Navajo judiciary, Crownpoint celebrate 50 years

Irene Tully speaks during the annual Navajo Justice Day on Wednesday. — © 2009 Gallup Independent / Brian Leddy

Copyright © 2009
Gallup Independent
By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

CROWNPOINT — Dozens of people packed into the Crownpoint judicial and public safety complex to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Navajo Nation’s judicial branch and police department at the 2009 Justice and Law Day Wednesday.

The Justice and Law Day, with the theme “Fifty Years of Providing Justice, Serving and Protecting,” featured speakers on the history of the tribal police and courts, informational booths from community resources, tours of the correctional facility and police department, and lunch and entertainment by “Rambling Wranglers.”

Teresa Charles was enjoying the activities with her daughter. The two took the tour of the jail and learned about the items that inmates are allowed.

“It’s cool. They have a lot more information this year,” Charles said.

Former Navajo Police Sgt. Ed Marble, who is now at the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office, spoke about the history of the tribal police. The first Navajo police force was organized in 1872.

“We started out with 14,” he said. One source told him that the original 14 started out making $5 a month and another told him they made $12 a month.

Marble added that the original Navajo police officers were also medicine men. The police force only lasted a few years.

In 1959, the Navajo tribe took over responsibility for its own police department.

The tribe got its first federal contract in 1975 — going from a budget of about $3 million a year to $12 million a year, Marble said. Up until then, the Navajo police officers never got overtime.

Times have changed since he was a Navajo police officer, Marble said. When he was a Navajo cop, many of his colleagues were not fluent in English and some were not high school graduates, he said.

Now every officer on the Navajo Nation has a high school diploma and 40 percent have attended college, Marble said.

Back then, the officers did paperwork manually. Now most patrol vehicles have laptops, he said.

One area that has not progressed is the number of police officers serving the Navajo Nation. Back then there were 350 officers — a number that has not increased, he said.

Marble said he was stationed at Lupton. “That was kind of like Dodge City,” he said. Back then, New Mexico was dry on Sundays so everyone would come to Lupton to party, he said.

Former Chief Justice Robert Yazzie spoke about the history of Navajo courts.

The Navajos at Bosque Redondo were separated into 12 groups with chiefs. They were told that presiding chiefs were in charge of lesser crimes while the Army took on major charges, he said.

Then came the Courts of Indian Offenses, created in 1883. Agency superintendents appointed Indian judges who could only have one wife and had to wear the black robe of a judge. The Navajo Courts of Indian Offenses was established in 1892.

“This was put in place for all Indian country nationwide,” Yazzie said. “It was designed to do one thing. The court is supposed to civilize us. The court is supposed to make us forget the language.”

In 1934 came the Indian Reorganization Act.

“Some of the Indian people were able to use the Indian Reorganization Act to strengthen their government,” Yazzie said.

Then came World War II when Navajos were drafted and sent to war.

“The vets who came back had new experiences, new ideas, new exposure to the world. They were able to make certain influences that made the government grow,” Yazzie said.

Many became Navajo Tribal Council delegates, he said.

The Council created the Navajo court system on April 1, 1959 — right at a time when the state of Arizona wanted to take over the power to try criminal and civil cases on Navajo.

When Tom Tso was Chief Justice, he questioned the system, asking why Navajo had to follow “bilagaana” law, Yazzie said. Tso began ruling with Navajo law in mind. Now the courts are guided by Diné Fundamental Law, which is included in the Navajo Nation Code.

The Justice and Law Day began with an invocation and song from Miss Navajo Nation Yolanda Charley. Miss Eastern Navajo Nicole James sang the national anthem and Judge Irene Toledo introduced the distinguished guests.

Presentations were also held on the Navajo Peacemaking Program, the criminal justice system and the Office of the Prosecutor.

Navajo Nation Justice Day gives the public an opportunity to learn more about how the Navajo justice system works, Ed Martin of the Navajo Nation Judicial Branch said.

Justice Day was also scheduled to be held in Alamo Wednesday and in Ramah Thursday.