FT. DEFIANCE NAVAJO AGENCY COUNCIL COVERS TRIBAL ELECTION, DALTCS FUNDING - 10-14-24
TWIN LAKES, N.M.—The Ft. Defiance Navajo Agency Council convened Oct. 12 at the Twin Lakes Chapter House and covered various issues, including the 2024 chapter elections, funding for the Division of Aging and Long-Term Care Support, and American Rescue Plan Act project deadlines.
Council Delegate Vince James (Cornfields, Ganado, Jeddito, Kinlichee, Steamboat) and Council Delegate Andy Nez (Crystal, Ft. Defiance, Red Lake, Sawmill) were present at the meeting.
Several representatives from the tribal divisions were also present, including Timoth Begay, Ft. Defiance Agency Representative for the Office of the President and Vice President.
Begay provided a report that include the five chapter houses currently under renovation: Dilkon, Oak Springs, Red Lake, St. Michaels, and Steamboat.
He said the costs for the renovations range from $200,000 to $5 million and include funding sources from the chapters, New Mexico Infrastructure and Capital Improvement Plan, American Rescue Plan Act, and Sihasin Funds.
“President Nygren signed the veterans housing project into law, which is a $31.7 million initiative with Bitco to build veterans housing,” he said.
He said school safety is another area that the president is enthusiastic about, noting that the recent incidents that occurred at Window Rock, Chinle, and Tuba City are under investigation with the help of divisions in the Executive Branch.
Infrastructure development in the form of waterlines, power lines and sewer are underway with the help of NTUA, NECA, IHS, and DCD, he said, adding that they are a part of the president’s Thousand Homes Initiative.
He said the ARPA projects with Navajo chapters is another area of concern for the president, mentioning that there would be an Oct. 18 meeting at NDOT to discuss project updates and pending deadlines.
Many of the chapter officials were unhappy with the report provided by OPVP and spoke up at the conclusion of the presentation.
Coyote Canyon Chapter Vice President Evelyn Morris said, “I wanted to see the president here himself. It looks like they forgot about the chapters in the Eastern Navajo Agency.
“There are families without water and electricity, maybe you can pass that message on to him,” she added.
Darryl Ahasteen, Nahata Dziil Commission Governance President, addressed the lack of support for Vice President Richelle Montoya by the president.
“This report, all it says is, I, I, I . . . please come together and do your work,” he said. “The top echelon in Window Rock is a failure.”
Larry Foster, Sawmill Community Land Use Planning Committee President, agreed and said, “President and Council, please come together and do your work, which is why we voted for you. We have a budget for six months, now we have finished it. You keep struggling to do it.”
LaVonne Tsosie, Ft. Defiance Agency Council President, said the issues raised are legitimate concerns of the agency council.
“It’s very concerning that he’s not here again,” she said. “I contacted OPVP, why don’t they respond to emails or calls?”
By vote of 18-3-2, the council accepted the OPVP report.
Council Delegate Andy Nez and Council Delegate Vince James provided the report for the 25th Navajo Nation Council Office of Speaker.
Nez said the Council passed continuing resolution for FY 2024 allocations for the current fiscal year at 50 percent.
“There were line-item vetoes, but services were not severely impacted,” he said, adding that statutory set asides received 100 percent funding.
He encouraged chapter officials to reach out to their respective delegates on behalf of the senior citizen centers in their communities.
Other areas covered by Nez included remediation and assessment of contaminated sites across tribal lands like what is taking place for Red Lake Chapter, related to the former Navajo Forestry Products Industry.
“NTUA reported to us that $50 million is going to be reallocated because there’s not enough applicants, so we’re encouraging Community Housing and Infrastructure Development, veterans, Navajo Hopi Land Commission recipients to apply,” he said.
Council Delegate Vince James reported on the recent school lockdowns in Chinle, Tuba City, and Window Rock.
“It’s disheartening, these types of problems we face as leaders,” he said.
James, chairperson of the Health, Education and Human Services Committee, said the committee received a report from the Navajo Nation Advisory Council on Disabilities regarding elder abuse.
Other areas of discussion in the report included non-use of Sihasin Funds in chapter accounts, the increased amount to of carryover budgets for the 2025 fiscal year, and the New Mexico Tribal Infrastructure Fund.
Legislation CO-43-24, approving $450,00 for the Crownpoint Senior Citizens Center and $148 million to the Division of Aging and Long-Term Care Services, to improve 85 senior centers across the Navajo Nation.
The council accepted the speaker’s office report by a vote of 24-0-2.
Other reports during the agency council included NDOT, Division of Community Development, Division of Economic Development, and Navajo Nation Division for Children and Family Services.
Melvin Harrison, Navajo Nation Board of Election Supervisors Chairperson reported on the election and said the NBOES faced a “tough situation.”
He said that the NBOES faced these same issues four years ago when the Navajo Nation was still in the throes of COVID-19.
“Nobody was filing campaign expense reports, some for 20, 30 years,” he said. “We just slapped their hands; look how lenient we were!”
For the 2024 election cycle, the NBOES put their foot down and said no more to the wayward candidates that they would not file the campaign expenses. Harrison said the Navajo Times also printed the names of disqualified candidates.
“It was extremely hard, and we did not expect this. We thought that the leaders would follow the law,” he said.
He said there were 730 candidates for the chapter elections in 2024 and the NBOES disqualified 192 candidates, 40 percent of which were sitting chapter officials. Many were also running unopposed.
“A larger percentage of them have been on their third or fourth term,” he said. “At least 75 percent complied; only 25 percent of the candidates didn’t comply (with the law).”
“It’s not up to us, it goes to the Office of Hearings and Appeals,” he added.
Half of the 192 disqualified candidates have filed grievance against the decision to disqualify them from the election and the NBOES will host a special election in December, provided none of them grieve their case at the Navajo Nation Supreme Court.
Harrison also brought up Legislation No. 0220-24, an act relating to an emergency for the Navajo Nation Council; rescinding CJA-08-24 which amended campaign expense provisions of the Navajo Election Code at Subsections 201 through 209 and Subsection 404.
The legislation, sponsored by Chairwoman Brenda Jesus of the Resources and Development Committee, is unlawful according to one member of the Ft. Defiance Navajo Agency Council.
“Follow the law is my advice,” said Foster. “Delegate Jesus can’t change the rules in the middle of the game, due to the ex post facto law.”
“Just follow the law,” he reiterated.
The NBOES report passed by a vote of 18-0-2 and led to adjournment due to lack of quorum.
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