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As we continue to face an unknown future for our tribe, we seem to be lost. We have lost our drive as a nation, so many decisions made for our future, in so little time.
I, for one, would like to review your plan(s) for the future of our people. I want to actually read it, understand it, critique it, learn your goals and objectives, the nation's contingent status, and above all be a part of this change.
Why do you not require community input? How can you simply decide what you want for us, without really giving us a chance to review all the researched data? I don't like the way you all play politics, because this is going to affect my life, and the lives of my children, and their children's children.
What is so urgent (that) you have to ignore due process and eliminate all the jobs and careers of our council delegates, at a moment's notice, in a recession with many needs to address? The livelihood of our nation is at stake, and I really would like to ask, why now?
Why is it so important to alter Navajo Nation history? It has been this way for so long, you couldn't wait to do this in a more organized and proper manner. Not to mention, in total disgrace of the families you are putting into the unemployment line where there is so much struggle and hardship.
In my opinion, Mr. Shirley, you single-handedly ruined our great nation's reputation for solidarity, ignored the wishes of our elected officials, did not give proper time and effort into the campaign for a reduction in delegation, and have simply offered no public forums to actually be able to hear what we think.
Therefore, it is safe to say, you have violated my right to due process by bringing about this change with no structure or public input. Where is an established community oversight committee to oversee the actions of transition, and establish the facts that will be relevant to the changes we need?
I am not afraid to tell you that your actions as our Navajo Nation violated my U.S. constitutional human rights, and the right to due process. You have successfully eliminated the need for the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10). Amendments 5-10 address freedoms, rights and tyranny of the government. The 14th Amendment (due process) and the Supreme Court's ability to regulate cases to protect the rights of people, actually depriving us the ability of life, liberty or property without due process.
I say U.S. constitutional rights, because we still have to offer the many freedoms within our Navajo Nation, as with any other place in the world. The Navajo Nation is still in diapers. We, as citizens, did not get the right to vote until 1938.
This whole process took many, many lives as a type of sacrifice, so we could have the value of a just and fair law. This does not exclude us, because we are Native people. We live in a democratic society, the right to vote is offered as a freedom. We have the ability to place concentration on public opinion and, try to focus on fairness in public policy.
We are molding and shaping the Navajo Nation and I am simply requesting the ability to implement transition with more respective, professional and educated manner. We should look and act like we know what we are doing, it shouldn't matter who has more power or money. The ability to make decisions for the sake of our nation should be directed to the three branches of government, in all fairness.
A constitution should be in place, so the power of checks and balances will counter too much control. The way things are going now, I wouldn't recommend drastic strategies because, in my opinion, the election you held in December 2009 was not legal. The way you handled your business was very wrong, and gave us little time to comprehend your actions.
You really need to consider a new career, one that will see you making life miserable for everyone in your own company, and not the general public. One that will accept your unethical conduct, and temper tantrums, that doesn't involve putting our elected leaders out into the street, jobless in such disrespect.
I just wonder, what in the world is so bad that you can't just say, "OK, can we get some input here, your input is very important to me, not just your vote."
At this rate, we might as well surrender and not even try, allow our great thinkers to cease to exist because you want to do it all by yourself.
I will pray for you, Mr. Shirley, you probably do not get too much sleep these days, huh? Pray that you can hear my discontent and feel my dissatisfaction, a member of this once great Navajo Nation, in hopes of any possible recovery of our once great Navajo government.
If you really want to be remembered as a great, great president, you should exert all that energy and spunk into overhauling the Office of Navajo Nation Scholarship and Financial Assistance Office and actually help students who are struggling.
It is important to send our kids to school, it shouldn't matter what they are lacking. If they have a census number, offer them a scholarship, especially if they want to go to school, but can't afford it.
If you can do that, imagine what kind of bright minds will offer such new and innovative ideas and technology to our land, given the chance. That is the key to a great future, taking time out to fund education, it is a wonder why people don't bicker and gripe about something worth bickering about.
Joan Chissie
Tuba City, Ariz.
Staffers revived faltering veterans office
This is a response to the letter by Kee Jackson Jr. ("Senior veterans workers placed on leave," Jan. 28, 2010).
Let me be the first to congratulate Mrs. Evangeline Logg for a job well done. She and her staff took the faltering Navajo veterans office and its disarray and got it back in order. It just goes to show that it takes a strong-willed woman to clean house.
I commend Mr. (Division of Human Resources director Andre) Cordero for making these changes for the good of the veterans, and for taking the confusion out of the paperwork. The only change in the paperwork is we now have one standard form instead of each agency having their own. If Mr. Jackson wants a male to explain the paperwork to him I will gladly volunteer.
As I read Mr. Jackson's letter he sounds more like a disgruntled employee, and maybe putting some of (as Kee put it) prominent senior officers on leave will wake up the veteran's office(s) and get rid of the dead weight, meaning people who only show up for a paycheck and not doing a day's honest work that they were hired to do.
