Letters: Vote to preserve Navajo language

With the Navajo Fluency Election set for July 21, it is to my understanding the individual(s) running for tribal office, the tribal presidency, vice presidency, tribal council, or the chief justice positions that require communication with the Navajo public the ability to speak and/or converse in the Navajo language. Correct me if I’m wrong.

(Editor’s note: Tuesday’s referendum will only affect the president and vice-president candidates. Tribal law now requires council candidates to be fluent in either English or Navajo.)
Also all high level executive positions that require important lawmaking decisions that will have an adverse affect for the Navajo Nation justifies this.

The Navajo language has always identified us as Navajos to communicate important issues to the Navajo public and to retain Navajo sovereignty. We need the Navajo language. The issue of Navajo fluency is being put to vote due to the recent Navajo tribal president election. One of the presidential candidates was disqualified for lack of fluency in the Navajo language.

Sadly, a growing number of Navajo, especially the younger generation do not speak the Navajo language. We need to retain our language and our traditional beliefs for generations to come. Your vote on July 21 will determine this.

Kenneth Etcitty
Hosta Butte, N.M.

Tribal officials need a unified position

I want to applaud the new Navajo Nation President Russell Begay and Vice President Jonathan Nez for supporting and sitting down with the Navajo Nation Council, tribal division directors and staff to discuss Navajo Nation needs and priorities.

This is a huge change and improvement from past years when a former president decided to ignore the official budget preparation procedures through meetings with OMB, division directors, staff, Oversight Committees, IGR, and the council. The reason that was I have my own voice and don’t have to say what the council tells me to say but, that that really messed up the Navajo Nation official position statement and priorities at Washington level and Congress told Navajo government officials to get their act together, that Navajo position and priorities are different and need to be consistent.

The Navajo Nation position needs to be consistent and presented with a unified voice, one voice so move in the same direction. Please advise your D.C. director to work with the members of the Navajo Council. A director back then told the Council, “Sorry Council, we cannot assist you, only the president is authorized to lobby.”

Even a state elected official at that time told Navajo delegates I can only talk with and lobby with the president. So the three branches need to get reunited to continue work together to benefit the Navajo Nation and people in lobbying for external funds from counties, state and federal government. It will take time to get Navajo government re-stabilized, but it will take three branches to re-establish a positive partnership first.

Lastly Mr. President, do not send police officers to D.C. a day before your trip, and travel with another squad on the day of your trip to D.C. Police are needed on the reservation because of too much drugs, bootleggers, domestic violence, and crime.

Veronica Begay
Gallup, N.M.
(Hometown: Crownpoint, N.M.)

Stop picking on the Redskins

As word came down that the Washington Redskins organization was set back by a federal court decision, some issues about it and its name should be covered.

First of all, the meaning of the name has been purposely distorted by those on the phony quest to brand it “racist.” “Redskins” were not scalps, nor was it moniker to label all Native Americans.

Instead, Redskins refers to a specific warrior-type Algonquian peoples of the East CoastÑself-referenced as suchÑwho painted themselves red for battle and ceremony with bloodroot. These great warriors had a lot to do with teaching the American colonists how to fight with the guerilla tactics that saw them overcome innumerable odds against a vastly superior British onslaught.

The 505 Redskins Fan Club, one of the most active, is founded by all Native Americans. The Flagstaff Redskins fan club is also founded by members of Navajo and boasts almost all Navajo and Hopi membership. Redskins fans on Navajo Nation outnumber Cardinals fans at least 2 to 1 from everything I’ve seen and heard.

On Oct. 12, 2014, when the Cardinals played the Redskins in Glendale, there were 3,000 or more Native Redskins fans from all over the Western U.S. nations who attended and rallied at the game vs. about 30, mostly non-Native protestors.

We watched as they, led by Ms. Blackhorse, chased down families and children screaming obscenities and epithets like “racist,” “backstabber” and “sellout,” to any Native proudly wearing his or her Redskins gear. We also watched all the news reports following the game that irresponsibly portrayed the two sides as being equal in size.

One does not do this issue justice by ignoring what the Redskins organization has done for Indian Country, either. In Navajo Nation alone, the team has given $20,000 each of the last two years to the KTNN golf tournament to support Native scholarships, on top of $30,000 to Monument Valley High School. Similar contributions pepper Indian Country. The team also licensed the Redskins trademarks without cost to Navajo artisans so that they can use them to make jewelry and other items, giving them free entrance into NFL merchandising, a multibillion-dollar industry.

I ask what has Amanda Blackhorse or any of her supporters given back? Notoriety? That certainly seems to be her personal goal because if she had chosen any other issue she would be working in unity with other activists, fighting to improve the several socio-economic challenges that Navajo Nation, and Indian Country as whole, faces on scales many times grander than any other ethnicity in America. Instead, she seems to have picked the one issue that divides the Native nations amongst themselves.

