Letters: Utah Diné Bikéyah takes over Democratic caucus

I want to share with people of San Juan County, Utah, my experience in the 2018 election process. I was a Democratic candidate for the San Juan County, Utah, Commission race.

A little about my background: I was born in Blanding, Utah, and been a resident most of my life. I am a Navajo woman who loves San Juan County’s way of life. I value the small town setting, the closeness to the backcountry, and the beauty of our canyons, mountains and desert. I love all the people of San Juan County.

However, this is my first time to ever run for any elected office. I want to help the people of San Juan County come closer together, to make a difference in addressing the needs of the people and be a voice for my constituents.

However, I was very disappointed in the Democratic Party for rigging the election to the advantage of Diné Bikéyah Coalition group. To say the least, our American free election process was hijacked. Many of the Democratic candidates who are running for county commissioner are being bought out by the environmentalists.

Mr. Kenneth Maryboy and Mr. Willie Grayeyes are board members for this organization along with the chapter officials. The Democratic Party of San Juan County has been taken over by Diné Bikéyah Coalition to manipulate the elections in our county to gain control. I am disappointed that our Native leaders are manipulated. They are causing confusion, uncertainty and contentions among family members and the Navajo communities in the county. I regret my involvement with the Democratic Party in our county.

After I filed my intent to run for commission seat, the San Juan County Clerk told me that I could collect signatures and bypass the Democratic Party caucus and convention. However, later the same evening they informed me it was too late to do that. He did not even know when the caucus was to be held. So, I started calling the party contacts in Bluff, but had no success. I had another contact and she was a volunteer and told me the meeting was in Blanding with the time and place.

I called James Adakai, the Democratic Party chairperson, in Monument Valley, Utah, I had to leave several messages before he gave me a call back. Mr. Adakai finally emailed me about the caucus, but it had already happened. I had to contact Mr. Adakai about the list of delegates from each area.

When I got the list, I realized that our precinct was not represented. The two delegates were from the same precinct and no one from Precinct 12 was represented. I called Mr. Adakai about not having a representative from Precinct 12 but he did not address the delegate from Precinct 12 in a timely manner.

On Tuesday, March 20, 2018, I attended the caucus at the Utah State University Arts and Events Center in Blanding, Utah. We had about 15 to 20 people show up. Mr. Kenneth Maryboy is the chapter president from Mexican Water and he was told by Sue Halliday that he was at the wrong caucus. He participated in our caucus by asking everyone to nominate him from our caucus.
When you look at the composition of the delegates selected in the caucuses, most of them are members or board members of the Diné Bikéyah Coalition or sympathizers of the pro-Bears Ears Monument movement.

For instance, James Adakai, the Democratic chairman for San Juan County, Utah, is definitely a supporter of the coalition. He helped organized the caucus and convention. He was also a delegate. It is my opinion, however, he did everything within his power to manipulate the delegate selections as directed by the coalition to give them advantage.

Kenneth Maryboy and Willie Grayeyes are current board members of the Diné Bikéyah Coalition and Grayeyes is the chairman of the board. Mary Benally is a board member and her daughter, Tara Benally, ran for commission seat in District 3. Albert Holiday, Oljato Chapter official is a board member and was a delegate. Nelson Yellowman, the current San Juan School District Board member was the district chair for the Democrats. Yellowman was also a delegate. He is a member of the Diné Bikéyah Coalition.

Only Bears Ears proponents and board members received favorable votes in the Democratic convention on March 24, 2018, in Monument Valley, Utah. Mr. Willie Grayeyes in District 2 and Kenneth Maryboy in District 3 received the most votes.

This was a sham election and election fraud. The credibility and bias of San Juan County, Utah, Democratic Party needs to be carefully considered in the general elections. There is also a questionable residency issue for one of the candidates.

It rises to the level of conspiracy by a select group who wants to control the future of San Juan County, Utah.

Maryleen Tahy
Blanding, Utah

Money is flowing out of Aneth Oil Field

The Greater Aneth Oil Field, just some numbers that were published in the Navajo Times, Elk petroleum’s website and Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining per 2017.

The Aneth field is the largest oil field in the state of Utah and 86th in the United States, which has been in production since 1956 with a peak production of 100,000 barrels of oil per day. There are 444 active wells producing 10,000 bbls of oil per day.

Some of the major players in the Aneth field are Texaco, Phillips Petroleum and Mobil. The cumulative production is 480 million barrels of oil produced out of 1.5 billion bbls of original oil in place and 440.2 cubic feet of gas.

OK, let’s use the 480 million bbls of oil produced and the average price for a barrel of oil for the last 61 years is $29, which comes to $13.92 billion dollars.

Now that is just the average and it does not include gas, leases, rights-of-way and royalties.

Now there is a new operator, Elk Petroleum, which stands to make millions from the Aneth field.

So, now the Navajo Oil and Gas Company is asking the Navajo Tribe for a $40 million bailout to come out of the Master Trust Fund’s investment program. Is the NOGC a private company or an enterprise of the Navajo Nation?

I really believe the “very” large amount of monies that have flowed through the pipelines out of the Aneth field and the Navajo Nation over the past 61 years needs to be accounted for. This is unbelievable for me to comprehend. Any others?

Christopher Chavez
Cortez, Colo.

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