Letters: Wrong tests being given to Natives

In this day and age the educational system has yet to address cultural considerations whenever tests are taken or given to a culture of people that is largely right-brain dominant. This means that right brain processing is a natural phenomenon for certain cultures and test taking is largely a left-brain process.

Books have been written about this yet it seems that this information is ignored. The left brain processes reading, writing, logic, etc., while the right brain processes visual, art, dancing, creativity, spirituality, intuition and love. Westernized cultures are left-brain dominant and test taking is part of it. They are good at reading, writing and figuring the logic of things, but give them a spiritual test and they are lost or give them an intuitive experience and they cannot make sense of it.

Indigenous cultures or artists are largely right-brain dominant. Some mental health professionals are aware but have not developed tests for right-brain patients. Some non-verbal tests may be appropriate.

Window Rock schools may actually be an example where right-brain processing is dominant. Over the years and educational history it is not new that tests performed by Natives are low given the erroneous impression that Natives have low IQ. This is wrong. Educators are wrong to judge these tests as examples of schools doing poorly because they are using the wrong instruments to test. Look it up under “Right brain vs. Left brain.”

I believe Natives have been given a bad rap so all this gab about low tests means little if using the wrong instruments to test in the first place. The message to educators is to get educated about culturally biased testing and develop testing appropriate to the culture. Sadly, Natives have been judging themselves as being inadequate because of the educational system’s left-brain approach to learning and measuring IQ. Low self-esteem issues become blocks to learning. Visual learning is more effective than reading or writing for right-brain people. Body language and wisdom from oral traditions are also effective in communicating values, beliefs and knowledge.

Sharon Manuelito
Window Rock, Ariz.

Trump worst president in history

I thought of calling your attention to this important matter that is based all truth and nothing but the truth – it’s not fake news. Allow me to introduce you to the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump Sr. How many of you agree and think we have a hater and reckless president of the United States? I certainly think we do and he is the worst one in the history of this country. He is a liar loaded with fake words and a distress name caller.

Who does he think he is to be above all? He was so fortunate to become the president by only few electoral voters. Shortly after the 2016 election I wrote to the Navajo Times and predicted that Donald Trump was going to be a deceptive president who would abuse his power to place himself above all. Also, I said he might try to set the stage to initiate World War III, which is apparent now. All of his actions and/or threats are pointing to starting World War III, which previous presidents took measures to avoid. On the other hand, the U.S. secretary of state is working hard to negotiate peace not only with North Korea, but the rest of the world by keeping in mind the safety and well-being of the citizens. And the president says the secretary is wasting his time, a sorry statement, which demonstrates his true deceptive manner.

The president doesn’t care about what happens to the citizens of the United States, he cares only about himself and his wealthy cronies. He knows darn well he is suited to be safe and secure in the event war breaks out. All he cares about is his money, family and nothing else.

The president is a heartless man and doesn’t deserve to be president. He belongs in another Communist country. Lo and behold, look who ran from the draft in the 1960s during the Vietnam War and is now adamant about starting World War III. The president is reckless and very deceptive with his decision-making, which is raising troublesome concerns to our national security and the citizens of the United States of America.

Who is this man anyway? Most of us know he comes from a wealthy family. He was totally chicken to even register for the Selective Service, which most of us real men were required to do at the age of 18. His parents fought hard to keep him out the military by making hefty payments to the medical institutions so they can determine him disabled and avoid the draft. And now for him to trigger World War III is naive and shameful. What a kitty cat!

Does the president have part ownership of the Dakota Access Pipeline Company? My reason for asking is I would like to address what happened on the Standing Rock Sioux Nation in North Dakota, which was emotional and heartbreaking to witness. There was a huge protest against DAPL’s pipeline extension project due to local concerns about the damage being done. President Obama stepped up to the plate and halted the project by way of an executive order due to the concerns and environmental damages taking place. However, as soon as the new president took office he dismantled and voided the Obama executive order and allowed DAPL to continue the work regardless of local concerns. As a result the Native burial grounds were totally desecrated and destroyed to make way for his company to continue work for his personal benefit. As stated, he doesn’t even care about the applicable environmental laws by which he disregarded the mandated environmental survey before breaking ground.

This man doesn’t even know the mandated protocol for the presidency of the United States in terms of the functions and operations of the federal government. He is getting frustrated with the system day by day and working with the congressional leaders and calling some of them wacky. He thinks he’s above the law.

Finally, I would like to say his reckless behavior makes him unfit to be the president of the United States. He needs medical attention and should be admitted in a mental health institution. I recommend he seek help at Indian Health Service of the U.S. Health and Human Services, a short drive from the White House and it’s free. The president needs to be reminded that he enjoys his freedom he has today as a result of the unbreakable code used and undertaken by the Navajo Code Talkers in World War II. They’re the real heroes and deserve a whole lot better treatment from the U.S. government. I am not bad-mouthing Donald Trump, just thought of sharing some real issues and concerns. There was peace on earth before he took office.

