Bridging the racial divide

 

I t's taken 33 years, but the city of Farmington now has a commission to address race relations and it's hit the ground running.

Chairman David John, 58, a former Navajo Nation Council delegate, said Monday that the Farmington Community Relations Commission has invited more than a hundred local business people to meet with the Better Business Bureau today, Nov. 20, starting at 4 p.m. in the council chambers at Farmington City Hall.

In a Nov. 12 letter to business owners, the commission explained that the meeting is "to discuss customer service and bridging cultural differences."

"We would like to help ensure that claims of unfair treatment or even discrimination during this busy holiday shopping time are minimized for your business," the letter stated.

In 1975, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights' advisory committee for New Mexico made several recommendations to Farmington to improve on "the injustice and maltreatment" that Native Americans suffer in the areas of "community attitudes, the administration of justice, provisions of health and medical services, alcohol abuse and alcoholism, employment, and economic development on the Navajo Reservation."

One of the recommendations, which were published in "The Farmington Report - A Conflict of Cultures," was to establish a "human relations committee."

About three years ago, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights reiterated to the city that one solution to help resolve racial tensions is to create "an official human relations commission."

The 2005 recommendation appears in "The Farmington Report: Civil Rights for Native Americans 30 Years Later," which credited local leaders for promoting positive relationships with Native Americans and the Navajo Nation and singled out Farmington Mayor Bill Standley's influence.

The 2005 follow-up report recalled that the first time the New Mexico advisory committee held hearings in Farmington was in 1974 following the mutilation murders of three Navajo men. A year later, the committee released its report, which stated "local officials had failed to assume active leadership for community relations."

The push for a local committee to address human rights was rekindled in 2006 when Clint John, 21, was fatally shot by an Anglo Farmington city police officer. A week before the shooting, three young Anglo men abducted and beat William Blackie, 46, a Navajo, apparently for sport.

Four months ago, the city council finally acted and created the Farmington Community Relations Commission and appointed John, no relation to Clint John, to head it.

The purpose of the commission "shall be to set standards for positive community relations dealing with cultural diversity, fairness, integrity and respect to all people.

"The commission will encourage and promote mutual self-respect and understanding of each other by all citizens, and groups in the city. The commission will function with integrity, fairness and respect for all."

John, who has operated businesses in Farmington for 30 years, said as soon as his panel was set up, the chamber of commerce handed over numerous complaints it had received from Native people alleging racist and discriminatory treatment by local businesses.

John said the commission already has successfully resolved one complaint, raised at last month's meeting by James Mochamp, a Sioux Indian and veteran. Mochamps complained that the contractor he'd hired to build his home, Presidential Construction Co., had not corrected construction problems and that his efforts to get help from the chamber of commerce and city council had been fruitless.

John said the commission contacted the construction company, which agreed to have the commission act as mediator even though the dispute with Mochamp was on the verge of legal action.

He said it took a lot of time to work out an acceptable agreement between both sides, in which both were "stubborn," but the commission accomplished it.

John, who was re-elected vice president of Mexican Water Chapter, said he and the commission hope today's meeting with city and county businesses and the Better Business Bureau will result in a win-win situation for everyone.

The holiday season is almost here and the commission wants a good shopping experience for customers, profitable sales for businesses, and goodwill between the city and its neighbors, he said.

The Farmington Community Relations Commission consists of John, who is originally from Shonto, Ariz.; chairwoman pro-tem Karen Bayless of Farmington; Art Allison, a Navajo Agriculture Products Industry staff assistant and former director of the Navajo Nation's Division of Economic Development; Eugene Baker, Totah Baptist Church pastor; Kristin Joe, a San Juan College student; Catalina Liles, vice president of Esperanza para Los Hispanos (Hope for Hispanics); Francis Mitchell, a Navajo medicine man; Randy Joslin, pastor of the Trinity Assembly of God; and Emeterio Rudolfo, a lawyer.

Ex-officio members are Joyce Donald, Marlene Sandoval and Melissa Charlie.

The commission meets the first Monday of each month at 4 p.m. at the Farmington Civic Center (200 W. Arrington St.). Special meetings are held on an as-needed basis.

Information: 505-599-8442 or crc@fmtn.org.

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