Letters: The list of swindles is endless

Our Diné bureaucrats and career politicians are many and even more “wanna-bes” are among the hopefuls awaiting their turn at the rip-off and swindling games of Navajo politics.

The Diné Nation has been ripped off or swindled of its resources, substance, and humanity far too many times. Sadly, it has not always been at the hands of non-Diné as some of our elected leaders have gotten their hands dirty in many shady dealings. The swindling of our Diné began with the Treaty of 1868 when all of Diné ancestral lands were taken.

The most recent swindles have been the buffalo ranch in Colorado, the millions lost by the Ramah Chapter president and the $600 million settlement money confiscated by the tribal government. All the money and resources our Diné have been swindled out of add up to billions if not trillions in dollars — money that may never be recovered.

Are we Diné happy being played the ship of blind fools? Some may remember the 25-cent-per-ton coal deal while in the rest of the world coal was sold for as much as $85 per ton. Then there is Lake Powell where Diné are entitled to a drop of water in a bucket or 53 acre-feet of water when the original verbal agreement was 53 percent of the lake water. How about the many other swindles such as gaming, Lodgebuilders, gasification plants, Boquillas Ranch, NGS, land buyback, Fort Wingate lands, grazing permits, uranium mining — the list is almost endless.

Our Diné are being swindled into thinking that the tribal government has money and all the answers. The reality is the tribal government has no money. It never has and never will. The tribal government is only custodian of individual Diné money, which they swindle politically and spend at their leisure. Money that comes to our Diné benefit only a few select Navajos. All the money is used for government program jobs. These are great-paying jobs with outrageous benefits. Career politicians acting as consultants or advisers can receive a cool million for no logical reason.

Overall, the tribal government has never created a department that solved problems, nor have they ever eliminated a department because it solved the problems for which it was created. At the Kayenta (candidates for president) forum the hopefuls seemed willing to add to these problems by pandering to special interest groups just to get votes. Buckling or surrendering without debate on political issues is called getting swindled.

Good government was never organized to rip off or regulate the lives of its citizens; rather to maintain independence and protect basic human rights and livelihood. Our tribal government is not there to rule on the laws of the Holy People, the laws of nature or the traditional laws of civility of our Diné.

In the past when leaders have done such things they created chaos, confusion, violence, and division. At present the hopefuls appear willing to take part in the swindling and rip-off in every category of existence affecting the lives of our Diné and their future. Besides being ripped off of our natural resources and money, there is such a thing as a rip-off of our sacred Diné heritage. I’m just saying.

Wally Brown
Page, Ariz.

Why does Choice need to know my birth date?

As I tried to make my first monthly payment with Navajo-owned Choice Wireless on Thursday, July 19, 2018, I was asked for my date of birth before I could even be helped or make a payment, first at NTUA Choice, Fort Defiance office in person.

I just wanted to make a cash payment, but my payment was denied by two staff members and one male employee was being noisy by his interruption. Second, the same day at NTUA Choice, I called the Chinle office and got the same thing. I gave my full name, resident address/mailing address, and my account number.

The same question, What is your date of birth? I told them, “I provided what you needed. I don’t have to provide my date of birth as it is confidential.” Both locations, my date of birth was requested where both times I refused to provide my date of birth. I said due to confidentiality I will not provide.

Chinle staff said, “We show your date of birth, but in order to assist you, we need your date of birth.” At Fort Defiance, a supervisor was called for and I was asked to leave just because I refused to provide my date of birth. I thought I was going to jail just because of “Baby Ruth” as the song goes by Vincent Craig.

I am wondering, if the date of birth is not provided, Choice Wireless Internet is shut down. Then in order to make more money, individuals have to pay an extra fee for re-connection. It’s a double standard from Choice compared to Frontier Communication; they don’t ask for your date of birth. Choice Wireless, Navajo owned, Navajo proud, it’s a way to default on your contract for the service. There is no need to provide your date of birth.

It’s not a better business nor Navajo proud, using your date of birth, it’s putting people in a class category of youth, middle age, adult, and senior citizen. What will they ask for next? Single, married, divorced, separated, or shacking up?

Due to this factor, Choice Wireless needs to have their business license revisited and put on a corrective action plan and fine them for every citizen that were asked of their date of birth, $150 for each person, and donate the funds collected to 110 chapter senior citizen centers.

Steven Kee
Ganado, Ariz.

Protest moving spent fuel through Navajo

On May 21, 2018, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission hosted a scoping meeting in Gallup, on behalf of Holtec International and its hostile proposal to bring all of the existing commercial high-level radioactive spent fuel from nuclear reactors from the East Coast to New Mexico on Interstate 40 and the BNSF Railroad.

No official representative of the Navajo Nation government was in attendance although Navajo Nation Council Delegate Jonathan Perry (Becenti/Lake Valley/Nahodishgish/Standing Rock/Whiterock/Huerfano/Nageezi/Crownpoint) spoke in opposition, as well on behalf of his constituents. No one from the city of Gallup, McKinley County or the state of New Mexico representing Districts 5 or District 9 (McKinley and San Juan counties) was in attendance either.

From the outset, there was clear opposition to the NRC/Holtec International scheme. For the Native Americans — mostly Navajos — who will be impacted when there is a transportation failure, it was another indication of the Donald Trump administration to sacrifice anyone that would stand in the way of corporate interests and place others in harm’s way. Holtec International did not elaborate on the potential for an accident along the route and the question of whether there is a contingency plan for the containment of a radioactive spill or mishap near or in the city.

A single car derailment that occurred on Gallup’s west side spilled hydrochloric acid on July 3, 2018. Another recent derailment of a BNSF railcar on Gallup’s east side revealed there is no local HAZMAT resources or personnel that can be dispatched immediately to the scene if high-level radioactive material is involved.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Safety Analysis, there were 448 railway accidents/incidents with 41 fatalities and 275 injuries in New Mexico in a five-year period from 2008 to 2012. With the two derailments that were not expected, it would seem that this is not an immediate concern of the city of Gallup and the Navajo Nation is not prepared to deal with the potential liability of a catastrophic event that would threaten the lives of Navajo citizens for generations to come. This is the same mindset that allowed the devastation of lives, animals, property and land, not only on the Navajo Nation, but in other places where the minority population is left with no recourse.

In Church Rock and Crownpoint, the proposed reactivation of uranium mines is another addition to this environmental injustice. With Navajo citizens being placed in harm’s way, the Navajo Nation’s “leadership” needs to come to the frontlines, represent our interests, and speak up to protect our lives and land before tragedy occurs, again.

The U.S. government’s “trust responsibility” to the 573 federally recognized tribes in America has been abandoned by the dishonorable Donald Trump White House administration, however, your comments and concerns can be submitted to the NRC.

Comments should be filed no later than July 30, 2018, regarding Holtec International HI-STORE Consolidated Interim Storage Facility Project at the NRC website: https://www.regulations.gov (Docket No. 72-1051; NRC-2018-0052).

Mervyn Tilden
Church Rock, N.M.

We need a candidate forum in Chinle

It is election season on the Navajo Nation. There are those who are running for president and there are those running for Council delegate. I am a Chinle Chapter voter and would like to make a suggestion.

In the past there was a meet and greet the Council delegate candidates’ forum at the chapter house. At this forum the candidates introduced themselves, presented their platform, how they would improve the local government, what their priorities are, etc. And of course there would a question-and-answer period. This will only be for Chinle Council delegate candidates.

I believe it is very important that this take place prior to the primary election. Think about this and maybe get some people to set this up. Chinle Chapter House can be made available for this.

Harry Claw
Chinle, Ariz.

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