Letters: Cyber-bullying law appreciated

I’m thrilled that cyber-bullying was criminalized on the Navajo Nation, according to a bill that our President Russell Begaye has signed into legislation. Ahéhee’ láa!

From 2006 to 2014, I experienced harassment and unwanted contact by an obsessive ex-boyfriend. He was considered quiet or shy, but being a naive high school student, I was not aware his behavior was alarmingly possessive. It was noted by educators and he was given a stern reprimand. They lectured me to beware. I’m grateful to them now. They called it out.

I didn’t know he had misbehaved toward my classmates. A former classmate recalled that his pattern of behavior was “creepy.” She explained to me that he’d texted her disturbing, depressing and overtly personal messages on her phone. Scared, she deleted them. She and her friends experienced unwanted romantic advances from him before and after high school graduation.

They repeatedly rejected them. Where were the teachers in all of this? There is a low likelihood that our educators knew. We were likely shy about this issue and had decided to keep it to ourselves. Maybe as teens, we didn’t see it as an issue that warranted intervention. We typically move on with our lives after graduation. Not my ex. He told me that he wanted me to get pregnant for him. At 18, I vehemently disagreed. His revelation rendered me shocked. I left to the university feeling burdened by these unforeseen expectations. I hadn’t begun my own life.

I grew apart from him and in response he spammed me with insecure, angry messages and name-calling. He manipulated his mother into harassing me with a phone call, lying that I’d “cheated” on him with a college dude. She yelled angrily at me, not knowing my story. This was harsh for me to overcome when I was far from family.

My ex soon began emailing my sister and my old friends with his resentful sob stories. He phoned my dad to tell him I was a “brat,” which my dad sadly refuses to discuss because “nothing good will come of it, yazhi.” My sister, being upfront, said, “Please tell him to quit flirting with me.” The spiteful sob story emails continued. He wasn’t considered a cyber-bully or harasser by anyone. Not even my parents, who thought problems would dissipate. Nobody understood what it felt like to be contacted for eight long years by an obsessive ex whom I wished would vanish.

After my college graduation, he emailed me to say he broke his foot at work and was feeling lonely. With zero sympathy, I hit the block button. I felt powerless that there wasn’t a tribal law on cyber-bullying or harassment. I was paranoid on shopping trips. He’s six feet, two inches and 250 pounds. I’m five-foot-three.

Once, when we crossed paths in Gallup, I ran. He quickly followed me. I hid in my car with the seat reclined. His last attempt to contact me was about my sister’s untimely death in 2014. He wished me condolences, but due to the harassment and obsessive, unwanted contact that reached me through family and friends, this was most unwelcome. It angered me.

Later, I observed cyber-bullying and harassment firsthand as a teacher. It’s an insidious and difficult issue and I’m ecstatic about the new bill. If you feel harassed by anyone, keep all messages and voicemails. Take screenshots and document bullying behavior. Call the authorities if you feel unsafe. To families and friends who observe stalking or harassment I say support, instead of shame, the victims.

Christy Hanson
Redmond, Wash.

Let’s keep what we already have

The Navajo Nation leadership needs to do what it can to keep its good paying jobs for the benefit of the Navajo working family. The Navajo worker is an important contributor to their family.

Their contributions provide value, stability, confidence and opportunity. Our kids feed off their parent’s success and are given a better chance to succeed. I think many of us can agree that if a family unit has the financial security to stand on their own then their chances of success are increased. That leads to more opportunities for the family members. The Kayenta Mine and Navajo Generating Station have over 800 good paying jobs. That’s 800 families and extended families that have a chance to build a better quality of life. Additionally, the Kayenta Mine injects more than $400 million annually into the economies of Arizona, New Mexico and Navajo Nation. Furthermore, NGS and Kayenta Mine provide 22 percent of the Navajo Nation’s budget and 85 percent of the Hopi tribal budget.

While there are naysayers out there that say it’s OK to close those facilities, I have a different perspective. I have a more positive perspective. My leaders, there is an opportunity to keep those jobs and to keep the revenues flowing into the economies of the Navajo Nation, Arizona and New Mexico. The Navajo worker that has a good-paying job wants to keep it.

I’m sure if given the choice of traveling and leaving the family at home for a job or having a job that keeps you close to home at the same rate of pay then I imagine they would choose the work that is close to home. This keeps families together. Let’s not forget that finding a new job is tough and the expenses of moving a family are costly. In most cases, the family doesn’t move, the head of the household does. The reality is that finding a job in this region at the same pay rate while close to home is very slim. The naysayers say that the Permanent Trust Fund is there to access if NGS and Kayenta Mine close.

Might I remind them that in 2017 the Navajo voters rejected access into the trust fund for road improvements for the entire Navajo Nation. This was not for one specific region of the Navajo Nation like NGS or Kayenta Mine, but for roads throughout the entire Navajo Nation. In addition, the Navajo Nation Council recently convened for a special session to consider all the supplemental resolutions. There were over $64 million in supplemental requests that range from Navajo Nation programs to power-line extensions, education, veterans and businesses. At the end of the day, the Council approved $17 million worth of requests.

