Letters: Kudos for BIA street workers

On Thursday, June 21, I received a call from my niece, Debra Yazzie, as I was leaving the Naataanii Nez restaurant on my way to my vehicle. She was not in Shiprock at the time (Navajo network), but she informed me that someone crashed into the guardrail and took it out.

When I got to back to my residence I noticed the guardrail laying on the side of the road and several of the guard posts were broken and pieces were laying on the ground. I spoke to the police officer who was at the site.

Later in the evening, I noticed a BIA employee separating the broken posts from the guardrail. Anderson Blatchford was working after hours.

I asked some questions, which he answered. I let him know that I will be at the office tomorrow to request a guardrail replacement and said that I hope to talk to his boss. He smiled and said he was the boss. Wow!

On June 22, between 5 a.m. and 5:20 a.m., BIA employees were loading the guardrail and guard posts. It was so rewarding to hear them laughing and talking while they did their job. They are my inspiration for the day.

Instead of going back to sleep, I made some coffee to start my day. They left before I made the coffee. It gives me pride that I am a former federal employee, a public servant, as these gentlemen are.

Kudos to these gentlemen. I hope that they get an outstanding rating for the job they performed. The road is well traveled, the old Jubilee Trail Road. The road was cleared to avoid any more accidents.

Thank you for your attention and consideration.

Nancy D. Todea
Shiprock, N.M.

Thank you for saving my life

Here in our small patriotic town, we have angels, heroes, and heroines that are worth honoring. These altruistic people go beyond their call of duty to help their fellow comrades. Today, I want to humbly acknowledge some of these people.

I would like to thank my friend, family, and the Gallup Indian Medical Center emergency staff for saving my life.

Tiffany, I thank you for rushing me to the hospital on time. Thank you, you are always my guardian angel.

Thank you, Melanie, for being by me through hard times.Thank you, Dr. Marilyn Begaye, for reviving me back to life.

Thank you, Gallup Indian Medical Center ER staff, for quickly recognizing my heart failure and for promptly administering the right medications, and administering the right dosage of medications at the right time that saved my life.

Thank you, Loveless Heart Hospital staff, for doing an outstanding job doing the follow-up care.

And, thank you, family members and friends, for your support and prayers that revived me back to life.

Outstanding job! You are all beautiful people. I salute you.

If it was not for the quick reaction from these heroic people, I could not have written this letter of acknowledgement.

Now that I have a second chance, I will continue to stand tall as a son, father, grandpa, brother, uncle, and a friend.

And, most importantly, I was home for Father’s Day — the best Father’s Day present I could ever have.

Thank you again. God bless you all. God bless America.

Samuel H. Sam
(Disabled veteran, U.S. Army)
Pinedale, N.M.

Some pointers to getting driver’s license

On June 18, the Independent wrote an article about Cindy Martin who was trying to get a New Mexico driver’s license that she jokingly stated, “It is more difficult than trying to shoot someone in the head.”

Cindy sought advice from a pro bono lawyer during the McKinley County free legal fair on June 15 at the McKinley Courthouse. After meeting with a lawyer, she was all thrilled to get her driver’s license.

The goal of getting a New Mexico driver’s license is to ensure that you get a star imprinted on your license that proves that you are now “all American” who can board any public transportation such as airlines, trains, and be able to enter any federal facilities as explained to me by the Gallup Motor Vehicle Division personnel recently.

I, who experienced a difficult and time-consuming in getting his driver’s license, has some pointers to share with those who are trying to get a new license and/or renewing their license without a birth certificate.

My problem in getting a renewal of my license was that I did not have a birth certificate because I was born at home in the Chinle Valley community in 1938. The Gallup MVD sent me to Albuquerque MVD to get fingerprinting since I did not have a birth certificate.

To make things worse, two weeks before my driver’s license renewal date, my license had expired. I had to pay $46.75 for my fingerprinting, but the MVD could not approve the renewal of my license due to an FBI report that stated that I did not report for a court hearing back in the 50s.

My driver’s license then was noted that the date of my birth date was off by one day. Instead of Feb. 21, 1938, it was written Feb. 22, 1938, that caused me more frustration and agony. However, I was able to explain these problems in writing with the FBI in Washington, DC.

In the meantime, there was a meeting held between Crownpoint Chapter and Santa Fe MVD to air out the problem of Navajos who did not have a birth certificate because they were born at home.

During the 1920s and 30s, there existed a widespread of rumors that when a person is hospitalized, he or she is certain to die instead of being healed, so for that reason many Navajo ladies had their babies at home, including my mother.

The agreement was finally reached by officials of Crownpoint Chapter and New Mexico MVD to use a pink Certificate of Indian Blood sheet issued by the BIA in Window Rock.

Consequently, I was able to present my pink CIB sheet to Gallup MVD to renew my driver’s license and when I received my license for three months, it had a star imprinted on the license. When I was renewing my driver’s license after three months, I was told by the MVD that I would lose the star on my license because I need to present a yellow CIB sheet issued by the BIA in Window Rock.

