Navajos to invite Obama, Giuliani
Shiprock wants pols to visit reservation

By Natasha Kaye Johnson
Diné Bureau

SHIPROCK — Shiprock chapter officials are making plans to invite U.S. presidential candidates Barack Obama and Rudy Giuliani to Shiprock to present their campaign platforms.

Officials have been discussing the idea for a little over a week, and are making concrete plans to contact the campaign coordinators by next week. The idea of inviting the candidates became a topic of discussion after it became clear to officials that the popularity of both candidates was becoming increasingly high among the community.

With a majority of the Navajo Nation being Democrats, Obama's popularity, officials said, is becoming higher among Shiprock residents. Of all the presidential candidates, it seems as though the community is beginning to lean towards his favor, they said, although New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is among the presidential candidates. "He's quite an orator," Donald Benally said of Obama, which is why they believe he is more favorable among local residents. Many of the issues Obama has presented, Benally said, are also issues that are of common interest to the Navajo people, like creating a stronger health care system that works. It's these reasons, officials believe, he may be gaining popularity as well.

Benally said there are also quite a few Republicans in the area, and that inviting a Republican candidate would only be fair and appropriate. Chapter officials agreed that Giuliani would be the most ideal candidate to invite, but had no particular reason for selecting him as the Republican candidate.

"People would appreciate that," Benally said.

By bringing in presidential candidates, or any state or federal government officials, for that matter, Pete Deswood, chapter coordinator, and Benally said it would better inform them of the issues facing tribes.

"A lot of these people don't' know what the reservation is," Benally said. "We do have people that live in old, run down homes."

It would not be the first time that chapter officials invited an internationally known politician to the community. In 1984, the community invited Jesse Jackson, after he recently organized the Rainbow Coalition. His visit attracted between 4,000 and 5,000 people, officials said.

"People were really happy to see him," said Benally. "He lifted up their spirits and made them feel good. Those are the things people need to hear."

Former President Bill Clinton was in Shiprock in 2000 as well, although his invitation to visit the address the community did not come directly from the chapter house.

Because election season is not in full swing just yet, Deswood believes that there is a high possibility that both candidates may accept their invitation to speak at the chapter house.

"At this point, they probably will come," said Deswood.

Benally thinks it would bring much needed attention to the issues facing the Navajo Nation to local state politicians as well. "That'll wake up the politicians around here," he said.