Tsosie sworn in
Senator opts for council delegate over state position

Leonard Tsosie raises his right hand and takes the oath of office from Chief Justice Emeritus Tom Tso as he is sworn in Monday morning as a Navajo Nation Council Delegate in Window Rock. [Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent]

By Sararesa Begay
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — Leonard Tsosie was sworn in as a council delegate for Pueblo Pintado/Torreon/Whitehorse Lake chapters at 12:08 p.m. Monday during the first day of 21st Navajo Nation Council.

"I've walked a long road since election day," Tsosie said as he addressed council and those present in a packed council chambers.

Earlier Monday morning, Tsosie along with his family members and supporters, submitted his resignation to Edison Wauneka, Navajo Nation Executive Director, during a Navajo Board of Election Supervisors meeting.

"As you know, the Navajo Nation Supreme Court, by an order dated Jan. 18, 2007, has given me until 9 a.m. Jan. 22, 2007, 'to choose whether to serve the people in the Navajo Nation Council or the New Mexico State Legislature,' " Tsosie states in his letter. "I choose to serve in the Navajo Nation Council. As a result, I must resign from my office as a state senator."

Tsosie offered two types of resignation for the board members to accept. One resignation offer is effective immediately, and the other resignation "will allow me to leave the office of the senate upon the naming and appointment of my successor."

Tsosie left the decision to the election office and board members to choose which resignation to accept. The board went into executive session to decide which resignation to accept.

"I submit these two types of resignations because I am worried about constituents, including the Navajo people in 15 Navajo chapters of senate district 22," Tsosie said. "Should your office and NBOES choose the type of the resignation that will allow me to leave until my successor is appointed, you will allow no voice in the representation of the Navajo people."

The board member chose the resignation that required his immediate resignation from the senate position.

He told the board members as an example of his constituents' concerns, on Friday, Jan. 19, a Navajo woman from the Standing Rock chapter "sadly expressed her equivocation about my possible resignation from the state senate."

"I tried to be comforting by stating that I was making arrangements for whatever choice I am going to make," Tsosie said, adding that he trusts the election office and the NOBOES to accept his resignation "that will allow continued representation of the Navajo people within senate district 22" until his successor is named.

Tsosie said in his resignation letter "to not do so will go against the intent and spirit of the Navajo Nation Election Code which seeks to have your office and NBOES to project and speak for the rights of the Navajo people in state government hence, the involvement in state elections." Tsosie said that "it should not take a debate to decide what is in the best interest of the Navajo people and which resignation to accept."

"All I ask is that you and NBOES think of the Navajo people without the legalese interpretations that will be attempted upon you or NBOES," Tsosie said. "I would ask your office and NOBES make this decision with little or no input from tribal lawyers. They have been my adversaries to the very end using the resources of the Navajo people and I do not think they will give you unbiased advice."

He also highlighted some major projects that his office "was going to shepherd through the 2007 session of the New Mexico state legislature." The projects are:

A $15.3 million dollars for the waterline project for the Chaco basin chapters, Torreon, Counselor, Ojo Encino, Whitehorse Lake, Pueblo Pintado, Nageezi and the community Rincon Marquis.

A $3.4 million dollar appropriation for the Internet-to-the-Hogan project that in partnerships with Navajo Technical College, Navajo Department of Information Technology, and others, to provide high-speech wireless telecommunications to many Navajos including youth and children.

Appropriations to get funding for county roads used by many Navajos to be included in an initiative of Gov. Bill Richardson. The initiative is known as the GRIP II initiative.

Amend the Indian Education Act and to enact a Native American Higher Education Act to improve the deliverance of education to our Indian children, including Navajo children.

Looking out for the Navajo people's interest.

The Navajo Nation Supreme Court ruled Jan. 17 during a hearing at the Pueblo Pintado chapter house that Tsosie has to either continue to serve in the capacity as a state senator or resign to be the council delegate for Pueblo Pintado/Torreon/Whitehorse Lake chapters.

The court's decision will be issued in written form in the coming days. Tsosie supporters who marched along Navajo Route 9 to the Pueblo Pintado Chapter Wednesday morning weren't surprised at the decision. Tsosie has been a New Mexico state senator for 15 years.

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