Carving a Career
Couple finds area economic development still in the talk phase

Lloyd Skacy uses a small pocketknife Thursday morning to carve a piece of Navajo sandstone at the Veteran's Memorial Park in Window Rock, Ariz. Skacy, currently living in Fort Defiance, says that finding work in the area is hard and he has moved to several different places so he can try to earn a living as a construction worker. [Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent]

By Natasha Kaye Johnson
Diné Bureau

Using a pocketknife, Lloyd Skacy carefully scrapes off bits of sandstone while carving an eagle Thursday at Veteran's Memorial Park in Window Rock, Ariz. [Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent]

WINDOW ROCK — When Lloyd Skacy lived in Phoenix, finding steady work was no problem.

But when he and his wife, Leslie Jensen, a Certified Nurse Assistant, moved to Fort Defiance to care for Jensen's elderly parents, that changed.

"It's hard looking for work out here," said Skacy, as he carved his artwork into alabaster stone. "I usually go to Phoenix (for work)."

Skacy, 32, has been working in the construction field consistently since high school.

Because work is so scarce on the reservation, Jensen and Skacy have been selling their jewelry and sculptures as their primary source of income since they moved back in June of last year.

Every other day, Skacy and Jensen display their artwork at the Veteran's Memorial Park, where they sell from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m..

Jensen, who received her CNA degree from the AZ Institute of Business and Technology in 1997, says she's not used to being out of work. Before moving back, Jensen, 29, could easily find up to three jobs at once.

The Shirley Administration hopes to change that with the reintroduction of a $500 million bond proposal that was introduced three years ago. According to Patrick Sandoval, Chief of Staff, the bond would create jobs for people like Skacy and Jensen, in areas such as elderly care, trauma centers, and public safety.

"The president really wishes that the council would take the calculated risk with him," said Sandoval. "It's about creating the opportunity."

"The initial proposal for a $500 million dollar bond was to stimulate the economy," said Sandoval.

Three years ago, Sandoval said federal loans to begin the construction of the facilities was "at an all-time low."

"Those interest have gone up now," said Sandoval, adding that they're now looking externally for funding.

According to the Shirley Administration, unemployment with the Navajo Nation has remained high, with more than 50 percent of the tribe being out of work.

"We're smart enough to know that we can't build a metropolis, but we need to start building jobs," said Sandoval.

"Every job out there you unfortunately have to know somebody to get somewhere," said Jensen. "But if you're eager, you can get a job."

And though "economic development" has become a buzz word on the Nation, the results, officials say, are a work in progress.

"If we could only get past bureaucracy," added Sandoval. A large portion of the $500 million bond would be used to build infrastructure for the proposed facilities. "That's 50 percent of the challenge right there."

And though Jensen grew up on the reservation, moving back is an adjustment.

"I'm not used to the area," she said, adding that she has become accustomed to the city. Even more frustrating, Jensen added, is that they have been waiting three months to get an apartment in Sanders.

"In Phoenix, you can get it done in a day," she said.

Eventually they plan to move back to Phoenix, even though they would rather be near their family.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census Bureau, of 250,000 Native Americans in Arizona, 50,000 reside in Phoenix, with more than half of them being Navajo.

"It's a move they had to make, but they had no choice," said Sandoval.