Washiindoon bana'anish

Dii jih eiya t'aala' jih nida'anish. Ya'at'eehgo ninaadashiilnish. Dine biwashiindoon bana'anishgo ya'at'eeh. Eibik'ehgo eiya dii Tribal Employee wolye. Tribe ya nidaalnish. Dikwii sha' tribe banidaalnish?

Clans before Plans

The Dark side of the Navajo universe disregards clans. That's why I like Moonie's saying, "Clans before plans". As we go further and further on, less and less people are encouraging clanship. The Dine rule is that you are not suppose to date or marry your own mother, father, son or daughter.

Bravo to Moonie for encouraging the good Navajo culture! Nizhoni!

Pondering a dangerous reservation and a Navajo Police Officer's death

Our own people are killing us. Our own people have become Nayee'. How many of our reservation men are like Kirby Cleveland? He is accused of having beaten a woman with a bat. He served two years in federal prison for that. Then just last week, he was drinking and took a gun and killed Officer Largo of Crownpoint Police Department. Check out the official complaint. (here) How many more Kirby Clevelands roam the rez? The rez has become a dangerous place. If we accept as normal the rez as a dangerous place, then what does that make us? Are we desensitized? Are we the Nayee' for normalizing this dangerous environment?

We voted for the Navajo President

I don't like the disrespectful treatment of our Navajo President by some Navajo Council delegates who seem to think they are more powerful than the President. Some Delegates have started to bluntly disrespect the Navajo President.

We need to keep in mind some things.

An act against one is an act against all - Anyone who disrespects the Navajo President also disrespects the Navajo People who voted him in.

Unlike the Navajo President, the majority of the entire Navajo voting population (110 chapters) did not vote in any individual Council delegate. The individual delegates merely represent, at most, a handful of chapters. Therefore, any one individual Council delegate cannot be more powerful than the President. It is embarrassing to hear disputes about who represents the Navajo Nation to the outside world.

We must remember these principles anytime Council members start belittling the President.

If the Navajo Nation Council continue to disregard basic rules of respect, then maybe we need to start considering a referendum to abolish the Speaker's position and put the Council back under the President's control, as it used to be in the days of the Chairmanship. The current structure does not seem to be working because the President has no real power to implement the promises he made to the People during campaign season. Anytime the President tries to implement ideas, the Navajo Nation Council just laughs at the Navajo Nation President.

Lessons from DAPL #2

Lesson number 2 from the Dakota Access Pipe Line controversy: In America, it is all about classes - Upper class versus middle and lower classes. For the upper class, profit (a sugarcoat for greed) outweighs middle and lower class American health, safety, and welfare.

Navajo Generating Station to close

Navajo Generating Station is scheduled to close in 2019. (here) Two big questions:

About 50-60% of Navajo Nation revenues comes from mineral royalties from Peabody-NGS. Is the Navajo Nation ready for this loss in revenues? Is there going to be a massive tribal employee layoff just to keep the Nation in operation?

The Navajo Hopi Land Settlement Act of 1974 was passed by the Federal Government to remove thousands of Navajo families from the Navajo-Hopi Joint Use Area so the corporate interest (Peabody) could mine the coal. Now that there is no longer a need to mine coal, are the removed Navajos going to get their ancestral lands back? Will we migrate back to nihi chei bikeiya by the masses and reclaim our land back?

Bravo to economics!

Navajo Seal Creator passes

 Hastiin Dine biwashiindoon bik'ih ashchiigo ayiilaayeega' ei aden jini. Bijei biishxi jini. Hastadiin naahai yeedaa' na'azhch'aa'go ayiilaa nit'ee' jini. Yaah. Akwii.

Woozhch'iid biyazhi

Ya'at'eeh. Dii ei k'ad Wozch'iidji' anaahoolzhiizh. Akoo keiya bikaa'go nidahootsooh. Ch'il haadaanse'. Yas Dine'e anahakaah. Nizhonigoshiih atsa nidahaazhchiigo anaadadees'niid.