When I applied for a yellow CIB sheet for renewing my driver’s license, I was told to get a letter from the state of Arizona that says I do not have a birth certificate. I was fortunate that I had a letter on file from the state of Arizona stating that I do not have a birth certificate.

The BIA issued me a yellow CIB sheet that I presented to MVD in Gallup to renew my driver’s license that would have a star imprinted on my license to make me “all American.”

The Gallup MVD claims that they started to use the yellow CIB sheet as a birth certificate is because the pink CIB sheet had a lot of mistakes, but the BIA continues to use it. If you do not have a birth certificate, make sure you get a yellow CIB sheet from the BIA office in Window Rock, to renew and/or to get a New Mexico driver’s license.

My personal advice is just be patient and you will eventually get your driver’s license after you get your ducks in order.

Irvin Jones
Gallup, N.M.

Trump’s treatment of kids is wrong

My oldest son came to visit me. He hugged and said, “Hi dad.” He sat down as the news was on and they were talking of the indigenous kids being held hostage by the U.S. government and taken away from their parents. My son started crying and said, “Turn it off, dad, it’s too sad to watch all those kids, moms, and dads.”

I turned off the TV and we just hugged again and he said, “It hurts when your dad is not there for you or your mom. I know what those kids feel. You see, my sons are innocent victims of a divorced couple and made it hard to see my boys when they were small. I missed a lot of their lives. I wanted to be there for them but divorce made it hard to see them. It took like seven years of family court to get joint custody and that messed me up and my kids … all that time we lost.”

“I love my kids and when I couldn’t be with them after the divorce it almost killed me as a human and almost killed my soul. I can’t imagine what those parents are feeling.”

As my son and I hugged and talked about it, he said he can’t believe that Trump would hurt little kids. So I had to remind my son that the U.S. government killed Diné babies, kids, grandmas, mothers, grandfathers, and medicine men and women, during the Long Walk. We both cried and we both agreed that this is not right, to take kids away.

Those kids have aboriginal rights to this continent, which starts in the North Pole and ends down towards Brazil. It’s a big continent and indigenous tribes and cultures have been trading for centuries on this continent before any arrival of any non-indigenous to this continent.

We, as a family and as Diné registered voters, do not support Trump or any of his followers. As a Diné man and being raised by my parents, grandparents, and aunties, I can say that this is wrong. As a survivor of the second Long Walk — the JUA land dispute — my family lost everything — land, livestock, hogans, homes, orchards, cornfields, etc.

But we survived and are still here.

Richard Anderson Jr.
Gallup, N.M.

Looking for our own Davy Crockett

During the 1830s, then President Andrew Jackson and Congress made plans to remove all Native American tribes from their homelands to lands west of the Mississippi River. Their planning was successful as we know now of the Trail of Tears.

Jackson became wealthy, as he was party to the sale of lands that he had the Natives removed from. Jackson is also credited with being the father of the Democratic Party.

Many of the era did not approve of Jackson’s shady tactics and refer to him as Andy Jackass. The Jackass, or donkey, became the Democratic Party’s mascot and to this day honors Andrew Jackson, the man who thought that the only good Indian was a dead Indian.

During the congressional debates to remove the Native people from their treaty held homelands, there was one lone congressman who objected openly to the removal plans. He pleaded with them to leave the Indians alone. He told them that the Indians were a “peaceful and beautiful people,” and that they were assimilating into American society.

He told them of the many honorable events the Natives were involved in such as the defeat of the British in the War of 1812. Congress turned a deaf ear and voted to remove the Natives from their treaty held homelands.

The lone congressman threw up his hands and did not run for re-election. Rather he informed the Congress, “Gentlemen, I’m going to Texas. The rest of you can go to hell.” The lone congressman, Davy Crockett, later died at the Alamo.

This one event of many in American history should be a reminder that the federal government cannot be trusted, even more so now as they labor to remove “In God We Trust” as the United States motto.

Our Diné have given much to this country – our lands, lives, natural resources, and our history – many times against our will and at the hands of crooked politicians. Our language was needed and used in the successful campaign of World War II. Per capita, 15 percent of our young men and women serve in the military compared to less than 5 percent of the rest of the country.

Our true status as Native Americans can be erased, as our history as a nation is being re-painted and re-written in Washington with the modern day corrupted political paintbrush and pen.

It may not seem possible, but our treaty with the federal government can be made moot with a single congressional vote for “the greater good.” Our lands can be opened and shared with the refugees of the world. Our natural resources can be taken at will. Our leaders have waived our sovereignty once too often and made it nil. Remember we are wards of the government allowed to live on trust lands.

This year’s tribal elections will determine our survival as a people. Our leaders can no longer be “big spoons” as our poor referred to Diné politicians who serve with selfish agendas and motives.

Perhaps it is time for us to recall the true teachings of First Man and First Woman. Yes, there was a First Man and First Woman, but thereafter First Man and First Woman became leadership titles. It might be wise for us to vote in a man and woman as president and vice president, a united leadership team.

Maybe, just maybe, of the hopefuls there is such a person as our own Davy Crockett – not career politicians who have yet to clean up their past poor leadership mess.

Wally Brown
Page, Ariz.

NCAI report provides reality check

The National Congress of American Indians released their annual “Policy Update” report at the 2017 Annual Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, emphasizing the dire urgent need for Native peoples to exercise their rightful voice to impact challenges that Native peoples confront daily.

Native peoples must have “… a strong voice and advocacy strategy on those issues that impact our tribal communities. It takes all of us — tribal nations, NCAI, our regional partners, issue organizations, and members to ensure that tribal priorities are advanced at the tribal, federal, state and local level.”

With the rapidly evolving global knowledge-based economy as a point of reference, the sharing of quality-of-life information on our people is a public good. The life conditions of our Native peoples matter, the dire consequences of unequal concentration and unfair deliberate allocation of economic resources.

Such public health human cost social-cost data provides a reality check on the everyday lives of Native peoples both within and in off Native reserve lands.

Elections are held to govern and improve the quality of life for all people regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, and national origin … elections have come and gone along with all the rhetoric and unfortunately it appears with little in way of accountability, accomplishments, and transparency.

While more and more Navajo Nation voters may have joined the “what’s the use?” platform, there is still hope that there may be a candidate willing to step forth to take on a new outlook.

There are very important questions political office seekers need to articulate, key compass points on how they will reduce the high Navajo Nation unemployment rate, how they will assist the K-16 education system, how they will assist hospitals, how they will improve our communities.

The deeply flawed political process that has characterized past elections needs to be put to rest.

As election time draws near, it is worth keeping in mind that retaining the name of a sovereign Navajo Nation as currently defined is inconsistent with the integrity of a true sovereign governance.

Native peoples in Native reserve lands remain stymied by laws legislated in the last century that are counter to the interest and well-being of a new generation.

It could very well be that voters are looking for candidates who will articulate in Navajo and English how they intend to improve our unemployment rate, housing needs and conditions, health care delivery, our roads, our struggling education system, the fledging private sector business investment, and job development for our current and future generations.

There is no need for our Native peoples to take the brunt of gender- and race-based socioeconomic inequality. Our children and grandchildren should not have to be destined to repeat the cycle of the nation’s most persistent disenfranchised sociocultural language group in America.

Harold G. Begay
To’Nanees’ Dizi, Ariz.

Judge rules in favor of 2,073 landowners

Many of us who left our homeland still remember it as clearly as if we heard it yesterday. The echoes of “get a higher education and bring that knowledge home.”

Many who heard those echoes from their Diné parents and leaders reacted positively because they have also heard: “The government have been running all over us for many years (Waashindoon t’óó nihik’i naajeehgo díkwíísh?? nááhai)” and “I wish I was as invisible as you make me feel.”

On Sept. 9, 2010, I along with 50 Allotment No. 2073 landowners from the backyard of the Navajo Nation — Pinedale, New Mexico — and a number of outside caring professionals challenged the BIA, Navajo Region, acting regional director’s decision for obtaining owner consent as defective and that the compensation paid for the right-of-way is far less than the value of Western Refining Southwest Inc. rights-of-way.

Western has been chump-changing illiterate 2073 landowners for many years because it makes it easy for them to harvest huge profits. The chief administrative law judge of the U.S., Interior Board of Indian Appeals order of Jan. 8, 2013, ruled in favor of the 2073 landowners stating BIA erred in not following federal regulations in the renewal of Western’s rights-of-way across Allotment No. 2073. (https://www.oha.doi.gov/IBIA/Ibiadecisions/56ibia/56ibia104.pdf)

Our story began after the IBIA decision, which made it possible to appear in the book titled “American Apartheid” written by an investigative reporter, Stephanie Woodard, of New York.

Thanks go to “In These Times” and reporter Stephanie Woodard for a job well done. Readers will see that conflict of interest and malfeasance is apparent in the Western and BIA coyotes’ attacks on my relatives of Pinedale, and other Native landowners, described throughout article. None of this is our fault. We were dragged into it by BIA incompetence and corruption. This is why we fight.

The Navajo Nation deserves criticism as well. It could have come to the aid of its tribal members, because it owns a small percentage of our allotment, acquired through one of the buy-backs described in the story. However, it is not doing so, which has negative implications for its sovereignty and treaty rights. These are especially threatened by Western’s frivolous lawsuits, attempting to condemn our land, as well as against the Interior Department.

A 2-minute video of images from “American Apartheid: The Native American Struggle for Self-Determination and Inclusion” can be found on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx1jJZkMGxU&feature=youtu.be).

Our land is essential to our sovereignty and who we are. It holds the bones of our ancestors.

Patrick Adakai
Tijeras, N.M.

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