Efforts to develop a tribal constitution off to a good start
U.S. Constitution
WHITE CONE
Efforts to develop a tribal constitution got off to a good start Saturday as grassroots leaders from all across the reservation met to start the process, said Norman Brown, one of its organizers.
Brown, co-founder of the Diné Bidziil grassroots movement and the White Cone Chapter are spearheading yet another effort to create a tribal constitution
Brown said that although there have been unsuccessful efforts in the past to develop a tribal constitution, all of which went nowhere, he feels that the efforts this time will be successful because of the recent election of Russell Begaye as tribal president.
Brown pointed out that Begaye supported the creation of a tribal constitution during his campaign as a way to unify the Navajo people and bring stability to the tribal government.
He said he wanted this gathering Saturday to start the groundwork for the development of a constitution and get people talking about what they would want in it.
“It was incredible,” Brown said after this weekend’s gathering, adding that about 30 people from all over the reservation attended.
The people at the meeting concluded that any tribal constitution would have to address four main areas – self-determination, land concerns, culture and language and government reform.
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