Letters: Don’t see ‘a new dawn leadership’

It’s been four months since Navajo voters elected a new administration and several new delegates, signaling an apparent desire for change in Window Rock. Since taking office, the new leaders have been unconvincing to bring truth to one of their campaign promises “we will hit the ground running”.

The only thing that is becoming obvious is we’re seeing why he was easily beaten in the primary by Joe Shirley and Chris Deschene and he barely prevailed over Don Benally.

Both President Begaye and Vice President Nez seem to enjoy attending functions and events throughout the country, including the nation’s capital, but it does not appear any of these are resulting in more jobs or improving the efficiency of our government. It is surely not a demonstration of “a new dawn leadership”, but a replay of the type of leadership that got the Navajo Nation into a phase it is struggling to get out of.

President Begaye promised he would bring a business-like perspective to his leadership. I think Navajo voters would very much like to see some of that business-like strategic planning be put to use. Everything can’t be a priority. Across-the-board budget cuts are not strategic. You need to make choices. Navajo voters can help you frame better choices. No doubt you must provide leadership to clear away barriers to performance. Only you can remove the structural barriers, but you must take the time to clearly understand the day-to-day operations which you nor Vice President Nez have shown you are willing to do.

As a business-minded leader, my expectation is you would meet all of your division heads to understand their needs and their projects as well as getting your mind around the parts of day-to-day operations to help you draft a strategic plan to bring major reforms to our tribal government structure. I like the quality of the division heads selected, now make use of their expertise and tell them the results you want to accomplish, give them parameters, and then don’t let the Council micromanage them. Listening too much to people from the ages will not get the results Navajo voters are eager to see, make use of the new technical expertise you’ve lined up and listen to them for achieving results.

We all agree that governments should be focused on results. It can and will be used against you: we get that. But either you’ve committed to results or you aren’t. Better results will validate your work and build trust with Navajo voters.

Wallace Hanley
Window Rock, Ariz.

We need strong, dedicated people working on behalf of Navajo

I want to first, express my deepest appreciation to the president and Attorney General Ethel Branch for standing up to EPA and Triple S Tracking Company and halting the use of contaminated tanks and water to those communities along the San Juan River.

The same appreciation also goes to Joe Ben and Chili Yazzie. What they did is exemplary of true leadership. They rolled up their sleeves and put their hands into the holding tanks to prove a point.

Much blame is put on EPA, however, it’s not entirely their fault, and the Navajo Nation Council in exercising their water sovereignty enacted the Navajo Nation Water Code in 1984, and placed it under Title 22. Section 1402 declares “It shall be the duty of the Director of the Division of Natural Resources to insure compliance with this Code, and with the conditions of all permits regulations and other actions taken under this Code, as well as the policies expressed throughout the Code.”

The Code’s first sentence declares its purpose is “to protect the health, the welfare and the economic security of the citizens of the Navajo Nation through regulation.”

The Water Code Administration is, according to law, directly supervised by the recently appointed DNR Director, Bidtah Becker. It was her job to see that the water hauled to those communities was properly permitted and that the tanks were acceptable. She and WCA failed to uphold the water policies and protect the health of the people, their livestock and their crops. According to reports, there were no permits issued or tank approvals done, no inspection. Here are some of the reasons why:
1. Ms. Becker apparently has little or no practical experience with water resources or other resources.

2. Najam Tariq, DWR’s livestock water manager for 25 years, illegally took over the WCA in 2011. In 2013, after repeated complaints about the illegality from Dr. Jack Utter, the Resources and Development Committee agreed and they and the Council took the WCA away from Najam Tariq and returned it to the DNR director.

3. When she took over DNR, Ms. Becker, against Council’s and RDC’s policies, gave the WCA back to Najam Tariq, indicating she don’t know anything about water. So, Najam Tariq and DWR Director, Ray Benally, also failed us.

Ms. Becker within weeks of her appointment has caused a major embarrassment to the president, which made headlines throughout the country. Her mistake and neglect of her duty has endangered the health of the people, their livestock and crops (food). Her neglect cannot be tolerated and I urge the president and the Council to take appropriate action and dismiss her, including those staff (Tariq) in the water department. We need protection and we need strong and dedicated people working in our best interest.

Percy Deal
Big Mountain, Ariz.

‘Proud of our youth’

Senator McCain’s visit on Aug. 14 concerned many of our youth and others who exercised our Navajo Bill of Rights’ assembly and free speech rights. I saw a video and news articles of the event. I felt very proud of our youth. They assembled and spoke, loudly, in protest of Sen. McCain’s visit and what went on behind the scenes.

McCain was supposedly here for Navajo Code Talkers Day at the veterans park, but he, Speaker Bates and other delegates left the event early and drove to the museum for talks on more waiving of water rights per a new Senate Bill, similar to the 2012 Little Colorado River SB-2109, leaving the veterans and relocating to the museum was an insult.

The energized youth, however, waited at the museum. So did the police. I was proud of the youth and the police. The youth, by protest, were defending all of us and future generations against more exploitation. They used our language in some of their protest to protect us and our rights — even though some did not speak Navajo. I learned they studied Navajo beforehand to exercise their free speech. Diné Bizaad was, once again, put to use to safeguard us. The officers kept the peace and protected property, people and our youths’ rights to free speech. I think we should all be proud.

The delegates who rudely left the code talkers got what they deserved; it was a fiasco for them at the museum. They were not there to talk “for” us.

According to Mr. Ed Becenti, it was already part of a plan by DOJ Lawyer Stanley Pollack, his Council supporters (like Lorenzo Bates, Leonard Tsosie and Davis Filfred), more DOJ lawyers, DNR Acting Director Bidtah Becker and the unfortunately disloyal Water Commission.

They are still violating our people’s human rights of free prior, and informed consent, exactly as the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission declared they were in a resolution issued on May 21, 2012.

At this past Saturday’s grassroots meeting, a friend reminded me of the first line of a 1936 Carl Sandburg poem, which read: “Who shall speak for the people?” I’m glad that on Friday at the museum it was our youth.

Somebody at the same meeting quoted two sentences from Thomas Jefferson. When the person read the first sentence I thought of all our leaders caught up in the McCain fiasco this time and in 2012, and who support Pollack as he steals our sovereignty right out from under us. When the person read the second Jefferson sentence, I thought of our old time leaders and 1868 Treaty negotiators Ganado Mucho, Barboncito and Manuelito. Here are the two sentences: “The sickly, weakly, timid man fears the people and (oppresses them). The healthy, strong and bold man cherishes the people (and is against tyranny).” This second sentence also made me think of our youth as they “spoke for the people” last Friday. We desperately need leaders who are like the second sentence.

Tulley Haswood
Rock Springs, N.M.

Prayers are with people affected by EPA’s ‘accident’

I am not a member of the Navajo Nation, but my family lives in Arizona, so I have studied the Navajo language and culture. I have also studied the history of other Native American people in the Four Corners area.

So I want to express my great sorrow about the heart-breaking EPA disaster in Colorado that sent toxic water into the lifeline rivers of your nation and the southwest. My prayers are with you and all of the people affected by this so-called accident.

Is there anything else that an ordinary person can do to help? Dine bikayah-di iyiisii hozhooni.

Cynthia L. Hallen
Springville, Utah

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