Letters | If reports are true, tribal legal authorities need to take action

If reports are true, tribal legal authorities need to take action

Editor,
Journalism is currently in the midst of an identity crisis in America. The original purpose of journalism in America was to inform the populace of current foreign and domestic events. The reported events were to keep the populace educated and to help them understand the complexities undertaking the local, state, and federal government.

This constitutional right had produced a long line of journalistic integrity, of always using verified sources and reporting on issues that have gone through legal avenues. However, modern day journalism is slowly devolving to party lines and supporting large donors’ interests.

I and many other Navajo citizens are appalled with the recent unverified reports of the Nygren-Montoya Administration. This is supposed to be the Navajo Times, a well-respected news organization that keeps the Nation informed. Unfortunately, with these recent reports of he said she said, it’s become Jiní News. This is not a tabloid newspaper/pamphlet, this is the Navajo Times.

If these said reports are true, then the formal processes should be honored and followed. If there is reckless spending or a “toxic” workplace then all these complaints should go through the appropriate authorities to be investigated. If these authorities are “underfunded and unmanned” as many are indicating, then this should be fixed immediately.

As a Nation, we should not settle for a lackluster office of regulation. Get individuals in there to investigate these claims. Put it on the fast track so the public can be informed on what is going on, at the very least so we can have basic accountability instead of office gossip.

We just got part VI of these unverified stories and it doesn’t look like this will be stopping anytime soon. Hopefully this doesn’t turn into the Fast and Furious Sage or the popular WOW CDs of the 2000’s, or else we are going to be here for a long time. The populace would appreciate hearing actual evidence presented in a legal proceeding or a Navajo Nation Council proceeding. There needs to be a stop to mainstream Jiní news.

I know these stories sell, I’ve purchased the latest issues because of this drama, but enough is enough. These stories are all unverified and once we see actual evidence then we can make up our minds. At this point, it just seems like hit pieces and hurt feelings. Those with hurt feelings, be professional and get over it. If you really were let go because of unethical practices, take legal action against the president’s office. Until then, it’s all jiní news.

Brett C. Clark
Fourth-year medical student at University of Arizona – Phoenix
Page, Ariz.

The world behind the hills and mountains

Editor,
Going to school and learning to read and write the ABC’s and 1-2-3’s was very hard and confusing. The English language is very difficult to learn when it’s your second language. I come from the hardcore Navajo way of life. My main primary language that I grew up with is the Navajo (Diné) language.

I was taken to Dennehotso Boarding School when I was six years old by a gray government vehicle (gray bucket). I started school as a beginner and did not know what “1-2-3’s…A, B, C’s” were. The English language does not stick with the simple rule that’s taught. I was told, as an example, when you talk or write about a noun (a place, person, or thing), to make it plural, you just simply add “s” like boy becomes boys and girl becomes girls. But when a noun ends with a “y” to make it plural, you have to drop the “y” and add “ies”. Example: Baby becomes babies, sky becomes skies, and in other nouns to make it plural you add “es” like box becomes boxes, class becomes classes, dish becomes dishes, and so on.

For me, it took a very long time to learn the rules that turn nouns into plural nouns correctly. It was very confusing and complicated trying to understand the English language.

I had the same problem with number writing from 13 to 19. In grade school from beginner to 3rd grade, it took me sometime to understand the “teen” numbers. I always thought the second number came first like the way it actually sounds. For example, 13 is written as 31, 14 as 41, and 15 as 51. The teacher used to get fussy with me saying, “What’s wrong with your head? No, no, no. The teen numbers, writing them down, the one always will come first, remember that.”

It took me awhile to get it straight and I still feel funny to this day about how the “teen” numbers are written.

I started going to Kayenta Public School when I reached 5th grade. The classroom setting there was no different. The teachers were forever trying their best for us to follow their directions to learning daily lessons. Reading and writing were very complex and extremely hard to understand what we were supposed to learn in all the different subjects. We always had homework and worksheets to do on different class subjects.

Again, it was very hard to do school work. There was nobody to help me out with doing the homework after school. All of my older brothers and sisters were going to off-reservation BIA schools such as Intermountain Indian School, Phoenix Indian School and Albuquerque Indian School.

I used to be home most of the time with my late parents. They never had any schooling and didn’t know how to read or write. I had nobody at home to help me with my school work and as soon as it got dark in the evening in the hogan, a kerosene lamp would be lit. The light inside wouldn’t give out enough to be able to read anything. The only way to do my homework was to lay down on my stomach in front of the lamp to allow enough light to see better. Then about 7 or 8 p.m., my dad would get up and blow out the kerosene lamp. It would get pitch black inside and he would say, “It’s time to go to sleep. You always do paperwork. You can finish it at school tomorrow.”

The very next day, my teacher would always have a fit with me when I told her what happened and why I didn’t finish my homework. She had me stay inside to finish my unfinished homework during recess hours or not attend other school activities.

I used to get up every day at 4 a.m. to build a fire to warm up water and to wash up for school. It was about a 3-mile walk to the bus stop at Dennehotso Trading Post, which is the only place it stopped every day Monday through Friday. We had to cross the Laguna Wash that runs through the community on school days, which meant taking off your shoes to cross the icy water every day. At times the wash would get knee-high deep during the rainy season. Now, the bus goes out to almost every home for school pick-ups.

Nowadays, school kids are fluent with English speaking. They can talk non-stop hearing them say, “Blah, blah, blah” just like a Bilagáana, talking away and half of the time you don’t catch what they’re talking about. The school kids sure do speak the English language well, but at times, don’t know how to put words together to make complete sentences.

Some of my older siblings used to get on my case when I was enjoying the summer vacation herding sheep or horseback riding every day chasing around cattle. One of my older sisters used to lecture me saying, “You all should be doing something like go to work somewhere or go to summer school. Don’t hang around at home and look at our parents’ eyes for getting things from them, they’re old. Go see what’s behind the hills and mountains, see the world out there. Don’t just freeload here at home. Learn to be independent.”

I’ve heard this more than once, it used to bother me big time and in the back of my mind I started thinking about signing up for the Upward Bound Program at Southern Utah State College in Cedar City, Utah. This was a thought when I was still in high school. Then from there in 11th grade at Monument Valley High School, I took up Spanish I and II as elective courses. In Spanish II, we took a class trip to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico. Afterwards, I attended some college and ended up going to the University of Arizona.

I had to put the schooling aside when I ran out of money. I then enlisted into the military. I served in the U.S. Army and toured overseas in Germany. The unit I joined was 4/73rd Armor, 1st Infantry Division Forward, the “Big Red One”.

I was able to see the world behind the hills and mountains like I was told before and received a good education. I always look back and think, I went to BIA boarding schools, a government program. I worked for the federal government, I’m a retiree, and served in the military, all of which were run by the federal government. The U.S. government helped me to get my education, it gave me a job and helped me serve and protect our Diné people.

Shi Dine’é, Ahxéhee’ for reading my letter.

Dan Todachine
Mariano Lake, N.M.

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