between the president and the speaker is lacking this main point..."

Their outlook is the tribal government system should be a reflection of the people inside the system, and unless you change the leadership inside that system, the system never changes.

As well, they believe council delegates and tribal leaders must possess "academic qualifications" that would enable them to discuss developmental issues at the grassroots level and with outside corporate and government entities.

Several stressed the necessity that Dineh nation leaders must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree while qualification for the president, vice president and speaker should be set at a master's and higher levels.

In addition, leadership experience as an executive of a large organization both on and off the reservation (emphasis on high-level executive experience) should be a requirement.

They rationalized the current practice where every candidate is conversant in Navajo is eligible to stand as a leader was detrimental to Navajo's development as some fail to effectively represent the nation due to low levels of organizational leadership and executive management skills.

In its place, for starters, they demand, in addition to being fluent in both Navajo and English, elected leaders should be technologically literate and able to write and comprehend written language at a much higher level.

I agree with our young leaders. We must urge Navajo voters to revise the set minimum qualifications for chapter officials, council delegates, the speaker and the president and vice president.

Given the state of affairs under today's leadership, there is definitely a need to entice more well trained and experienced Navajo leaders to run the affairs of the nation. It is not that they are not available, we need to do a better job recruiting them to come work for the nation and place them in a more challenging and professional set-up.

Even with the condition our nation is in, these young Navajo leaders still feel optimistic that we have an opportunity to set the tone for Indian country development provided we ensure that leadership is enshrined in people with the necessary qualifications. As one put it, "Our No. 1 priority is a leadership change so we can get back to taking care of the people's business."

As suggested by our young leaders, the reform discussion between the president and speaker might appear as a good beginning, the main ingredient that is missing in my view is how we will attract more highly qualified Navajo leaders to take on roles of leadership in this critical effort facing our nation.

Unfortunately, the events we have seen so far are an excuse for someone who cannot get it done.

Wallace Hanley
Window Rock, Ariz.