Letters | Absent leadership, silent press
Absent leadership, silent press
Editor,
Another opening day of Navajo Nation Council quarterly session has taken place and another empty seat goes unfilled as Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren displays his lack of leadership and accountability to the Navajo people.
Alot is going on, not only in Washington, but in Window Rock right now. Much of it ultimately is in the hands of public servants both elected and career officials. As they react to the various issues being dealt in politics and by public demand – whether they be public health closures or budgetary shutdowns – these individuals face plenty of scrutiny in the realm of public opinion.
As old school tribal government functions try to manage modern issues, our systems rely on leaders to be present and attentive to matters as they come. Among other things, those leaders are expected to be knowledgeable about their work and plans to bridge the ever-growing gap between problem and solution. Career politicians both elected or appointed should be prepared to possess the ability to carry out fundamental duties that they simply cannot shirk.
Elected public leaders must speak truth to power. They have a solemn responsibility to give their constituents and communities their best effort, to carry out the various points of their campaign platform. At the very minimum to be present in the times and spaces where open lines of communication take place. They take an oath to do so. And that’s the problem with tribal campaigns and follow through from our elected leaders like President Buu Nygren. The question for all parts of our society is how do we hold a novice like then candidate Nygren to be an elected and accountable president?
It is widely understood in academia focused on public administration and communication disciplines that journalism is the invisible and de facto fourth branch of the three branch government systems. Journalism serves as the watchdog, present to oversee the actions and business of the three branches in making a transparent and fair government that serves all the people. Independent journalism provides everyday people with the necessary information they need to make informed decisions about policies that directly impact their lives.
This type of media impact ensures that political leaders are held accountable, and it also serves as a check on the people and institutions in power. While the Navajo Nation is provided some journalistic coverage through the Navajo Times, an enterprise of the tribe, the coverage of politics is soft and quite honestly weak. Buu Nygren has had a terrible record of making himself available to respond directly to questions from his constituents.
As of today, he has been absent and failed to deliver. He has currently only delivered 3 complete state of the nation addresses made before quarterly sessions of Navajo Nation Council. Provided a partial statement, as he walked out in the middle of his address when council asked if Vice President, Richelle Montoya could be allowed some time. Spent $44K to host a separate address 90 miles away in Tuba City.
As of today, he has attended only 1 quarterly meeting of the Eastern Navajo Agency Council since he took office in January of 2023. In these sessions council and local chapter officials traditionally offer a time for questions that have been presented by council delegates, chapter officials, and other elected leaders on behalf of constituents. Questions regarding the prioritization of purchasing new triple vehicles for executive directors, the overall misconduct of leadership as far as sexual harassment in the workplace for tribal officials, the lack of transparency in the development of federal programs such as the Navajo state small business credit initiative are just some of the many Issues, we hear nothing about within the Navajo Times.
As an independent, nonpartisan, fact-based news organization, The Navajo Times should offer voters throughout the Navajo Nation the information needed in order to be an informed and educated population. However, the news delivered by the times is often more focused on school sports and rodeo activities. The Navajo Times has played a unique and fundamental role in our Navajo democracy for the last five or so decades. With coverage of the formation of our government three branch system, to the MacDonald/Zah era, removal of Hale, coverage of Shirley/Deschene election circus, to Lovejoy losses, the Times has been a space to educate, inform, and empower Navajo voters.
President Buu Nygren was elected to office based on his fresh takes on public policy but has quickly shown that this novice and ultimately amateur approach to governing is not working for the people. He has failed to show he can govern by not showing up for meetings and avoiding situations where he is required to provide an adequate response. Former chief of staff Patrick Sandoval has been known to take the approach of “fake it until you make it” with our president.
Outside the Navajo Nation, news organizations push elected leaders to speak.
We presently don’t have such representation in our journalistic branch of government. Questions that do come in from our outside news outlets are soft in content and fail to break the membrane of tribal politics. I encourage and invite our outside news outlets to come to the Navajo Nation and help break stories that need to be investigated. Our council leaders and chapter officials are limited by laws and public opinion. However, reporters have the ability to step outside those conventions that foster corruption and inhibit truth telling.
Like many of those I graduated with in the UNM School of Journalism and Communication, I have been aware of the profound impact journalism can have on people, institutions, and nations. As a graduate of UNM School of Public Administration, I know that the two disciplines need one another in order to prosper. We can only benefit from supporting strong and independent journalism. Without doing so allows corruption and all bad government activities to continue and succeed.
Let’s press our Navajo Times and other local news organizations to cover our government leaders more. I say this as a New Mexican and member of my tribal nation in hopes to have a prosperous and accountable government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Douglas W. Capitan
Crownpoint, N.M.
Call for ‘true’ change
Editor,
The earth is in great shape, it can handle change. In fact, it thrives on change. Humans, on the other hand, are not only pathetic, we are, as a race, disgusting. We have become so addicted to that drug called money that we cast aside our true spiritual senses. We have lost all desire for true freedom. All we want is money, however one side of the political machine or the other can get it to us. Of course that is how we are controlled.
Taking a thought from John Trudell, never ever trust the one that wants to be your leader, they are doing it for themselves. Our current society is starting to fracture, just the same as past societies. Since we can no longer handle change it will not go well.
The question is, who will survive. It is time to start the generational process of true change. Otherwise, if history is an indicator, the new system or society will be much more oppressive than the present.
Keeping on the path humans are now on will result in us destroying ourselves or Great Mother Earth sweeping us aside. We must regain our true spiritual selves. This is how we survive.
Where are those elders that have the knowledge and understanding to plot the course forward? Where are those young who see this sick society and want a better life for themselves and future generations?
It is time we gather and work together for a better and more sustainable way of life.
Bill Tanner
Brookport, Ill.
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow