Letters: A few matters of concern

The Charleston family extends a Happy New Year to the Navajo Times staff and their family. Thank you for your cooperation in publishing my letters in the past year of 2016.

Presently, I just want to give the tribal leaders a wake-up call and share some important matters of concern and couple them together in this short letter.

This past summer our tribal president and vice president joined the protest to help the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota in opposing the drilling work, which was successfully halted. And now the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe needs to return a favor by helping against fracking in the Counselor, New Mexico, area.

Also, I would like to see the president and vice president of the Navajo Nation take a strong stand on behalf of their people against the fracking that is taking place. The landowners are concerned about the negative impact fracking will cause such as destroying the environment, water, and earthquakes it may result in the future similar to the one experienced in the state of Oklahoma.

The other matter of concern is the time it is taking the president and vice president of the Navajo Nation in filling their cabinet members. It has been almost two years since they were inaugurated and some vacancies remain. Donald Trump was elected less than two months ago and is about to fill all his cabinet members before the inauguration. What’s the status quo with our president and vice president in filling these positions?

Also, I am wondering if the $7 million that disappeared from the Navajo Oil and Gas was ever recovered. If not, who took it? The previous board of directors and its affiliates need to be thoroughly investigated.

The issue of the Tribal Designated Housing Entity can be easily resolved by establishing a private entity and not designating the Navajo Nation’s Community Development. It should be privatized as recommended by the housing study of 1985 with a title plant built into the organization. The study should be at the community development office.

What is the status of the Amber Alert system? It became popular for a short time immediately after the passing of Ashlynn Mike. The tribal council needs to stop fiddling with it and adopt one. It’s too important to just ignore.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to express these issues of concern.

Vern Charleston
Farmington, N.M.

If Escalade is meant to be, it will grow

Do you ever wonder what would happen where you read about our own Diné and other groups not compromising if we were still ruled by England?

History says, “If people didn’t agree as to how parliament and commonwealth ruled, they were shipped to another country.” Parliament and commonwealth made their own laws, which they ruled under.

Probably legislatures taking oath came from England, too. There was even a church existing in England that one had to take an oath to join. If you don’t convert to that church by oath, your land was confiscated, you were disabled, or worse you were killed.

With all of this going on, there was a group who believed in Jesus. They said, “We do believe in Jesus Christ in the matter of choice, not in the matter of government.”

Due to these groups of people not taking oath, they were shipped away. Seems like that’s how bilagaanas came to America.

Then it seems like upon bilagaanas arriving here in America, kings from England still controlled the lands here. Kings formatted lands. That’s how Pennsylvania got its name after William Penn. Us indigenous were pushed towards the West. That is where we are as of today.

From this, when some Native Americans want to progress their livelihood, why is it a person in a group is envious?

This influences surrounding environments to jump on board. Like the Grand Canyon Escalade Project, we got people eager to see enterprises that are new. A group is against it. This is not merciful, nor kindhearted.

Not seeing growth due to a “freeze” from 1966 to 2009, is 50 years and some. It’s a long time. Praise the people that lifted Bennett Freeze. We need improvement promptly. Government works in crucial ways. We as neighbors have to work together improving the former Bennett Freeze, not say “no” to each other.

If we uphold and respect “The Confluence” on Little Colorado River like some of us say and do, it won’t be desecrated. The Confluence will still be there when Grand Canyon Escalade Project comes around. It seems the project isn’t being built in the canyon, it’s being built on the rim of the canyon.

Look at the San Francisco Peaks, Navajo Mountain, and Little Colorado River. They are still there. Yes! There are people disrespectful to other’s beliefs and some do it for profit. People visiting “The Confluence” should be advised beforehand the shrine is a sacred site. That should put them in place.

We American Indians have a doctrine. Prayer, we say, goes a long way. We have mystical mythologies. We have mountains bound with sacred mountains, earth and sky, which are divine. From all of this comes love, hope, faith, and charity subsidizing us with prosperous life. Only “we” indigenous know this.

If something is not meant to be, no matter how we like or think of it, it will dissipate and not grow. Wondrous purpose might come out of Grand Canyon Escalade Project, if it’s meant to be it’ll grow.

Dean Benally
Flagstaff, Ariz.

---