Letters

For quite some time, I have worked extensively with schools serving Indian students across the U.S., focusing on their education. Throughout this period, the linguistic and cultural landscape of tribal communities has diversified amid resource scarcity. Additionally, this landscape has become more political and, lately, less thoughtful, with federal policies significantly affecting the availability of programs, their funding, and the allocation of support.

The Trump Administration announced it will transfer more than a dozen Department of Education programs to the Departments of Interior and Labor as part of its plan to dismantle or wind down the Department of Education. The particular programs of concern to the Native community support elementary, high school, and post-secondary students and institutions. The administration also intends to transfer other education programs to the departments of health and human services and state.

The turmoil now happening in Window Rock has been brewing for months as evidenced by reports in the Navajo Times. This turmoil must stop before it gets worse.

This past weekend, although it was very windy, I took a chance to take the Low Mountain Road to shorten driving time to the Shiprock fair. All summer long, I would come from the west into First Mesa and see the dust covering the entire valley from Low Mountain. This dust is caused by vehicles transporting people to work and school. I was not surprised to encounter the number of vehicles that day also on the 13-mile stretch of dirt road.