Letters | Urgent need for community safety
Urgent need for community safety
Editor,
I’m writing to you as a Thoreau High School student about a devastating loss in our community. Recently, we lost a beloved classmate and her mother to a drunk driving incident on Mariano Lake Road – a tragedy that could have been prevented. She was only 16 years old.
From January 18th to 22nd, multiple reports were made about a dangerous drunk driver on this road. Despite these warnings, our friend’s life was tragically cut short. We believe the Navajo Police Department’s lack of response contributed to this loss.
Our goal is to raise awareness about the deadly consequences of drunk driving and the critical need for swift, serious law enforcement action. We want to ensure no other family experiences this pain.
Last year, we had an amazing teacher, Ms. Pagett, who taught us something profound: we have a voice, and silence is not an option. Despite generations of oppression and attempts to silence our people, we will continue to speak truth to power.
Our history is marked by stolen land and systematic suppression, but our spirit remains unbroken. Each time we are marginalized, we will rise. Each time they try to quiet us; we will speak louder.
This is not just about resistance. This is about reclaiming our narrative, our dignity, and our future.
We will not be silenced.
We’re seeking support in spreading this message and highlighting the urgent need for community safety.
MiaBella Burrola and Chantell Burnside
Thoreau High School
Merge Kayenta’s two governments
Editor,
Does anyone really care about our Navajo people? It seems year after year, we still have the same existing problems within the Navajo Nation. Greedy, self-serving politicians and corrupt tribal government at all levels, especially the Kayenta Township.
The community of Kayenta has been complaining about the ongoing failure of the Township and its lack of oversight since it was founded. I was a commissioner, and I have expressed my concerns as to how the Township operates. I have stated openly that the Township is a tax-grabbing business who answers absolutely to no one. It might be said, “well the Commission is the oversight”, but the Commission answers to no one. I know the game very well. Like a majority of several tribal commissions, commissioners form a buddy system to ensure they receive a monthly stipend check and they are always trying to go on travel. Workshop, workshop, workshop…the favorite government word of the day.
Township runs under “Home Rule Authority”, a statement saying they have all the power to govern themselves with absolutely no oversight. What a clever way to justify stealing and misusing taxes. The Township operating budget 2023 was $7 million dollars. Now in 2025 they have a $10 million budget. Please name one Navajo chapter that a $10 million dollar budget. Zero!
Nothing has improved for the past 10 years with all the millions. Just because the Township throws out candy at Halloween or spends a few thousands on a powwow or to buy school uniforms, there are still millions of dollars not accounted for. How does this small community, which has absolutely no economic development, function?
I have said this openly, “75 percent of the millions go towards employment wages and full benefits for health insurance.” Extremely top heavy!
Did you know that the Kayenta Township is not recognized by Navajo County as true government, nor recognized by the state of Arizona, nor recognized by the United States federal government, nor recognized by the Department of Interior. Only the Kayenta Chapter has governing power.
As a commissioner for two terms, I publicly stated that the Township is a business. I told former President Nez and he just grinned and walked off. President Buu said, “Yes, vote for me and when I become president I will look into the Township’s operation.” I never seen him again. This proved his lack of respect and commitment to the Navajo people of Kayenta. Again, Navajo people and Navajo taxpayers, President Buu pulled his hat forward hiding, failing to acknowledge Kayenta’s problems. It was rumored the Township made a skateboarding video of Buu, thus putting fame first, while a million-dollar budget failed to make any improvements within our community.
The Township manager, who was hired because he took a one-year online legal program, claiming its a law degree, makes over $100,000 a year. This current town manager is the reason the prior manager lost his job. Unethical favoritism between the two. While this buddy-buddy corruption was happening, the rest of the community struggled to keep up with the rising prices of groceries, fuel, utilities, and taxes. The current manager even changed the Navajo Nation voting rules to bring back the prior unethical manager as a commissioner. What the heck!
Over five years ago, a town manager embezzled $2 million dollars, our money. There were several individuals involved, yet only one person was filed against. Sadly, a lot of employees knew what was going on but did want to expose the problem because it was not their problem. Some of these employees are still employed at Township. This is not a government!
