— He spoke, they asked —
Council grills President Shirley

By Kathy Helms
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — It was “Pass the Hat and Pick on the President Day” during Monday’s opening of the Navajo Nation Council Summer Session.
In the recent past, Council has been politely listening to President Joe Shirley Jr.’s State of the Nation address and then accepting the report without question. But with Shirley’s government reform initiative, it was time to pose tough questions and let him answer to the people.

The only problem was that KTNN, which broadcasts the president’s speech, is not paid to air any commentary beyond the end of Shirley’s speech. So Delegate Katherine Benally of Dennehotso took up a collection from delegates on the Council floor to buy air time.

“Many of us have always maintained that it’s not the initiative that we’re against, but the manner in how the people are informed or misinformed about the Council’s activities. I thought it’s high time that the people heard from us and see how hard we really do work and that their money is not being squandered.

“There was an opportunity for us to talk to the public, and so we took up a collection and paid for four hours of air time. And I’m proud to say that we took it from our own pockets, not from the tribal treasury.”

At 7:45 p.m., Shirley was still being grilled.
“He’s not answering any of our questions,” Benally said. She and several other delegates, as well as members of the audience, commented that Shirley was talking in circles. “We just have to bear with it and let him run around in circles,” she said.

Delegate Larry Anderson was upset that there was little mention of veterans issues in the president’s report.
“If you want to talk about direct attack against the veterans, that’s what is going on right now. There’s a direct attack against our veterans by this administration of the president and vice president,” he said.

“Many of our veterans that are still here today and living, we are ready to do battle any time, any place,” Anderson said, his voice filled with passion. Apparently his words were not taken lightly, because soon afterward, several Navajo police officers arrived. Two were staged at the entrance to the Council Chamber, others at each doorway.

Benally and Norman John II wanted facts and documentation from the president, not generalities. Benally requested paperwork on the signature collection for the government reform petition.

“I want documentation verifying exactly how much money and time the division directors, the chief of staff and his staff have spent of tribal money in collecting signatures.
“There is money, time, vehicles, gas, hot dogs, money spent on T-shirts ... I want to see those documents. And I know that the staff that was spending time collecting signatures were not on leave; they were on company time — Navajo Nation time.”

Jack Colorado and Johnny Naize expressed disappointment at trying to get an audience with the president.
“Numerous times I sent an invitation letter to you and no response. I tried to set a meeting. I even talked with you right here,” Colorado said.

“I cannot go in and see you because of the staff. They say, ‘He’s in a meeting.’ I came up to you and asked you what time can we meet, and you said, ‘We’ll meet tomorrow.’ A’din.”

Naize added, “I myself, too, have asked for appointments in the past, and you did say you were going to call me. I’m waiting on a phone call, too, from the president. If you would call me now, I would appreciate that,” he told Shirley.
Economic Development Committee Chairman Lawrence Platero commented, “It appears it’s ‘Take a Shot at the President Day.’” He said he could take advantage of that, but didn’t want to sound negative.

Rather, he added that he had been trying since the president’s first term to get him to come before his committee “to enlighten us on your goals within economic development, and that never occurred.”
There are a lot of communities that lack essentials such as water and electricity, and are in need of roads. “But there are basic needs that the communities have also. There are families, single parents — there are grandmas out there that barely make it from month to month on the money that they receive off Social Security.

“Some of these basic needs are propane, food on the table, clothes on their backs. Somebody needs to address these needs. That is what I wanted to hear from your report — what kind of plan that you have in place to address some of these basic, essential needs.”

Platero said there are 250,000 Navajos to think about. “All of these delegates here are asked every day for $20 here and there, $10 here and there. We’re running out of $20 and $10 to give to the people.”