After a meeting with Mrs. Logg it was explained to the few that were in attendance that the veterans program had 16 sanctions against them as far back as 2007 and were never corrected or no action taken. Furthermore, if it wasn't corrected the veteran's program would have lost 10 percent of all their funding.
Mrs. Logg took this job on and within three weeks she was audited and passed. Literally she saved the veteran's program substantial amount of money.
With Mr. Jackson screaming discrimination, how can you discriminate against someone who is not doing or capable of doing the job he was hired to do? For the sudden changes Mr. Jackson talks about, I feel that it was time for a change and from working experience with veterans I know for a fact that veterans are afraid of change, but it was a long time coming.
As far as I can remember, we veterans wanted to remove Mr. (former Navajo Veterans Affairs director Leo) Chischilly. Now that he retired we don't like the change. What gives? Come on, veterans, make up your minds!
Mr. Jackson also stated that a resolution was passed to remove and replace Mr. Cordero and Mrs. Logg. Where is this resolution? As he also stated, the warriors have spoken, how can he and a few disgruntled employees pass a resolution that only a few people know about?
A qualified veteran may and can take the job. Let him or her step forward and submit their application and resume. Why inform the council members? They need to clean the skeletons out of their closets before they mess with the veteran's office.
For the chauvinist comments Mr. Jackson made, does he have the facts to back up his allegations, such as no progression, lack of education, experience and professionalism, and all she did was retrieve faxes and make coffee?
You, my friend, are the one who discriminates and apparently against women.
As for Mrs. Logg not being a veteran, have you asked her if her dad is a veteran? Does she have children in the military? The answers to these questions are yes. She's the daughter of a combat veteran and her sons are proudly serving as we speak.
As a daughter or son of a veteran you see and feel the effects of PTSD, the violence, alcohol abuse, mental and emotional abuse. Can you continue to say she is not qualified because she's not a veteran?
The veteran's program is progressing slowly. It's been that way for years. Just ask any older veteran. These veterans that are demanding answers, that's the problem with us veterans, we always demand, never asking politely.
Mr. Jackson's letter appears to be discriminatory and chauvinist toward women. Mr. Jackson, let me remind you we come from women, and were raised by women. Mr. Jackson also stated that he speaks on behalf of veterans. I am sorry to say, Mr. Jackson, you do not speak for me or the veterans in my family who have proudly served.
Leon Curley Jr.
Jamestown, N.M.
Do not aid and abet government corruption
As a nation of Diné we are fully aware that our tribal government is corrupt. To end this corruption, as a first step we voted in December 2010. From that time forward we can be a part of the solution or we can become a part of the problem of government corruption.
So if we "waa-waa" about the outcome of the voting we are not a part of the solution. If we help the 88 to stay in power another two years, so they can finagle an angle to disenfranchise our voting, we are aiding and abetting government corruption.
When our wise leaders signed the Treaty of 1868, they did it to stop the dying of our people and to preserve the dignity and rights of our people to life. As prisoners of war our Diné lived in nothing more than holes in the ground. Their daily existence was to help one another stay alive. Our brave leaders did everything they could to protect our people.
When released from the prison camps they returned on the long walk home. They wore clothing of rags. Their feet were bloody for many had no shoes.
When they saw the rocks of their beloved homeland in the distance they cried and at the dirt beneath their feet. They gave thanks to the Holy People for their survival. The place they were imprisoned for four harsh years they called "The place of evil" or "The place of death."
Now 142 years later, what has our tribal government improved on? Many of our people still have no homes, not even a hole in the ground. Thousands of our Diné have no jobs and can't buy clothing or shoes for their families. We have no economy and we have little to no money and too many of our people are dying needlessly.
We have no political protection of our basic human rights in any form as our tribal government has given away those rights to federal, state, county and any other government entities that comes along. We voted against these evils and death in December 2010.
Some of our people now want to use the "rule of law" to keep the 88 in power. Where were they when the 88 ignored such laws? Then there are those of the 88 who want to keep their seats an additional two years.
These issues should not be items for discussion. We have voted for a 24-council government. When the 24 are elected and seated they can better educate the voters as to election year cycles. The money these people plan to use to debate and challenge these issues belong to our children and our grandchildren. Not one penny should be used for the self-serving evils of corruption.
Should we continue to fight over these issues? Will there be a winner? Or will we all lose? My late father once told me, "Never wrestle with a pig. You will both get dirty and the pig likes it."
Wally Brown
Page, Ariz.
In defense of Diné College
Insurrection degrading allegiance has undeniably taken its fore against the plan, purpose and pursuit in the educational realm at Diné College, Tsaile, Ariz., campus with the uncertain issues that have so far brought reproach upon the reputation of the college and upon all who have responded to the inspiration of attaining the plan, purpose and pursuit of an education that would suffice the future success of the college's prospects who academically mine for the golden perspectives of academic success while being in classroom instructional pursuit at Diné College.
