IHS failing to protect Native Americans from pedofile doctors

There is a scandal in the Indian Health Services.  No I am not talking about the government shutdown a few weeks ago.  The IHS is hiring doctors that come to the Indian reservations to sexually assault child tribal members.   ("A Summary of Ongoing Indian Health Services Scandal").  I have heard about doctors and nurses trying to exploit our tribal ceremonies and medicine people for their knowledge bases.  This issue of sexual assault by IHS doctors is emerging.

The IHS is a part of the federal government.  We as Indian Nations have treaties with the federal government.  We the Indian Nations agreed not to make claims on the lands that is now the United States, now occupied mostly by non-Natives.  In return, the United States agreed to provide health care and American education.  We did not agree to sexual abuse by doctors or priests, yet, that is what we are getting.

("Predator on the Reservation" Video)

All Roads lead to Chaco - 2nd Annual

This  seems like an interesting conference about economic development.  

2nd Annual All Roads lead to Chaco Canyon Conference

March 13-15, 2019

Coushatta Casino Resort, Kinder, Louisianna

It would makes sense to locate the conference near the Navajo rez.  According to the conference website: 

This conference shifts the conversation from protection of Native Nations to empowerment by showing them how they can use their sovereignty to create business opportunities, establish business friendly environments, and become participants in the global economy. Moreover, this conference explores uncharted territory—international trade. The following topics are on the agenda:

• Nation Building
• Historic Tribal Trade and Economic Practices
• Creating Private Sector Economies on Reservations
• Removing Barriers to Entrepreneurship in Indian Country
• Inter-Tribal Trade
• Tribal-State Business Partnerships
• Business Transactions and Enforcing Contracts in Indian Country
• Native Nations Engaging in International Trade

Conference Organizer, Joseph Austin

Council Committee Assignments

Budget and Finance Committee

Amber Kanazbah Crotty from Northern Agency
Jamie Henio from Eastern Agency
Elmer Begay from Fort Defiance Agency
Jimmy Yellowhair from Central Agency
Nathaniel Brown from Western Agency
Raymond Smith Jr. from Fort Defiance Agency

Health, Education and Human Services Committee

Charlaine Tso from Northern Agency
Daniel E. Tso from Eastern Agency
Pernell Halona from Fort Defiance Agency
Edison Wauneka from Fort Defiance Agency
Nelson BeGaye from Central Agency
Paul Begay from Western Agency

Resources and Development Committee

Rick Nez from Northern Agency
Mark Freeland from Eastern Agency
Wilson Stewart Jr. from Fort Defiance Agency
Kee Allen Begay Jr. from Central Agency
Thomas Walker Jr. from Western Agency
Herman Daniels Jr. from Western Agency

Law and Order Committee

Eugenia Charles-Newton from Northern Agency
Edmund Yazzie from Fort Defiance Agency
Vince James from Fort Defiance Agency
Eugene Tso from Central Agency
Otto Tso from Western Agency

Question and Answer session with Prez Nez in Washington DC

https://newsmaven.io/indiancountrytoday/news/five-ideas-from-the-navajo-nation-washington-should-pay-attention-Ni97L4r-l0-LqTrLScdOOg/

Land Department website

For people who want to establish a homesite lease.

Dine Bikeya website

Navajo business website

For people who are trying to start a business on the Navajo reservation, this site is a good resource.

Build Navajo website

Trying to revive the Navajo Generating Station - The problem with Navajo tribal enterprises

Are the Hopis behind this?  Some Navajos and the Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC), a Navajo enterprise, are still trying to gain support to revive the Navajo Generating Station.  (Navajo Energy Officials Say NGS Purchase Will Economically Benefit Tribe).   They believe that they could make the plant profitable by controlling the price of fuel.  However, under the study of economics, the economy is what drives the price of fuel.  Their plan does not address the mining of coal as a profitable operation in this market.  The new plan is not a viable business plan.  It's a dead horse. 

Someone also put an ad in the Navajo Times showing the NTEC board's lack of qualifications.
What happened to Navajo preference when hiring positions for tribal enterprises?  Are the Navajos so uneducated that we couldn't find any qualified Dine to fill these board positions?  I don't believe so.  The Navajo Preference law is probably one of the most violated Navajo laws that go under the table.  I wish the new Attorney General would make this issue a top priority and start investigating tribal enterprises such as NTUA, and Navajo Gas and Oil.  A lot of non-Navajos, from the officers, to the board members, to the lawyers who advise these boards, dictate these organizations that affect Dine lives.   

As for the NTEC tribal enterprise, it would be interesting to see who is all involved in the creation of this tribal enterprise.  Which council delegate sponsored the legislation?  Who appointed the CEO?  Like with the Naat'aanii corporation, my senses tell me there is corruption.  

February snowstorm on the Rez

A snowstorm has hit the Navajo reservation.  These are pictures of the summit area.  Drive safe.

ADOT Roadcam - Highway 264 (Summit)

  

Council Committee Assignment

There have been a few amendments to the council committee assignments.  The amendments will be posted as soon as possible.

Walking in beauty in broken glass

Sometimes it is hard to walk in beauty when the reservation is littered with glass all along the roads and paths.  If you look on the ground with the sun reflecting, sometimes you can see thousands of sparkles from all the broken glass in the dirt, asphalt, or concrete.  The alcohol drinkers are usually the ones who litter the land with all their alcohol bottles.  Sometimes kids find the bottles and break the glass for a thrill.  Either way, they don't value the land. They probably don't realize that others have to use the same roads and pathways and breaking glass poses a danger towards others.  They don't realize that they might go down the same path and injure themselves.  Those broken glass shards hide in the dirt and are razor sharp and can easily cut flesh.

Sharp as a knife

Most of the time, the alcohol drinkers are probably miserable in their lives and to cope with that misery, they need to drink.  Then they share their misery with others by polluting the environment and to make others miserable.  Why hasn't any tribal politician address this problem yet?  We have yet to find a solution to pick-up all the millions of broken glass shards that litter our Dine Bikeya.  It's just another indicator that we as a society have a bigger problem.

Navajo Executive website is up and running

The new administration has their website up and running.  (here)  Great picture.