Tradition edges out change in Northern Agency

Alberta Bunny, 42, walked out of the Nenahnezad Chapter House and sent a text message on her phone.

"I was texting my daughter that I just voted for the first time," she said.

Like Bunny, the Navajo Nation was facing a historic moment. The Navajo people had cut the membership of their governing council to 24 delegates, less than a third of the current 88.

In addition, voters were going to select the first chief executive to come from New Mexico.

By the end of election night, the 22nd Navajo Nation Council had 24 delegates-elect, and Ben Shelly became the first president-elect to have roots in New Mexico.

Bunny helped elect him.

"I voted for (Ben) Shelly," she said adding that she chose him over Lynda Lovejoy because of her mother's advice.

"(Men's) words tend to be more (important) than women's. That's what my mom says," she said.

It's an attitude that Lovejoy struggled to defeat throughout her campaign, but in the end it defeated her in every agency but her own, the Eastern Agency.

Many voters expressed it not as gender inferiority, but rather the different roles that Navajo culture has traditionally assigned to men and women.

"I strongly believe that our place is in the home," said Grace Dodge, 61, of Shiprock.
Lovejoy carried both Shiprock and Nenahnezad, but by margins too narrow to reverse the incremental wins that Ben Shelly was racking up in chapters all over the reservation.

"We really need a change," said Neilson Joe, 31, of San Juan, N.M. He voted for Lovejoy in hopes that she would bring fiscal responsibility to the Navajo Nation.

"The man brings home the money and the woman takes care of it. Let's go see if she can do the same," he said.

Pamela Harrison, of Shiprock, said she was leaning toward Lovejoy but made up her mind to vote for Lovejoy after Shelly was charged with conspiracy, theft and fraud involving $8,850 in Council discretionary funds.
Though Shelly denies any wrongdoing, the allegation "sealed the deal" for her and Lovejoy got her vote.

However, Shelly won the Northern Agency with 53.4 percent of the vote and carried 10 of the 16 chapters.

One of the chapters he carried was Teec Nos Pos.

Evelyn Begay, 20, of Teec Nos Pos, said she voted for Shelly because of his vice presidential pick, Rex Lee Jim.

"Rex is big on education," she said, adding that she is a student at San Juan College in Farmington.
However, of the 603 votes for presidential candidates, Shelly won Teec Nos Pos by just 33 votes.

Phillip Todecheenie, 68, of Teec Nos Pos, said he voted for Lovejoy because he was frustrated with the Council's management of money and the recent criminal charges against Shelly.

To date, Shelly and 77 Council delegates have been charged with misappropriating about $1.9 million in discretionary funds for themselves and their family members. Todecheenie said that same money could go to helping college students with scholarships.

"These kids need money," he said, adding that he is frustrated with current leadership. "We need a new leader."

Northern Agency voters also were selecting four delegates to the 22nd Navajo Nation Council.

For Harrison, allegations of misusing funds played a role in choosing a Shiprock Council delegate and she voted for Russell Begaye over the incumbent, Pete Ken Atcitty, who has been charged with conspiracy, forgery, fraud and theft involving $12,500 of discretionary funds.

Other Council winners included LoRenzo Bates, elected to represent his current chapter, Upper Fruitland, plus Nenahnezad, Newcomb, San Juan, T'iistoh Sikaad and Tsé Daa K'aan.

"I like (Bates') attitude. He seems to be straight up," said George Murphy, 60, of Nenahnezad.

Northern Agency voters also chose Kenneth Maryboy, who will represent Teec Nos Pos and Tólikan in addition to his current district of Aneth, Mexican Water and Red Mesa.

Begay, who lives on in the Utah portion of Teec Nos Pos, said she voted for Maryboy because of his fight to keep the Utah Navajo Trust Fund in the hands of Navajos who reside in Utah.

Allegations didn't bother some Northern Agency voters, however, as they chose David L. Tom despite the fact that he is alleged to have misappropriated nearly $280,000 in discretionary funds, the most of any delegate. He will represent Beclabito, Cove, Gadii'ahí-Tóko'í, Red Valley, Sheepsprings, Toadlena-Two Grey Hills and Tsé Alnaozt'i'í.

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