Guest Column | We make democracy stronger

By Peterson Zah

I’m a long-time voter in Apache County. I’ve had the fortune to serve the Navajo Nation for several years and know the challenges of making sure everyone is heard at the tribal, state, and federal level.

At the end of the day, we have to work as one.

I’m concerned about the Arizona redistricting process because it is unfair to Native voters. Since we won the right to vote we have been encouraged to be responsible citizens.

We’ve told our people one of the most important things is to exercise their right to vote not only once, but throughout their lives. This is how we encourage our people to enhance our own capability to learn as much as possible and to take part in democracy.

The basis of our democracy is giving every person the right to vote and participating is essential. The Navajo people learned this and for many years we’ve come out and voted.

We are a strong voting bloc. We also take the lead in many policies and political discussions because we are the largest tribal nation in the country with the largest land base that encompasses Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

This current form of democracy and representation that we use today came from our white brothers and sisters. Their philosophy of governance was initially created to serve them.

Now that we have more Navajos, other tribes, Black, Hispanic and Asian relatives voting, this doesn’t sit well with them. It appears that they have changed their attitude so that the minority population won’t be given the full rights of citizenship or be equally represented.

It is similar to the system used in South Africa many years back with apartheid. Is that where the Republican Party and many others want to put this country?

As a grandpa I want a democracy that represents all and teaches this lesson to our grandchildren. All tribal nations had various forms of self-governance, representation, and democracy long before our white brothers and sisters came to this country. We made it stronger and more viable.

So my wish now is to keep working at our democratic institutions to make it stronger, better, and to fully embrace these concepts so that we are stable and not become a country that changes their government at every whim without holding true to equal and fair representation for all.

I ask the Arizona Redistricting Commission to support the Navajo Nation congressional maps and also give my support to the Coconino County Board of Supervisor legislative maps.

It makes everyone accountable to our state and nation.

Peterson Zah is former chairman and president of the Navajo Nation.

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