Not everyone agrees a new day has dawned

A handful of folks holding signs reading, "No Uranium Mining on Dinétah," and "Step Down and Clear Your Name," were among those on hand to greet people arriving for the 2011 Navajo Nation inauguration on Tuesday morning.

Although the demonstrators raised different issues, on one thing they agreed: There are already reasons to worry about whether the new administration and Council will change the way business gets done in the Navajo Nation government.

Norman Patrick Brown, a representative of Diné Bidziil Coalition, said his group is concerned about the incoming administration accepting a $10,000 contribution for inaugural activities from URI, an energy company that plans to extract uranium in the Eastern Agency.

"URI is spending millions of dollars fighting the Navajo Nation's ban on uranium," Brown said, referring to the company's protracted legal fight to define itself as outside the area covered by the ban. "We find that accepting contributions from URI lacks integrity and is disrespectful of the suffering of the people for the last 40 to 50 years."

Deswood Tome, director of the Shelly-Jim transition team, acknowledged that more than $50,000 in corporate contributions was raised to help defray inauguration costs including $10,000 from URI, a Texas-based company.

According to Sherrick Roanhorse, chief of staff, other corporate sponsors were Navajo Nation Shopping Centers, Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise, Mountain Financial, LLC, Native Policy Group, LLC, Robert Lynch & Associates, Navajo Nation Oil & Gas, Navajo Engineering and Construction Authority, Navajo Agricultural Products Industry and United Way.

Roanhorse did not know the amounts of the contributions, which still have to be formally accepted as gifts by the Navajo Nation Council.

"The principles upon which the Navajo Nation has survived has been lost," Brown said. "We pray the Navajo leaders will bring unity, stability, transparency and integrity. A nation not united is a weak and vulnerable nation."

Brown said tribes often condemn the U.S. government for denying the rights of indigenous people, but "meanwhile, the rights of Navajo citizens were denied by the 20th, 21st and 22nd (Navajo Nation) Councils."

"We're not here to create problems but to solve problems," he said. "We are a grassroots organization that wants to strengthen government and bring leaders to a higher standard."

"We care about people and encourage all Navajo people to research and participate in developing a stronger Navajo Nation government," Brown said.

Another demonstrator, Shiprock resident Alfred Bennett, said he represents the Navajo people as a whole in the  "Step Down and Clear Your Name" campaign.

Just hours before the inauguration, incoming President Ben Shelly announced a settlement of charges against him and Vice President Rex Lee Jim in the investigation of Council discretionary funds. However, 11 members of the incoming Council were still facing theft charges involving nearly $470,000 as they took the oath of office, a situation that Bennett found galling.

"This government is corrupt. There needs to be a dramatic turnaround," Bennett said. "Delegates need to clear their name before taking the oath of office."

"It's high time, we get back to business," he said. "The Navajo Nation is lacking infrastructure. There's no adequate water for economic development."

Ed Becenti, another demonstrator holding a sign reading, "Shelly Loves Uranium," said he plans to work with others to keep pressure on the government to be more accountable.

"People want a clean government," Becenti said. "We'll be following the 24 (delegates) for the next four years and making sure they stay in line and don't drift off."

Taking a more subdued approach, friends and relatives of former President Peterson Zah were handing out bumper stickers during the inauguration reading, "Restore Harmony, Hózhónáhodoodleel," a reference to the nonprofit group he recently started to encourage more citizen involvement in public affairs.

Kimberly Silentman-Kanuho, a volunteer with Restore Harmony, said the group is all about bringing awareness to people about what's going on in their own backyard.

"Navajo people shouldn't be tolerating embezzlement, fraud, etc," she said. "People can definitely change things."

Back to top ^