As a commissioner, I requested to see the Wells Fargo monthly bank statements and CD investment statements. Commissioner Seaton quickly got a hold of lawyers and sent a letter saying I was not allowed to see this information. This is the people’s money!
The Township hides behind lawyers for everything. The lawyer budget is $500,000 a year. Again, $500,000 a year for a town that is only three miles long and three miles wide. Year after year, Township financial reports state the same thing, over $2 million for projects. What projects?
Tuba City is becoming a city and Goulding, Utah, is becoming a town. Wake up, Navajo Nation!
A newly voted-in commissioner said the Township built the jail and police department. No, they didn’t. The community tax dollars did.
In the meantime, the Kayenta Chapter has passed 26 resolutions stating no Township. One government. However, a not-so-cleave chapter president hid these resolutions and also thought if he did not sign them, Township would stay. This is now our current chapter president again who helped form a government that answers to no one. Due to the fact nobody ran for chapter president, this unethical and corrupt person thinks he’s back in power. Power that only brought community hardship.
At this point in time, with absolutely no economic improvements, lack of jobs, misuse of funds, and ongoing raising taxes without voting, we need to merge, merge, merge the two governments. At least at the chapter level, we as taxpayers, can vote and have an input. But most importantly, there is an oversight, someone to openly report our taxes. Isn’t that what a white man government does?
The only person who would lose their position would be the town manager and the Commission would move over to the Chapter. The rest of the staff would be evaluated under Chapter management. The trash dump and all other Township responsibilities would continue under the Chapter. It would be the Chapter’s responsibility to hire a full-time project manager and finance director. By merging there will finally be check, balance, and accountability. There will be funds to help all registered voters that live within Kayenta Chapter and not just Township family members. This also allows official audits to be performed.
For sure, the Township will run to Window Rock and try to crawl in bed with the Council to keep the people’s money in their bank account and will use the “home rule authority” to prove they have the power to tax as they please, using our hard-earned money to hire lawyers to keep them in power. That is not how a government works.
Township is a white man concept, which was formed during the colonial period to keep Native Indians out of their towns and set boundaries up. Thus, every four years the white man government changes rules and/or laws. So, this home rule authority can be deleted. Only Russia, North Korea, Trumpism, and Kayenta Township do not adhere to anyone even if they use public tax dollars. Merge, merge, merge, so we can all get our share.
The Township is currently trying to place taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel, passing the cost on to the consumers. Nowhere in America does a customer pay taxes on fuel. We are not dumb Indians, we will go to other communities to fuel up our vehicles. They are also raising taxes on propane. Sixty percent of our community is living below the poverty level with a household income under $25,000 a year. Poverty with a million-dollar government.
Right now, Kayenta is a community of Indians killing Indians with corrupt greedy politicians, self-serving government, and meth-infested zombies with the highest crime on the rez and murders happening monthly. I am sure the Township is going to use me, my hard-working employees, and customers’ taxes to hire medicine men or popular witch doctors to influence lies to stay in power.
If you do not believe anything I am saying, ask for the Wells Fargo Bank statements or CD statements for the past 10 years. It’s your money, public information, and ask why the town manager has two homesites. Now is the time to merge!
Jo D Hall Ward
Kayenta, Ariz.
Keep RECA at the forefront
Editor, President Buu Nygren, and Speaker Crystalyne Curley,
On Monday, January 27, 2025, twenty-nine (29) Navajos held a “March for The People” from the Veteran’s Park to the Chambers of the Navajo Nation Council and to the Office of the President and Vice President to hand-deliver an invitation to you to speak to The People who want to know: What is the next step to keep the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Bill at the forefront of attention of the U.S. Congress which convened on January 03, 2025 while the Navajo Nation Council has convened on January 27th without any further developments we are aware of.
Last year, the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice-President and the Navajo Nation Council unified for the extension and enlargement of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), that was sponsored by US Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO). On Thursday, March 7, 2024, the Senate voted (69-30) in favor of the RECA (S.3853) which expired on July 10, 2024.