Most recently to a disappointing stirring of question that was merely incited by the impromptu, unscrupulous, unsubstantiated by evidence decisions that were propagated by the current seats of the board of regents that vied to place the current person who held the position of president of Diné College, Tsaile, Ariz., campus and that person being Dr. Ferlin Clark who without the legality of being pursued in a proper factor of justice was violated in such a way that the stirring of question among the concerned (students) was not to bring repeal solely against the unfairness of the very questionable decision that was propagated with injustice being the margin of itself bringing public slander, reproach and degradation to a degree of sensual sorrow upon his person but the invalidity of proper procedure gave a concept of concern that all was in a state of afflicting surmises that did not give credibility to what was alleged and that my listeners is where justice needs to be interacted and as an Associate Student of Diné College senator I am in service to my positional state of surety that "students helping students" is not violated in any way so as it is now in effect of the virtual embodiment of all who are in account to the Diné College as students I bring without apology to light the eye witnessing factors that the rights of the representation and leadership via Clark were violated to the degree that now trust, truth and triumph are at a questionable stance of reason to continue to carry on all unnecessary alluding that has become very ambiguous to the public and literally caused shame, pain and untamed reproach upon Diné College and all who partakes of the stature and stimulus of the embodiment of its existence.
In this third semester here at Diné College I have earned and learned to the realizing essentials of my potential being instructed and now at this time of institutional interference relating to the current issue(s) that foremost involved the leadership of the presidency per se but I want to remind you that within the confines this college there is an embodiment of students and again as a student senator being sworn in to fulfill the obligations of "students helping students" I hereby declare that what has been happening is not being foretold on the level of due justice but literally the violations of due process along with due diligence have been violated on the behalf of the board of regents who with an array of unspecified notations made an impromptu inscrutable decision to place the current president of Diné College and that person being Clark on administrative leave.
As the impasse of the decision took its toll on the college there were the ones who saw the injustices, some who had compassionate concern and then there were-are some who just do not care to be concerned yet the effects lingers on as the public are now in an awareness as to where "if" one would even propose him or herself as being a current student at Diné College are subjected to an onslaught of criticism and the wonder of substantiated honesty and ignorance on the part of the board of regents seems to be unveiled as to what is really going on in this institution of learning at this time and that being "injustice" is being prevailed.
There were no concepts nor any giving evidences of why this all was in the process of last Monday's decision as I along with other Diné College students took the careful initiative to take stand in the respect of Diné College and the issue(s) have not been clarified to this date of my writing so I make notice of what I have observed and understand that violations on the part of the board of regents need to be brought to the attention of the people who are in ignorant state of understanding and this my friends is not "justice."
There were in the past some prior issues that should have not been included for they were reposed and laid to rest but now it is seemingly that it is on a rebound of being in a course of being repaid in the actions and I dare to say the attitudes and reactions by the board of regents who undeniably vied on to pursuer this course of action that unprofessionally took its toll.
The Associate Students of Diné College stand and I speak on behalf as well as an officer in the position as ASDC student senator that all we favor is that "justice and justice for all would protectorate the reputation of Diné College."
Milton Brock
ASDC Student Senator
Diné College
Tsaile, Ariz.
Messenger not to blame
My comment on the photo with the Navajo police with a rifle: Whether it's good or bad press to publish that photo, get with it, people, the news reports on what is happening around us. Not what might offend someone.
You have my support for all the info you've been publishing which would otherwise been hidden.
Albert Allen
Kirtland, N.M.
Staying current thanks to NT Web site
Hello, my name is Wynonna Cowboy. I am from Monument Valley, Utah. I am 16 years old and of the Bitter Water Clan, born for Many Water Clan. My mother is Rena Atene. I attend school in Salem, Ore.
I am away from home for six to seven months for school each year, so the only way I can hear about the news or read about the news is your Web site. It is an extraordinary way to see what's happening on my reservation. I call home from time to time and not really much news until I read on the Web site. I miss my home on the Navajo Reservation.
I am also representing the Navajo Tribe here at my school, Chemawa Indian School. There are many tribes here, but the most we have are Apaches from San Carlos and White Mountain. The surprising thing is that we are the next most populous at this school. Thank you for helping me keep up with news back home while I'm here in Oregon. Thank you.
Wynonna Cowboy
Salem, Ore.
(Hometown: Monument Valley, Utah)
I also witnessed how the res works. It is difficult to speak up and challenge policies because the old-timers and politicians will try to fire you. They control everything and take credit for accomplishments they didn't work on. So most of us ignored what went on (wasting money, lying).
I hope one day the old-timers and politicians have a change of heart and do the right thing for our people.