Delegates voice lack of communication concerns with Nez

WINDOW ROCK

Some delegates spoke to President Jonathan Nez after his state of the Navajo Nation address on Monday about the lack of communication from the president’s office.

Delegate Edmund Yazzie was one of the first to speak and voiced his concerns about not being on the same page as the president.

Yazzie said one issue with which they are not on the same page is the new Gallup Indian Medical Center, which is needed to replace the old hospital that currently exists.

“I know, for the record, that IHS (Indian Health Service) indicated that they selected site of Rehoboth, Yazzie said. “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t anybody else, it was them according to the report.

“Black and white, as we say, and so on that the Council did a resolution and finally decided that ‘OK that was going to be the site,’” he said, “then the Eastern Agency Council, all the chapters, agreed on that.”

He said with the pandemic, he has seen changes to the original plan about building the new hospital at Rehoboth. He believes the Council and the president’s office should show the Washington office that they are on one page.

“On behalf of the Eastern Agency Council and the chapters, the Eastern Agency that we represent, let’s be one voice, sir,” Yazzie said to Nez. “We’re going to still continue, I heard Eastern Council, a few of the members and chapter leaders, we’re going to continue to keep it (new hospital) where it’s at.”

He reminded the president that election time is coming and people will be asking questions about the new GIMC that was discussed early last year.

“On behalf of the Eastern Agency, on behalf of the people that are requiring medical attention, let’s get this IHS hospital done once and for all with no disagreements,” Yazzie said.

“With just being on one page and moving it forward at the Rehoboth site where past decisions were already made,” he said, “and I say that with respect, President Nez and Vice President Lizer.”

Nez said he agrees with Yazzie in getting the new hospital built and said plans are moving forward to go with the Rehoboth site.

“Just as always, as I mentioned many times, Delegate Yazzie, there’s got to be an alternative just in case,” Nez said. “The monies are already being airmarked for this year, next year, and the year after that and so I agree that we go to build a GIMC, we do.

“We honor the resolutions but what if the land doesn’t come out to what we want it to, you know? Then we’d be running around trying to find a new area, a new place,” he said.

He said from the way it is looking so far, the Eastern Agency will be receiving a new hospital and IHS knows the facility is a priority along with the Phoenix Indian Medical Center.

Delegate Eugenia Charles-Newton continued the trend of concern with no communication and not being on the same page as the president’s office.

Within the state of the nation address, the Tribal Community Response Plan was introduced which will help aid the ongoing issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people within the Navajo Nation.

The plan includes law enforcement response, victim support services, media strategies, and the integration of community-based resources.

“The Office of the First Lady and Second Lady has been working collaboratively with the Division of Public Safety, Department of Health, Division of Social Services, Prosecutors Office, Department of Emergency Management and many external partners to develop a Tribal Community Response Plan aimed at finding lasting solutions to help find missing persons and to help heal our people,” Nez’s address stated.

Charles-Newton said Council and the person who has been in charge of the missing and murdered Indigenous relatives were not invited to this meeting.

“I read further in your report, the next paragraph, you do talk about, ‘Our deepest hope is that working together will heal, restore, and reunite families,’” she said, “and I think working together, you need to include working with Council.

“This cannot be done just by your office,” she said. “I think with the collaborative response plan when you don’t have delegates who know what’s happening, you’re missing out and you’re wasting Navajo money by having to have people who are doing the work that’s already been done.”

In the report, Nez said he has been working with some delegates and Charles-Newton said she finds it interesting how she has not been contacted to discuss what the Shiprock community wants.

“In terms of page three of your report, your external partners, the chairwoman of the Law and Order Committee, this is the first time I’m hearing about the Tribal Community Response Plan, and I think that sends a very awful message to the Navajo people,” Charles-Newton said.

“I just want to make that clear, on the record for anybody who is watching on the worldwide web,” she said, “that the president’s office has not reached out to the Law and Order Committee.”

Nez responded to Charles-Newton and said the TCRP is bringing all the executive branch partners together to develop a plan for services.

“We’re wanting to develop a missing persons unit under public safety,” Nez said. “We’re addressing putting dollars, we reestablished the K9 unit, we reestablished the drug-and-alcohol task force, we put money in there through our budget so there could be roadblocks and drug and alcohol busts in our communities.”

He said they are bringing all the partners together in a collaborative effort to address the issue of missing persons so a response can happen once a missing person’s report is filed.

The vote to accept the report was 20-1 with Delegate Charles-Newton opposed.

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