Letters: Fort Wingate residents need to be put first

I would like to express my total dissatisfaction with the way the Navajo Nation Council is handling the land situation at the old Fort Wingate Army Depot. The land should not be caught up in a crossfire with the Zuni Tribe.

I am originally from Iyanbito, N.M., and I vehemently disagree with the two narrow-minded maiis, Leonard Tsosie and Lorenzo Bates, for wanting to give up a large portion of the land to the Zuni Tribe. Their position is inhumane and will create another dilemma similar to the Joint Use Area (JUA) of 1974 in the heart of the Navajo land.

To simply put it, we as the Navajo people have seen way too much human suffering by our own people caused by the relocation that involved 10,000-plus people. The former residents from the Former Joint Use Area (FJUA) were negatively impacted which the current Navajo Nation Council does not understand or feel.

Does Mr. Tsosie and Mr. Bates expect a miracle from H.R 1028, sponsored by Republican Congressman Steve Pierce from New Mexico? Or do they expect gold nuggets to fill their pockets? They need to wise up and put the needs of the area residents first.

Historically, my maternal grandparents and children were living atop the hills about three miles north of the current Wingate High School in the 1920s prior to World War II. They were relocated to the northeast where Iyanbito is located.

My mother was born in the McGaffey area in 1924 and grew up in the Wingate area until they were relocated to build the army depot in exchange for employment. My late grandpa and uncle retired from there in the late 1950s. They were promised the land would be given back after the war.

The war ended some 80 years ago and the land is up for grabs and the Navajo Nation Council is impatiently waiting to get a piece of it just like they are now doing with the land buy back. It’s unfair and unacceptable to the families that were impacted by the relocation by department of defense in the 1940s.

I don’t recall my mother and grandparents ever mentioning the Zuni people were part of the relocation. So, why are they part of the land give away by Mr. Tsosie and Mr. Bates? These gentlemen ought to be ashamed of themselves and they need to keep out of our business.

In addition to the Collins family, the Murphy and Arviso families are well aware of land situation. They continue to live in the area directly north of the old army depot. I’m sure they disagree with Mr. Tsosie and Mr. Bates as well.

In light of the aforementioned, I would like to say the problems with the Former Joint Use Area, which resulted in the relocation of our people and was caused by two republicans from Arizona, former Congressman Sam Stieger and Senator Barry Goldwater.

The relocation caused a devastating division among the Navajo and Hopi people who were peaceful with each other prior to relocation. H.R. 1028 sponsored by another republican from New Mexico, Steve Pierce, is foreseen to cause the same devastation among the two tribes. The Zuni people are nice people and it should remain that way.

I would like to take this time to request President Russell Begaye to veto the legislation sponsored by the speaker of the Navajo Nation Council. Thank you.

Vern Charleston
Farmington, N.M.

‘Appalled’ that HEHSC did not approve BIE transfer of authority

To say we are appalled by the Health, Education and Human Services Committees to not approve the Dineh Nation’s plan to move forward the transfer of authority of the management of the BIE funded schools and place it under authority of the Dineh Nation is an understatement.

This decision by HEHSC is shortsighted, was recklessly handled, and certainly is not keeping the best interests of Navajo students in mind. The HEHSC Committee gave no thought to the consequences, jeopardizing the opportunity to improve BIE funded schools, opportunities for the Dineh Nation to exercise its authority to implement self-determination, as well as an opportunity to improve the structure of BIE school board accountability to do their jobs effectively and with good intentions. Their decision put the Dineh Nation’s education position in a precarious position, giving the Dineh Nation no direction or no plan on how to improve the staggering conditions of BIE funded schools, especially grant schools.

It is not rocket science to understand the deplorable conditions that have existed in grant schools, especially student performance primarily because of a major lack of accountability on the part of their school boards. Grant school boards are violating both tribal and BIE laws, and yet HEHSC members see this as of no concern?

It begs the question where do President Begaye and Vice President Nez stand in this horrible situation?

If they spend their time wisely and involved themselves in this appropriately rather than flying around the country posing for photos, both of them could take some responsibility to address a critical void regarding Navajo education.

Unfortunately, HEHSC reacted to a group of angry self-serving grant school board members, who through self-denial and avoiding the real questions of accepting accountability for their actions, it reacted to a few handful of self-serving grant school board members whose only interest is to protect their greediness to siphon Navajo student funds for their own use.

Why is it, though we know there are major problems with the BIE funded school situation, especially with grant school boards lack of accountability, but members of the Dineh Nation Council seemed unable to take action to address this sad situation. We understand Navajo politics, but for the HEHSC to have a knee-jerk reaction like this and no leadership coming from President Begaye and Vice President Nez, makes no sense.

Wallace Hanley
Window Rock, Ariz.

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