That left $47 million in resolutions from Navajo people still in need of improvements or assistance. What will happen to those supplemental requests for Navajo communities when the Navajo Nation loses 22 percent of its budget? No thanks, I’ll take the opportunity to keep over 800 jobs for the Navajo Nation because those jobs already exist and encourage my Navajo leaders to use the revenue from coal to create more jobs. That makes more sense than losing 800 jobs and over $400 million annually.

Let’s not gamble. We know what we have! My leaders, don’t let the negative comments stand in your way to making this a better Navajo Nation. I believe in you. I believe you can see the wisdom of keeping good-paying jobs for our Navajo workers and their families. Let’s give our kids a better opportunity to use the education and experience they have earned.

Jarvis Williams
Kayenta, Ariz.

Ranchers paying for BIA misstep

At the Feb. 15, 2018, Fort Defiance Agency Grazing Committee meeting, BIA Regional reps made a National Environmental Policy Act presentation to the committee. Issue was about grazing permittees whose permits have been put on hold by BIA. BIA tells them NEPA policy is the cause. This is doola bi chaan, folks. BIA Navajo is the cause.

The NEPA webpage states the act enacted by Congress in 1969 was to ensure all federal agencies give proper consideration to protecting the environment prior to undertaking federal action that significantly affects the environment. NEPA process begins when a federal agency develops a proposal to take federal action.

These actions are defined in the federal code. The law requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of their actions prior to making decisions. NEPA was enacted to ensure that information on environmental impacts of any federally funded action are available to public officials and citizens before decisions are made and before actions are applied. My comments: The law says all federal agencies. Seems BIA Navajo Region excluded itself in 1969.

Why is BIA just now enforcing a 1969 congressional action telling people of reasons for hold-up of permits? Non-compliance with its federal trust responsibility is the answer. Its non-compliance results in BIA telling us now piles of permits are not approved until NEPA policy is met. NEPA mentions the federal code. Did BIA Navajo Region develop a proposal soon after 1969 to ensure NEPA policies are met before taking action on grazing and land permit? The answer is no. Otherwise why are we faced with today’s issue of permits being withheld?

Until recently, no reference was made to such policy in its internal BIA Navajo Region manual or written on people’s permits upon approval. Examples of BIA Navajo failure: Many approvals made of home-site leases less than a half-mile from water sources, which is violation of the federal code in the Navajo grazing regulation. Home-sites and public roads approved in flood plains and in erodible drainages. Grazing permit transfer approvals made without field investigation to determine possible environmental impacts.

Despite employing range specialists with degrees, BIA requires everyday sheepherders to develop their own range conservation plans. Do ranchers and sheepherders have technical skills and knowledge to write about environmental impacts? As federal trustee BIA is responsible for addressing impacts to our environment. NEPA law says environmental impacts of any federally funded action are to be made available to public officials and citizens before decisions are made. Approval of grazing permits, land permits, RMUs and public road maintenance are federally funded actions. BIA agencies and region top administrators never shared information of possible environmental impacts before decisions are made for approval and before actions are applied.

When asked, they just point to the grazing committees, land boards, chapter officials, etc. Definitely a federal trust responsibility failure. These are not my personal thoughts, speculation, or complaint. Google NEPA on the Internet to see the truth. It’s word for word. BIA is welcome to share disagreement.

Nels Roanhorse
Oakridge, Ariz.

Join me in fast for Bears Ears

My name is Mike Raccoon Eyes Kinney. I am a Native man who lives here in the San Francisco Bay Area in the city of Richmond.

I am the San Francisco Bay Area delegate to the Inter-Tribal Council of California and chairperson of the California Chapter of the United Urban Warriors Society.

Both agencies are dedicated to the advancement of our Native people and more human and civil rights for our Native people. As a Native advocate, I am now on the fourth day of a monthlong fast for our five Native nations and our allies to save, protect and preserve Bears Ears National Monument against the proposed eco-rape by the so-called “Trump Administration.” I do daily ceremony, sings and prayer to the Creator for daily spiritual guidance.

Please come and join me in my fast for Bears Ears National Monument. As I have stated on Facebook my goal is: “I will be fasting all this month in support of the Native movement to save and preserve the sacred Bears Ears National Monument from eco-rape by the Trump administration. I will be fasting from Monday, Feb. 12, to Wednesday, March 19.

Come to this event to support the fast, but come join me here and fast with me.” I have been doing ceremonial singing and extensive prayer to Creator for guidance daily. I have a number of friends and well-wishers drop by to support my fasting for Bears Ears National Monument.

Prayers of support would be very welcomed. One of my friends in Chinle suggested I write you to see if you might share in the Navajo Times that I am doing the monthlong fast. President Begaye’s executive has been advised as well.

Mike Raccoon Eyes Kinney
Richmond, Calif.

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