Officials iron out Navajo Fair details
2007 fair poster draws criticism

By Kathy Helms
Diné Bureau

The 2007 Navajo Nation Fair poster has drawn criticism.

WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation Fair always seems to go off without a hitch, thanks to a lot of last-minute behind-the-scenes hard work. This year is no different.

The 61st Annual Navajo Nation Fair, set for Sept. 3-9 in Window Rock, promises to be yet another awesome event. But the success is in the details, and during a report Wednesday to the Resources Committee, Fair Manager Kendall Long said there are still a few to be worked out.

One is that Navajo Nation Police Department does not have the funds to provide service as they have in the past, Long said. Their plans are for only the Window Rock District to be patrolling the areas around the Navajo Nation Fairgrounds.

With thousands of people expected to converge on Window Rock, Resources members Harry Williams and Harry Clark identified this as a major concern.

Long said fair officials are still negotiating with the department. “They just don’t have the money. They claim to be in the red.” Long said he met Monday with Raymond Joe, a member of the Public Safety Committee.

“He said he was going to try to push legislation through to provide security for the fair. He said not to depend on it, but it might happen.” The Navajo Nation Council is scheduled to meet in special session Monday.

Long said public safety also questioned the security guards that we hired. “They can secure areas but they don’t have the authority to arrest anyone.” Talks are under way with Arizona Department of Public Safety, he added. “It looks favorable.” New Mexico State Police will be conducting saturation patrols on Arizona Highway 264 and in the Gallup area. Long said he has not yet spoken to Apache County Sheriff Brian Hounshell, but thought they might encounter a jurisdictional issue.

Several Resources members, including Chairman George Arthur, raised concerns regarding the proposed design of this year’s fair poster, which carries the theme: “The Navajo Leaders, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.”

Looking over the proposed design, Arthur said, “If this is the poster, I’m really disappointed in the concept of utilizing it as an official promotion … As I recall, one of the requirements in the bidding process was to have original art in the development of the poster.”

The poster displays a background photo of former Council Delegate Annie Wauneka, a shot of Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. and first lady Vicki Shirley, and a young girl, representing future leaders.

“I guess I should just be point-blank about this,” Arthur said. “This is a nice family picture of the president. It belongs in the living room above the fireplace.

“I haven’t seen an official vice president photo in any setting with the president. That, to me, is an indication of the leaders. There are two of them. There’s the president and the vice president. Nobody voted for the first lady.

“What happened to the artwork? People collect these as collectibles. I don’t think this would fit into the collectible archives,” he said.

Arthur told Long that the Navajo Nation government consists of three branches, headed by the president, the chief justice and the speaker of the Council. He said those three positions should be recognized, though they do not necessarily have to be present leaders.

Resources recommended others such as Manuelito and Barboncito, or the Nation’s first chairman, Chee Dodge, and former Chairman Raymond Nakai.

Long said he would take Resources ideas back to the poster’s creator. “The producer’s idea was that we would have a former leader, female; current leader, male; and future leader, female,” he said.

Following a fatality during last year’s event, safety is a major issue with the Resources Committee.

Stephanie Baldwin, project specialist and coordinator for this year’s parade, said fair officials met recently with Navajo Police, Arizona Department of Transportation, and Arizona Department of Public Safety regarding people camping and parking along the Arizona 264.

Arizona DPS will be placing cement barricades along the fairground fence.

“That will alleviate a lot of the people parking along the right of way. So they will start setting up those barricades on Aug. 27, Monday,” Baldwin said.

Also, the speed limit in the vicinity of the fairgrounds will be reduced from 55 mph to 25 mph. “The Navajo Police will come through and enforce those speed limits. If you’re coming through there at 26 miles per hour, just beware. You may get a ticket,” she said.

Resources’ Harriett Becenti recommended that public service announcements be made on local radio stations to give fairgoers a heads-up.

Long added that Navajo does not have jurisdiction over people parking in the right of way. “Arizona does, but they really put it back on the Navajo Police Department. We’re going to try to do the best that we can. Barricades will be placed in high-traffic areas,” he said.