Letters | ‘Use the money wisely’

The Creator granted our wishes for the new year, 2022, and brought a blessing we should all be joyful about, which is another round of Hardship payments to the Navajo people.

Like President Jonathan Nez said, “Use the money wisely” and I also urge you to do likewise.

Special thanks to delegates Eugenia Charles Newton and Amber Crotty for their untiring efforts in pushing legislation (No. 62-21) to make the Hardship payments a reality.

President Jonathan Nez also deserves a special thank-you for his diligence and timely approval of the legislation.

The Hardship payments of $2,000 should be arriving in the post office mailboxes and street addresses soon.

What a once-in-lifetime historical event it was to hear about the diligent work between the executive branch and the legislative branch. It was the first time the needs of the Navajo people had been placed on the forefront, and we should be all proud of it.

I urge the two branches to work cooperatively together in the future and get things done.

In closing, there is one issue I would like to apprise our tribal leaders about how difficult it’s been to work with the census (Office of Vital Statistics) office.

My granddaughter is 2 years old, and her parents tried unsuccessfully to get a census number for her all year long last year, and as a result, she was left out from receiving a Hardship payment. Their request was booted between Shiprock and Eastern Navajo agencies.

Happy New Year and thank you for expressing my piece of mind.

Vern Charleston
Farmington, N.M.

Navajo stimulus has come to pass

In 2020, I proposed (a Navajo stimulus). It has come to pass.

In my thought, the Navajo people have suffered the greatest trauma since the 1864 Long Walk and vast influenza epidemic in the 1918-20s.

The current trauma I am referring to is the 2020 COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, which caused shutdowns of businesses and schools, and devastated us all. The pandemic put many of our people in hospitals and caused numerous loss of lives. We are still in midst of the pandemic.

Navajo leaders and public health medical organizations on the Navajo Nation have done an outstanding job of dealing with the coronavirus and pandemic. It is utterly amazing!

My hope when I proposed a Navajo stimulus (Navajo Times, April 2, 2020) was to help the Navajo people from elders to youth. Navajo Nation Council and the president’s office have now divvied out the Navajo people’s money two times to aid them in their time of need.

The U.S. government through Congress, President Joe Biden, and U.S. Treasury have appropriated the America Rescue Plan Act and CARES Act money to the Navajo Nation. Our leaders have done an excellent job of using the money for various needs and helping the Navajo people.

Giving the ARPA-CARES Hardship Assistance money to the Navajo people in time of the greatest need is not about re-election, it’s about helping people.

My deepest gratitude and appreciation to the U.S. Congress, President Joe Biden, Navajo Nation Council, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, Vice President Myron Lizer, and Navajo Nation Controller Elizabeth Begay and staff for their arduous work to get the money to the Navajo people.

Eugene Charley
Kayenta, Ariz.

Help the Navajo people with ARPA assistance

The Navajo people are in need of their next Hardship Assistance money.

The COVID-19 pandemic really affected our daily lives. Most of us are still suffering from the losses and the long-term effects of COVID-19. Now it’s the Omicron variant.

Some of us have livestock to tend to and buy hay and hay is expensive. We haul water daily and we have to buy groceries for ourselves, buy propane, pay our utility bills, buy gas, having enough firewood for heating and cooking, and buying coal when available.

Our first Hardship Assistance payment was barely enough. An increase on the next payment amount would really help out a lot.

Larry Smith
Tonalea, Ariz.

Diné becomes a lawyer

I would like my Navajo community know my son graduated in May 2021 from the University of California-Berkeley School of Law earning a juris doctor degree.

Berkeley is a top 10 law school.

He was born in Fort Defiance and is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. He also attended Window Rock High School and played basketball for the Scouts.

My son passed the Texas bar exam and was admitted to practice law in October 2021. My son is now employed with the Vincent & Elkins law firm in Dallas, which is one of the largest law firms in Texas.

He is also attended the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and graduated at the top of his class. He double majored, earning a bachelor’s in economics and a bachelor’s in accounting. He graduated summa cum laude.

Graduating from ASU, my son, Troy, worked two years for the Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque as a project controller prior to attending law school. Thank you.

Nancy L. Spencer
Rio Rancho, N.M.

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