Speakers urge Diné to keep dream alive

Dozens of demonstrators march through the streets of Window Rock on Monday to honor and remember the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The march, which traveled from the Window Rock Fairgrounds to Veteran's Memorial Park, was the seventh annual rememberence in Window Rock, and the had the largest number of participants ever. [Photo by Jeffery Jones/Independent]

By Sararesa Begay
Diné Bureau

Members of the Horses drum group, from Rocky Boy Mont., play the closing song Monday at Veteran's Memorial Park in Window Rock after demonstrators marched from the Fairgrounds to the park to honor the life and work of Dr. Marting Luther King Jr. [Photo by Jeffery Jones/Independent]

WINDOW ROCK — Sylvester Stanley, Gallup Chief of Police, told the young people who were in attendance at the 7th Annual Navajo Nation Martin Luther King Jr. public forum on civil rights in Native America that he has been in the hallways where black people and white people were separated during the days of segregation in Tennessee where he grew up.

"I've seen those days," Stanley said. "I was in the first class of integration in high school in Trenton, Tenn., which is 100 miles east of Memphis in the country. Those times were tough, initially, they forced us to go an all-white school. The school didn't want us there."

He added that the state of Tennessee was of one of the last states to be fully integrated, and his school finished being integrated during 1970.

Stanley then said when he was a young man he wanted "to be all he can be," and went into the service in 1973. He's has 21 years of law enforcement experience, and is a retired captain from the Bernallilo County Sheriff's Department. Before working as the Gallup Chief of Police, he was an Isleta Pueblo Police Department Chief for a year. This is his third year in Gallup.

"This day is special to me," he said. "Dr. King is my idol. It's about setting the foundation for us. We have each other to survive."

Stanley told the young people in attendance "to be proud of who you are," and "anything you want in life, you can have it. It's not untouchable."

"You can't forget who you are, so you can outsmart the other guy," Stanley said. "Be proud of who you are."

Another guest speaker was Anna Rondon, the first Navajo woman to declare her candidacy for the city of Gallup mayor position. Rondon represented the Consortium for Social Change.

"It's good to celebrate our leaders," she said. "We need to have our council delegate here."

Rondon then talked about Sonlatsa "Sunshine" Jim-Martin's earlier presentation about intergenerational loss, grieving and trauma, and how we, contemporary Navajos and Native American people, have inherited that from our history.

"Oppression comes in different forms like taking away one's land," Rondon said. "What the Navajo Nation council is doing is oppressing our people. They don't understand their oppressors, and it's going to take mutual respect. How would you turn that paradigm around where the people have the power, not the council delegates."

Then Rondon become emotional and began to cry.

"When you talk about the truth it really overwhelms you," she said, adding that we need to have more forums and action items to work on the intergenerational trauma. "The oppression comes from George Custer Bush and his Dick Kit Carson Cheney."

She said that Bush and his administration have oppressed the American people by telling them that they need to occupy Iraq, but it's really so Bush and his supporters can have more oil.

The audience members laughed and clapped.

Jim-Martin said on the Navajo Nation, alcoholism, domestic violence, suicide and depression are at an alarmingly high rate compared to mainstream America.

"When a person goes through a horrible event, that trauma consumes that person," Jim-Martin said, adding that part of having a healthy life is having healthy mental health. "In our culture, it was taken care of by our healers, but now we see a lot of individuals who become apathetic, depressed and violent. A whole of array of things can happen with historical trauma."

Jim-Martin said to be a healthy Navajo, one must know his or her cultural identity, and know that one isn't inferior to others.

She said that she uses her life story when doing her work as an activist for social change in the Navajo community.

"I really struggled," Jim-Martin said. "I really believe in counseling. A lot of our people carry a lot of hurt, anger and grief. Let's not forget the mental health and wellness of our people."

The other guest speakers were Dooda Desert Rock representative, Harrod "Hawk" Dixon of Littlewater and Alice Willie; Lenny Foster, American Indian Movement member, and Native American religious rights activist; Mary Chris Martin, a Chicana motivational speaker from Fort Defiance, and Marley Shebala from The Navajo Times.

"Those of you who are here," Jim-Martin said to the participants. "We challenge you that his spirit never dies. Coretta Scott King carried on his work so all people could have equal rights."

Jim-Martin said this year's 7th Annual Navajo Nation Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration was the biggest yet with 75 dedicated walkers who braved the wind and cold.

Sararesa Begay can be reached at venisondine@hotmail.com or by calling 505-371-5443.