Proposed winter session agenda to select speaker, discuss Diné Marriage Act of 2005
WINDOW ROCK
The 25th Navajo Nation Council has outlined its agenda for the Winter Session, which will take place from Jan. 27 to 31, at the Council Chambers.
First on the proposed agenda is the selection of a speaker. The legislation, sponsored by Council Delegate Carl Slater, is to vote and re-elect the incumbent speaker, Crystalyne Curley, or vote for a new speaker.
Council Delegate Vince James, the Health, Education & Human Services Committee chair, stated the speaker should “utilize more Navajo language,” when asked what he hopes the Council’s new leadership will do for the next two years. Delegates Shawna Clah, Casey Allen Johnson, and Brenda Jesus were also asked but they did not respond.
Kayenta Township Manager Jarvis Williams stated he hopes the next speaker allocates ARPA dollars to the township.
“We have the capacity to carry out the projects and spend the ARPA dollars in an efficient manner,” Williams wrote by text.
After a new speaker is selected and sworn in, the Council will move forward with its scheduled discussions and presentations.
According to the proposed agenda, the winter session will feature updates, starting with the State of the Nation Address delivered by Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren. For the last two or three sessions, the president sent the Council a written report in place of providing an update in person.
This address is expected to provide an overview of key developments, priorities, and challenges affecting the Nation. With the new U.S. President Donald Trump having signed nearly 250 executive orders since Jan. 20, President Nygren is expected to provide how his office will work with the new administration.
The chief justice of the Navajo Nation will follow with a report on judicial matters, and the speaker of the Council will provide insights into the legislative body’s recent activities and goals. Additionally, the controller will present a financial report detailing the Nation’s fiscal condition.
The Council will also receive oral reports from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian Health Services, the acting attorney general, and the Navajo Nation Youth Advisory Council. These reports will offer updates on important topics such as resource management, health services, legal matters, and youth initiatives. Furthermore, written reports will be submitted by the Council’s standing committees, boards and commissions, the BIA, the IHS area director, and the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority.
The Council is expected to deliberate on major legislative items. One key issue from previous sessions is Legislation 0139-23, which seeks to repeal parts of the Diné Marriage Act of 2005 to uniformly recognize all marriages within the Navajo Nation. This legislation also proposes amendments to other sections of Title 9 of the Navajo Nation Code.
New legislative matters will also be addressed during the session. Legislation 0265-24 proposes confirming the appointment of Leona Morgan to the Diné Uranium Remediation Advisory Commission, while Legislation 0266-24 recommends the reappointment of Perry Charley to the same commission.
Additionally, the Council will discuss Legislation 0227-24, which involves approving an amendment to an oil and gas mining lease between the Navajo Nation, the Navajo Nation Oil and Gas Company, and ST Oil Paradox LLC. This lease pertains to trust lands in the Red Mesa Chapter in San Juan County, Utah.
Another matter, Legislation 0250-24, proposes the approval of a schedule of fees for the Navajo Department of Emergency Medical Services, ensuring the sustainability of its operations.
Public accessibility to the session will be available through livestreams on the 25th Navajo Nation Council’s YouTube page.
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow