Dine Bahane’, the Navajo creation story, (Navajo Nation News) describes humanity’s journey from three worlds into our fourth home: Earth. Today, however, they face challenges in securing water guarantees through treaties.
COVID-19 has devastated the Navajo Nation, leaving many families without power or access to reliable Internet, as well as struggling for food and medical supplies.
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren Asks President Trump to Commute Death Sentence
The Supreme Court agreed to hear a dispute between the federal government and Navajo Nation. A lawsuit has been filed by Navajos against President Obama’s removal of Bears Ears National Monument; according to them it violates their treaty rights and represents another step toward greater Navajo control over their land.
The Navajo Nation Police Department stands out among similar departments across the country by being one of only a few to employ an elite unit that specializes in missing person cases – the Missing and Murdered Individual Response unit or “MMIR”, in partnership with search and rescue teams and families, documenting and tracking cases closely. Unfortunately, only one sergeant, four patrol officers, and three civilian staff members serve the entire Navajo population, covering an area nearly the size of West Virginia; cases often slip through.
Former Navajo Council Delegate Karen Tingus is calling for President Buu Nygren’s resignation due to his failure to deliver on promises related to coronavirus pandemic. According to The Navajo Times, this nation has one of the highest infection rates nationwide due to inadequate infrastructure and access to clean water supplies.
On Tuesday, Navajo voters will choose their new tribal president. A number of candidates have been competing for this position, such as the son of an influential tribal elder convicted of sexually assaulting a minor in 2021. One promising contender is 26-year-old veterinary student who recently made history by becoming the youngest ever female graduate from vet school on her Navajo reservation.
As the Navajo Nation struggles with an increased rate of coronavirus infection, leaders have advocated for new federal legislation that would address water and sanitation concerns on its reservations. Unfortunately, their water crisis is due to years of unfulfilled promises by the federal government as well as ongoing exploitation of their land by outside entities.
Navajo families rely on volunteer veterinary workers to care for their animals, yet the Nation struggles to hire enough veterinarians. A lack of qualified technicians also hinders training programs.
On Wednesday, the Pentagon reinstated webpages highlighting Navajo Code Talkers’ crucial wartime contributions after tribes protested their initial removal as part of an overall sweep to promote diversity and equity within military content. They had been taken down due to issues around diversity, equity and inclusion within this content – however the Defense Department now says these pages as well as those about baseball and civil rights icon Jackie Robinson’s military service have all been reinstated.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy hiked with Navajo tribal leaders up a sandstone arch in rural Arizona when Council Delegate Eugenia Charles-Newton approached him with a request. Wearing a T-shirt bearing the message “Save IHS Diabetes Program,” Charles-Newton asked Kennedy if the Special Diabetes Program for Indians had been affected by a recent restructuring at HHS, asking whether funding had been affected as a result. Kennedy promised he would do just that and said the improvements seemed obvious and joined KSAZ’s Crystalyne Curley on “The Daily Report”. To discuss his visit he joined Crystalyne Curley on “The Daily Report”.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez Asks President Trump to Commute Death Sentence (Navajo Nation News)
President of the Navajo Nation Jonathan Arizki has asked President Donald Trump to commute the death sentence of Lezmond Mitchell, an only native American currently on federal death row for murdering two Navajo women and their nine-year-old granddaughter in 2001. Capital punishment has long been opposed by this community; they want Lezmond Mitchell’s life spared in an appeal meeting scheduled with Trump this month.
Jonathan Nez, as president of the Navajo Nation, and victims’ family members have written letters to President Donald Trump asking him for mercy for Mitchell. Their letters explain that taking life for revenge violates their culture and violates Mitchell’s human rights; additionally, this execution sets a dangerous precedent regarding tribal sovereignty since no federal agency can pursue death penalties without first seeking approval from tribe.
Nez and Mitchell’s victims’ families have beseeched President Obama to spare his life, saying his execution violates Native American nations. President of the National Congress of American Indians, thirteen tribal leaders and over 230 members from other tribes all joined in calling upon him for mercy from execution.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court rejected Mitchell’s appeal of his lethal injection, clearing the way for its execution on August 26. Mitchell would become only the fourth execution since Trump reinstated federal capital punishment following an informal 17-year hiatus.
Mitchell, 38, was found guilty of killing a 63-year-old Navajo woman and her granddaughter Tiffany Lee during a carjacking he perpetrated across four states belonging to their tribe. Mitchell and an accomplice killed them after taking possession of their cars for carjacking purposes and fleeing after seizing control.
At Mitchell’s trial, both mothers and daughters of his victims testified against his execution; their views were disregarded by a jury which decided instead to side with prosecutors and execute him.
Navajo Nation leaders have asked the federal government to reconsider Mitchell’s death sentence following allegations made by his lawyers of possible racial bias by jurors who sentenced him. Nez expressed hope that their appeal might succeed before its scheduled execution date of February 2, with justices hearing the case later this month and then making their final determination about keeping or lifting their reprieve by late October or November.
