Navajo government reform draft draws pushback over process, Title 26
By Donovan Quintero
Special to the Times
WINDOW ROCK – More than three decades after the 1989 civil disturbance in the Navajo Nation capital exposed deep fractures in tribal governance, a new debate over government reform has revived a familiar question: where does power originate, and how should it be structured to avoid instability?
The dispute centers on a draft reform framework promoted by the Office of Navajo Government Development. Supporters describe it as a long overdue step toward strengthening sovereignty. Critics warn it could replace the Navajo Local Governance Act and significantly restructure local government without full public review.
The draft, titled Diyin Nohookáá Diné’é Bi Beehaz’áanii Bitsí Siléí, has been presented by ONGD as a comprehensive reform initiative. Opponents say the proposal is moving too quickly and could regionalize chapters, shift service responsibilities and alter land tenure policies in ways that weaken local control.
To read the full article, please see the Feb. 19, 2026, edition of the Navajo Times.
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