Opinion

In a recent letter to the editor written by Samuel Begay Sr., Mr. Begay claims, “And not long ago, the ZenniHome payout of $74 million again looks like it lined the pockets of certain officials.” This statement is completely false.

I am writing to respond and correct inaccuracies published in the Navajo Times article titled, “ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) housing stalls as Navajo Nation faces billion-dollar deadlines, zero completed units,” by Donovan Quintero, published in the Nov. 26, 2025, edition.

For quite some time, I have worked extensively with schools serving Indian students across the U.S., focusing on their education. Throughout this period, the linguistic and cultural landscape of tribal communities has diversified amid resource scarcity. Additionally, this landscape has become more political and, lately, less thoughtful, with federal policies significantly affecting the availability of programs, their funding, and the allocation of support.

The Trump Administration announced it will transfer more than a dozen Department of Education programs to the Departments of Interior and Labor as part of its plan to dismantle or wind down the Department of Education. The particular programs of concern to the Native community support elementary, high school, and post-secondary students and institutions. The administration also intends to transfer other education programs to the departments of health and human services and state.