On Friday, January 24, 2025 U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), along with Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) reintroduced the Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act to compensate Americans exposed to radiation by government nuclear programs. This is key in our decades-long grassroots efforts in seeking Justice for our Diné people. This calls for the support of the Navajo Nation Council and the Office of the President and Vice President.
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives failed to pass the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) reauthorization before its expiration deadline on July 10 (2024) in the 118th Congress. This is expected to repeat itself in 2025.
“The time to reauthorize RECA is now. The Senate has done this twice before and must do it again. For far too long, Missourians and others across America have suffered without compensation from their government. It is vital that we unite to pass this legislation now, and that the President sign it into law,” said Senator Hawley.
“In New Mexico and across the country, thousands sacrificed to contribute to our national security. Today, individuals affected by nuclear weapons testing, downwind radiation exposure, and uranium mining are still waiting to receive the justice they are owed,” said Senator Luján.
We, the Diné people at the forefront of all issues of uranium who want to know: What is the next step to keep the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Bill at the forefront of the attention of the U.S. Congress?
Mervyn Tilden
Church Rock, N.M.
Threat to Nation
Editor,
Historically speaking, 2024 political events dictate an Indigenous proactive stance and perspective to make sure we keep our focus on the next Seven Generations in the here and now.
We have less than 170 days to prepare our Great Nation. The November 5, 2024, Election has installed the merciless Republican GOP (Gang Of Putin) authoritarians, Donald Trump and JD Vance. Since January 20th, 2025, our freedom and life depend on your resolve to confront this historic threat to our great Nation.
1. All treaties between the U.S. government and federally recognized sovereign tribes will be abrogated under the Donald Trump administration.
2. All reservation boundary lines will be dissolved for “national security” energy reasons.
3. Federal funding to all “sovereign” tribes will be drastically reduced or outright halted ensuring a financial snare to run our tribal governments efficiently. The Navajo and Cherokee nations are the largest and will be hit the hardest if not prepared for catastrophic changes (eg. economic crash beyond 1929 Wall Street charts). Add zero funding to operate tribal governments.
4. U.S. Laws (e.g.: Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, National Environmental Policy Act, American Indian Religious Freedom Act, etc.) will be weakened, amended, or stricken from the books and made favorable to (multi)national corporations to commence mineral extraction (gas, oil, coal, uranium, etc…) operations on our sacred tribal ancestral lands. The traditional Indigenous ways of life are now threatened. Project 2025 and the America First Agenda will continue the Genocidal policies.
5. All tribal court’s jurisdictional authority will be made null and void by the corrupted right-wing U.S. Supreme Court. There is no moral authority to be found in Congress to render Justice as guaranteed in the First Amendment. Total immunity has been granted to Trump, a convicted felon.
6. Federal departments such as the Department of the Interior will be reduced or cease to exist coupled with the current Government-to-Government relationship tribes now take for granted and, the Nation-Wide Donald Trump-promised Administrative Federal Purge will cut many ties outright.
7. Our federal and Constitutional rights to challenge threats and defend our Indigenous rights and territory will be a Crime as the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other protections (due process) will rapidly cease to exist for all Americans following January 20, 2025.
8. American history is being rewritten with Indigenous People (“Native Americans”) excluded, much like the historical deceptions of “Manifest Destiny” and the “Doctrine of Discovery”.
9. For the North American Indigenous Nations, there is no recourse but to protect what we have for the next seven generations, in our own ways that have defined us as the “First Americans”.
10. Don’t give up. Remember, change is brought about by one person: You. Each and every one of you …. You can do something: Exercise your Rights under the U.S. Constitution now. Learn about Project 2025 and the America First Agenda, the most hideous documents outlining the upcoming “American Carnage”, and the proposed destruction of American Democracy promised by Donald Trump. And protect the Navajo Nation people, our land base, history, culture and language.
Mervyn Tilden
Church Rock, N.M.
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow