Our Navajo Nation cannot afford another Trump presidency

By Ervin Jackson

Editor’s note: Ervin Jackson is the president of the Nal-Nishii Federation of Labor. He is Áshįįhí and born for Tódích’íi’nii.

Founded in 1987, the Nal-Nishii Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO represents working families in the Navajo Nation region, including miners, power plant workers, and construction workers. We advocate for worker training programs and improved job opportunities in our community. As the president of the Nal-Nishii Federation of Labor, I have never seen a time where our Navajo vote has been this crucial than in our upcoming election.

My Navajo sisters and brothers, we hold the power to make a real difference in this election and in our communities. I know many of us face high barriers to vote, but it is our responsibility to make sure our voices are heard when it comes to deciding who represents us at a local, state, and federal level.

Historically, we faced many challenges in Arizona including forced relocation, environmental degradation, loss of land, health disparities, and struggles for sovereignty that continue to influence our lives today. Addressing these long-standing issues requires policies passed by elected officials who prioritize the needs and rights of the Navajo Nation and respect our sovereignty over land, water, and resources.

For months we have heard from Donald Trump making promises on the campaign trail that paint a pretty picture, but we have seen firsthand what happens under his presidency. During Trump’s presidency, the Navajo Nation in Arizona had one of the highest COVID-19 infection rates in the country. Trump’s botched response included delayed life-saving resources, such as medical supplies and financial relief, and we lost many of our elders as a result. Things got so bad under the Trump Administration that when a Native American health center in Seattle pleaded for COVID-19 medical supplies, they received body bags instead, showing Trump’s disregard for our people. We cannot let anything like this happen again. When Biden-Harris took office, we all felt a collective sigh of relief when they provided substantial support to address the crisis by passing the American Rescue Plan, which included $20 billion specifically for tribal governments to support public health infrastructure and vaccination efforts. Finally, we could begin our recovery.

Many Navajo homes lack access to clean running water, electricity, and internet due to decades of federal infrastructure policies that didn’t prioritize tribal lands, and this worsened the COVID-19 crisis. In 2016, Trump promised he was going to invest in our infrastructure, but his several failed attempts ended as a punchline, and we never got the infrastructure deal we were promised. In stark contrast, the Biden-Harris Administration passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that invests in water projects, broadband expansion, and road improvements in rural Navajo areas. These investments impact our everyday lives, such as improving transportation routes and expanding broadband for education and telehealth. It means more opportunities for us all.

While Trump was president, we were pushed aside in an attempt to silence our voices. In 2017, Trump’s Administration drastically reduced the size of Bears Ears, a sacred place of spiritual connection and a critical part of our cultural identity and practices without any consultation from our community. Trump has shown us who he is, and he will side with private interests that want to make billions off our public resources every single time. Under the Biden-Harris Administration not only was the land of Bear Ears restored but they appointed Deb Haaland as the first Native American Secretary of the Interior, showing a commitment to work with us.

Our Navajo Nation needs a friend in the White House like Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz, who will listen to us and respect our cultures and sovereignty, not a corporate CEO’s dream of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.
Our Nal-Nishii Federation of Labor has been working to contact union members to get out the vote for not only the president but also Ruben Gallego for Senate and Jonathan Nez for Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District. These candidates have been endorsed by the Nal-Nishii Federation of Labor because they share our vision for a brighter future and have stood with us. Now it is time for us to stand with them. By getting to the polls and casting our votes, we can build a future where our values of fairness, equity, and opportunity for all lead the way.