Letters: Veterans director micromanaged Steamboat vets

Mr. President Russell Begaye:

On behalf of the Steamboat community veterans organization, we believe it is utmost important for us to expound on issues which need your immediate attention, especially when you have stated in your recent presentations that you support the veterans.

We, as the commander and the vice commander, believe our individual rights have been violated by the Navajo Nation veterans executive director, Mr. Ryan Sandoval, and associates who assisted him.

Mr. Sandoval scheduled a Steamboat veterans meeting on Aug. 25, 2018, at 9 a.m., without informing us properly. He made contact with the veterans’ secretary, Jamie McGee, who made contact with a few veterans who appeared at the meeting.

The purpose of the meeting was supposedly for the veterans who had applied for assistance (hardship, energy, and housing renovation), during the months of March and April, 2018, which were not processed for payment due to lack of funding.

However, the news media reported that $10.2 million was approved by the Navajo Nation Council to be distributed to the 110 chapters in the amount of $10,909 per chapter. The $10,909 was to pay the veterans who did not get their funds during the months of March and April.

When Mr. Sandoval came to the chapter, he told the veterans who were present they could only receive $300 to be processed immediately by the following Thursday, Aug. 30. That didn’t suffice, as announced by Mr. Sandoval, reverting false information and abusing the veterans psychologically. This is viewed as an abuse of authority by Mr. Sandoval, or was this a political ploy?

The same day another decision was made by Mr. Sandoval to hold an election for new officers. Again, without the consent nor knowledge of the commander and vice commander. The few veterans who were present at the meeting became concerned about this inappropriate action.

The following Thursday, Aug. 27, two veterans who had attended the Aug. 25 emergency-called veterans meeting expressed their concerns, questioning why did the veterans’ secretary assume the responsibility of taking control of the election of new officers when the commanders weren’t available?

Also, she asked someone to nominate her sister to become the commander, which is a conflict of interest to nominate a family member. The sister, Thursa Smith, resides in Yuma, Arizona. It doesn’t make sense to have a commander commuting from Yuma monthly for the Steamboat veterans meeting.

Also, there’s concern about her health problem. Recently, her mother, Arlene McGee, had informed us Thursa Smith had a stroke, which would impede her veteran commander’s performances and Steamboat veterans are not familiar with her.

Rather, the decision was already made to have the veterans’ election during the October meeting, when we can have at least 25 veterans present. We have to abide by the parliamentary procedures, just as any elections are conducted. Unfortunately, during the Aug. 25 meeting, Mr. Sandoval supported the secretary’s decision to pursue the inappropriate election, which was illegally done per the advisement of one of the attorneys with the Department of Justice.

Therefore, we voided the election, which transpired Aug. 25, 2018, and the original veterans organization will continue to operate as is.

Regardless, the original Steamboat Veterans Organization will continue to operate and host the next two meetings with the election of new officers to occur during the October meeting.

We believe it is appropriate to discipline Mr. Sandoval for overstepping the Steamboat Veterans Organization commander and vice commander’s planning decisions.

What has occurred was micromanagement of Steamboat Veterans Organization by Mr. Sandoval and people who assisted him in this inappropriate activity and event. This kind of practice has to stop by reminding our workers to have the respect for our Navajo Nation veterans. Thank you.

Lee Bitsui, Commander
Nelson Tsosie, Vice Commander
Steamboat Veterans Organization
Ganado, Ariz.

We need a way to train future leaders

One does not need to look far to conclude that we’ve clearly had a failure of leadership. Disappointingly, our political system is not working as it should.

Big problems are not being addressed — decreasing tribal revenues, tribal government inefficiency, inadequate education system, unsafe communities, lack of quality jobs, and infrastructure that is in need of major repair. The list goes on.

But what’s the nature of that failure? The leading theory is that it’s the corruption. There is too much power flowing through Window Rock. The elected officials get what they want and everyone else gets the shaft.

Another theory has to do with ill preparedness – elected leadership unable to lead at a high level. They don’t have a clue about what is going on beyond them to understand the “what” and “how” for addressing critical issues facing the Nation.

There’s merit in both theories. But I’d point to something deeper. In too many instances we have had leaders that are less likely to have the education, leadership experiences, and discipline needed to become effective leaders.

So why haven’t our elected leaders organized a training program to train future tribal leaders?

As simple as it sounds, this is one example where our leadership has failed by not establishing a training center at Diné College or Navajo Technical University. After all, isn’t that part of their mission, be a resource to the Dineh Nation? Part of the blame must include the leadership at the two institutions for failing to see this as a need.

If the speaker and the Council can build an empire for themselves and literally use it to take the power away that the Navajo voters give to the president and vice president for electing them into office, they could build a training program for future presidents, Council, and chapter leaders, including tribal government service.

Unfortunately, the speaker and the Council have found themselves enmeshed in a system that drains them of their sense of vocation and are only concerned for the office of the president and their running mates.

Joe Shirley Jr. seems to be an exceptionally fine person, but when he was campaigning he did not sound like a candidate who has stepped up his leadership or who has a grasp of the major issues facing Navajo people.

Jonathan Nez seems to have been inspired by a desire to serve the youth, but over the past four years he failed to perform at a level to address any of the major issues I list. He also should have disclosed his DUI, which now makes him deceitful and untrustworthy.

Like many of you, I am waiting for a leader with a vocation mindset that has their eyes fixed on the long game and has the skills to throw themselves toward their goals imaginatively, boldly, and remorselessly.

Wallace Hanley
Window Rock, Ariz.

---