Letters: Future of our grandchildren is at stake

Future of our grandchildren is at stake

Editor,
The discussion on energy development, the bizness of extracting ‘natural resources’ to make revenue and jobs or keeping it in the ground is a hard disagreement. The pro-development reason is simple to understand, we have seen it and lived it for 100 years. Looking back, the Navajo Tribe ‘benefitted’ with millions of dollars, while outside corporate interests profited billions. Were we taken advantage of? Definitely.

The position to keep it in the ground needs to be clearly understood. The original condition of the natural world is dying; common sense and scientific evidence say extractive energy is a main cause of the climate crisis. The desperate scramble to slow down or stop the exponentially escalating damage to the Earth Mother is beaten down by the power of corporate greed and perceived government need.

Navajo Nation leadership has talked about transitioning to clean energy, but it always slides back into the same rut of needing more revenue to feed the top-heavy government. Visionary leadership is needed to make hard decisions to downsize government bureaucracy. Decentralize the government; localized authority, localized finance/budget/legal expertise would best serve the people and the land. We have home grown talent and experience for communities/agencies to determine our own way. Either that or transition out of the colonialized system and start over.

We are in trouble, the earth is in trouble, people of knowledge say it is too late to alter the course of the climate crisis, that all we can do is get ready. The choice is do we continue contributing to the demise of the earth or do we work to rescue the future of our grandchildren. It is hurtful to imagine the extreme difficult conditions and harsh times our grandchildren will have to live. Will they blame us for helping to destroy their earth or will they remember us well and appreciate that we tried to assure them a comfortable survival.

Chili Yazzie
Shiprock

Purple Heart Medal recipients to be honored Nov. 11

Editor,
November 11 is the day Americans, including the Navajo Nation, honor their veterans of all armed forces for their services in securing “life, liberty, and pursuant of happiness” or simply “life of Hozho.”
The honors include all young men and women who lost their life in combat on foreign soil, and those who were wounded in combat inflicted by hostile enemies.

And let’s not forget those veterans who came home without physical wounds or scars. Veterans who served state side made needed and necessary contributions to freedom as well.

The role of Navajo young men and women in protecting their land, people, and the way of life is not a role learned from other societies. It is “life” to the Navajo society. They are fundamental values worth dying for. Land provides food, medicine, water, and our people are the stewards and trustee of the precious homeland.

One needs the other to co-exist harmoniously. If Mother Earth is affected adversely, Navajos’ immediate reaction is to subdue the problem and bring it back into the state of “Hozho.”

In prior days, (‘alk’i daa’), other hostile Indian tribes and Spaniards, Mexicans, and later the American settlers (‘a nai), came on Navajo land for hostile reasons to control and use our land in ways adverse to Navajo traditional uses. The Navajo people, for as long as can be memorialized, had a way of protecting our homeland, people, and our way of life. Navajo people lived in loose decentralized communities but came together in time of need, emergencies, and any time we were threatened.

In prior days, (‘alk’i daa’) Navajo had brave young men and even young women who were disciplined and taught their many duties and responsibilities in life, including protecting our way of life. They were trained, ready and willing to fight for those things. Hashke’e’ji naa ta’a’h were their warrior name and responsibility.

Many young men lost their lives fighting (‘ana’i’), from other tribes and societies. How many and who they were was never recorded and we will never know. The American terminated the traditional role of the Navajo (Haske’e’ji naa ta’a’h) at the signing of the Treaty of 1868.

In Article I of the Treaty, the parties agreed that bad men among the Indian and bad men among the white will be turned over to the Indian agent, meaning the Navajo cannot respond to hostile attacks from other Indian tribes with arms and instead report those events to the Indian agent in charge in Navajo land.

The same with bad American men among the Navajos. I suppose the role of directly defending our land and people with arms was given away. Despite that, the United States called for our young men and women to pick up arms and fight the enemies in World War I. Many young Navajo men and women helped the United States government without hesitation in that war. The same thing happened in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Today there are many young Navajo men and women in the armed forces who are trained, ready, and willing to fight for liberty, life, and the pursuit of happiness. If war should erupt anywhere in the world threatening the American way of life, these young Navajo men and women will be among the first deployed. America can count on them to fight, subdue, and eradicate the enemies.

We will be celebrating Veterans Day, in honor of all armed forces veterans, on Saturday, Nov. 11. We will honor them for their contribution to the freedom of the United States of America. The Navajos also honor Navajo Code Talkers with various events. They have a special day designated as Navajo Code Talkers Day, a well-deserved honor.

Among Navajo veterans we have many Purple Heart Medal recipients who have been wounded, some worse than others. These are the veterans who sacrificed their body in the face of the enemies in combat. The United States has honored these veterans with a Purple Heart Medal for their sacrifices.

A group of veterans who have received the Purple Heart Medals are holding a dinner, in honor of these wounded combat veterans, on Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Quality Inn restaurant in Window Rock at noon.

If you are a Purple Heart recipient (evident by your DD214) we invite you to attend with your spouse.To determine the number of meals, please call or text Mr. Tom Tso at 505-567-4053 or email teehtee72@gmail.com. Ahe’hee’.

Tom Tso
Wheatfields, Ariz.

Swedish visitor looking for couple

Editor,
My name is Jacob and I live in Sweden. I visited Mexican Water (more than a month ago) on a motorbike and there I met 2 people. I am searching for them because I got a gift from her. Her name was Susan. We met at the gas-station Sinclair. I (have) a picture of her and the husband I was talking to. Hoping to find them.

Wish all the best.

My Email is jacobasen@hotmail.se
Jacob Åsén
Snorresvag 53
832 55 Ostersund
Sweden
0046-706959089

Jacob Åsén
Östersund, Sweden

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