In a country where other ethnicities are able to celebrate their Cowboys, ’49ers, Patriots, volunteers and so many more, several of whom represent groups who largely subjugated, displaced and even slaughtered Native Americans, it seems that Indian Country, the founders of both Western continents, should also be equally recognized in mainstream. That these names are meant to incite anything other than pride, teamwork, courage and other competitively superior values in the minds and hearts of fans and players is an outrageous fallacy, a lieÑit’s competitive sports, and self-deprecation is not part of the program.

The name-change movement is nothing less than a socially and culturally genocidal scam. All such genocides involve tabooing or wiping out positive imagery of the target group. The genocide facing Native Americans has taken 500 years and 100 million lives, but it’s not over, and the name-change scam is proof positive it carries on, perhaps to its final stage of victory.

Daniel Quigley
Phoenix, Ariz.

Sen. John Pinto needs to be recognized

I wonder if our tribal officials ever think of recognizing Senator John Pinto from the land of enchantment for his service to the nation. He’s been a state senator for more than three decades.

It seems like others from the state of Arizona are always appearing in the media such as the Navajo Times and other local newspapers. I feel the Navajo Nation officials should officially recognize and honor Senator Pinto for his achievements and leadership as an elected official. It’s long overdue.

I know Senator Pinto as a very humble man, action oriented, polite, generous and respectful to all walks of life. He is an achiever, think tank and a champion in pursuing state funds for education, community development and veterans in his district. The most visible development is the four-lane Highway 491 being constructed at this time.

Many state elected officials commit some degree of misconduct and mismanage funds. Senator Pinto is just the opposite. He has a sparkling clean record even after 30 years of service. He deserves to be recognized and honored by the Navajo Nation government.

There have been many highly qualified candidates that challenged to oust him but he was always successful. He hardly campaigns but he is always the victorious one.

I urge the Navajo Nation Council and the current administration to officially recognize and honor Senator Pinto for his 30-plus years of service. Thank you.

Vern Charleston
Farmington, N.M.

We need to change what is not working

In reference to the article “RDC opposes economic director’s report” that appeared in the Navajo Times edition of July 9, 2015, I am not surprised by Acting Director Tony Perry’s report that lacked not only a viable written document citing major development plans that his department is ensuing, but a well written strategic plan that (1) align vision, mission and values (2) defines strategic direction (3) align functions to Navajo Nation goals (4) sets goals, priorities and performance measures (5) and tracks progress on key initiatives that would help all parts of the Navajo Nation with economic development.

Mr. Perry’s example of ineptness and incompetency reflects his division staff worker and their work product over the years as nothing of great significance has ever been accomplished.

A reliable, sound, and operable economic development deployment plan will not only create jobs, stop the ever “brain drain” occurring in which intelligent and educated Navajo youths are leaving the reservation for good jobs in the cities across United States, but most importantly it will help to alleviate poverty.

A serious approach in analyzing this situation would require a group of specialists to study why the nation’s social and economic development is not progressing at all; such study will have impacting result if it incorporates our Navajo cultural values, which can give sustaining life to every conceivable business ventures on the nation. Our Navajo Nation with knees deep in poverty can begin a serious economic development consisting of manufacturing plants, mom and pop stores, hotel chain, restaurants, tourism development, and many others necessary resources where jobs will be created.

Council Delegate Leonard Tsosie expressed wise leadership guidance in time of critical need where an idle director of a division responsible for sound economic development has nothing to offer, but ineptness, incompetency, and no leadership ability. How many people within the Division of Economic Development are like this?

Delegate Tsosie’s statement to do away with Regional Business Development Office is a good start. However, on a greater scale, I am challenging Delegate Tsosie and other wise and intelligent leaders of the Council, including President Russell Begaye, and Vice President Jonathan Nez to not only eradicate RBDO, but the whole Division of Economic Development. In its place, a private company whose expertise in bringing economic study, business development be outsource. Such outsource to professional business developer with knowledge of bringing capital stack will bring faster development of businesses, including manufacturing plants providing Navajos with jobs. This will also result in huge saving of money to the nation, instead of feeding idlers with checks every two weeks.

It is time to change what is not working to something that will work; therefore, I am also challenging the many Navajo entrepreneurs with dreams of business success, including Dine’ Chamber of Commerce to step up calling for this plan to be in place for an effective success of Navajo economic development.

This challenge also includes calling upon chapter leadership to mobilize a movement through their resolution system calling for an end to idle ineffective Division of Economic Development to be replaced by an effective and systematize, and outsource professional private business developer.

Joe Bergen
Page, Ariz.

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