Thank you for this opportunity.

Vern Charleston
Farmington, N.M.

Council underestimates Diné

The Gallup Independent headline “Diné say no in landslide” in its Oct. 25 issue could have well been “Diné outwit Council,” “Council underestimates Diné” or whatever, but voting down the stimulus referendum was and is wise.

I could not help being humorously reminded of an old Independent story years ago about the time then Rebecca Martgan was physically attacked by some women at the entrance of the Council Chambers in Window Rock, and after the scuffle cleared with Martgan prevailing, she was quoted saying that they (assailants) underestimated her as she is a “calf wrestler.”

I was proud of Rebecca in that she (also underestimated) prevailed much like the Diné in their defeat of the effort to dip into the principal of our reserve with incomplete plans. This defeat may have happened in part because our elder voters (without calculators) applied their traditional ranch management wisdom, which is you never sell or butcher your prolifically productive ewes or cows if you are future minded. We are all aware that improved roads are needed on our rez, and the would-be billions they will cost.

One idea might be to coordinate our road improvement needs with a regional economic development plan with nearby tribes or major industries and others concerned with tourism as a resource instead of being isolationists hugging on to our so-called sovereignty.

Not to change the subject, but we missed a competitive headline on the “landslide” vote in our paper. Times’ usually very statured cartoon section might have shown our council butchering and/or cows with voters protesting and sales travelers in the background. Or is the omission a “free press” matter? Hopefully not. The foregoing is a humble peck from a dysfunctional sheep camp.

Also, perhaps our need for road development and upgrade should be spearheaded by our own tribal employees with specified Ph.D.’s rather than our overworked politicians and lawyers exclusively. Some of our Ph.D.’s may be planners who can coordinate and streamline all of our “strategic plans” to avoid the usual costly vetoes and overrides in our legislation process lacking a unified Nation plan.

Dan Vicenti
Crownpoint, N.M.

Solar plant is not the answer

Gallup has entered the virtue signaler arena with a highfalutin’ sparkly solar farm bordering the freeway. What you haven’t been told is that it is very expensive per kilowatt-hour produced and effectively a regressive tax on the poor with future electricity bills inevitably rising. Meanwhile, thousands of households in our county do not even have electricity with the consequence of our hospitals overflowing every winter with children and elderly suffering from respiratory ailments caused by indoor air pollution.

Here are some scientific realities our activist/alarmist Gallup establishment has suppressed over the past decade apparently in order to maintain the politically correct status quo. Solar module pollution: Solar panels are a form of toxic, hazardous electronic or “e-waste,” intricately constructed from a variety of dangerous rare-earth mineral materials, making it difficult to disassemble and recycle them. Their promised 25-year lifespan is closer to 15 years, after which disposal issues must be addressed. Some panels fail after only two to five years and can’t be stored in a landfill without potentially contaminating the area. Breaking down panels for recycling is an extremely labor-intensive and unprofitable process. In Japan, the government has grown frustrated with illegal dumping of modules. In China, the mining, processing and disposal of the rare-earth elements has laid waste to vast regions and created hundreds of “cancer villages.”

Fabricating the panels requires caustic chemicals such as sodium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid as well. Solar panels create 300 times more toxic waste per unit of energy than nuclear power plants and Americans with solar roofs produce 30 to 60 percent more electronic waste than non-solar households — USGAO, WNA. Adding insult to injury, the Brookings Institution determined both natural gas and nuclear energy are five times more efficient in reducing the carbon dioxide emissions, which alarmists fear so greatly. Wasn’t the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions the entire justification to promote the technology in the first place?

Fuel poverty is at epidemic levels in McKinley County and the Navajo Nation. It is the state of being unable to afford heating one’s home adequately. Almost unknown: In 2006 the World Health Organization claimed renewable energy costs in Europe now take tens of thousands of excess winter deaths annually. The solution is affordable, efficient energy from fossil fuels such as natural gas, nuclear and coal. Indoor air pollution is the world’s and Navajo Nation’s greatest environmental health hazard (WHO and Diné Environmental Institute) and killer of 4.3 million people worldwide every year. It is caused by wood- and coal-burning stoves used by those living in fuel poverty. It is also notable that USCDC records reveal that, contrary to local radiation superstitions, McKinley County has one of the very lowest cancer incidence rates in the nation.

As a citizen watchdog and expert in environmental health matters, this is just some of the scientific data I have provided to local bureaucrats, media, elected officials and citizen advisory boards as my civic duty over many years. This intelligence could be used to save the lives of thousands in our impoverished region every year, yet it is virtually ignored by our elite power brokers.

Joe Schaller
Gallup, N.M.

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