President Shelly Meets with Council to Iron out Letter of Agreement
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
President Shelly meets with Council to iron out letter of agreement and council. be sitting together because that’s “If the expenditures are working together. shared with us, that would be Slim said the issue was bigger good,” he said. than any one person. Chee took a traditional “This isn’t about us. Out there, approach and said the Navajo our constituents have given us way must be embraced. He was the responsibility of looking leery about western education out for them. Our president is and asked why traditional values worried. He doesn’t want people took the backseat to the western attacking him,” Slim said. “We way of thinking. need to do this right way to “Who convinced us to be appoint a leader.” President Shelly sat down with members of the 23rd Navajo Nation Council educated? We were already President Shelly thanked the at Quality Inn in Window Rock to discuss the presidenecy. The group agreed educated. This (meeting) is a council and said he will be in President Shelly would remain in office. (Photo by Rick Abasta) return to our values,” he said. close communication with them. Basic teachings like listening He said the OPVP spent seven WINDOW ROCK, Ariz.—A up for comments, Tsosie was the to our elders, treating people percent of its FY 2015 budget Jan. 24 meeting between Navajo first to speak. with decency and Navajo for the first quarter and the office Nation President Ben Shelly and “I don’t mind the agreement, kinship are slipping through the would be mindful of spending. members of the 23rd Navajo it captures what we talked cracks, he maintained. “I like what you’re doing: Nation Council at Quality Inn about. I ask the president to “We have a complete coming together like this, resulted in a letter of agreement keep your door open to resolve breakdown of values. When we working together. I like what I that President Shelly remains this problem,” Tsosie said. “In move from Navajo to English hear,” President Shelly said. in office until somebody was defense of the council, we didn’t (language), we lose sight of The agreement stated, “In the elected and installed into office. start this.” that. We become enculturated,” spirit of K’e and in consideration The president signed the He said it was two disgruntled he said. “Let’s honor the Office of the fact that both parties agreement along with delegates former candidates running for of the President. The Legislative believe in a stable Navajo Kee Allen Begay, Seth Damon, the presidency that filed a Branch. The Judicial Branch.” Nation government, the parties Norman Begay, Mel Begay, lawsuit in court that started it. Begay had respecting the agree to following goals: Tom Chee, Amber Crotty, “Council only came in to try president’s office in mind too “The parties agree that Davis Filfred, Tuchoney Slim, and provide a solution,” he said. and questioned why the meeting President Shelly will remain Raymond Smith, Otto Tso, Filfred said the agreement to was taking place. in the Office of the President Leonard Tsosie and Nelson keep President Shelly in office “I don’t like this agreement. until such time that there is an Begay. should be direct and simple. He’s sworn in already. If we election and a President-Elect “What I hear from the people “If we start adding on to it, want the president to respect us, and Vice President-Elect are is, ‘Let’s get the election done.’ it’s only going to make us look then by golly, we got to respect installed in office. We need to continue working bad,” he said. him too. That’s basically what “The parties agree that together to keep the Nation Begay thanked the president Ke’ is. Let president do his job,” the election is of the utmost running,” President Shelly said. for promoting unity and coming Begay said. concern. As such, the parties Speaker Pro Tem Kee Allen to the table to work out the Tso said there are other more will encourage, facilitate and Begay agreed with the president issue of the presidency. He pressing needs by the people that expedite the conduct of an and said both branches need to said the president and former need to be addressed aside from election so as to promote the work together to quickly have council needed to be thanked the presidency. stability of the Navajo Nation. the election resolved. He said for bringing stability back to “People want new homes, Both parties agree to efficiently having leaders sit down and the Nation. firewood and jobs. Hozho’ and work towards an election for the meet to discuss the issues is However, he cautioned against Ke’ are very sacred. We must President and Vice President the way business should be losing track of the budget and have respect for one another,” and to enable that process in conducted. going on a spending spree that he said. “The teachings come whatever way possible.” Once the floor was opened will be questioned by the public from our elders. I’m thankful to -30- Navajo Nation begins drawdown of $1.2 billion Tronox settlement more than a billion dollars, much million to cleanup 50 abandoned more is needed to address the uranium mines on the Navajo 520 abandoned uranium mines Nation. In addition to the U.S. on the Navajo Nation, he added. EPA, other claimants in the “Any funds resulting from case included 22 states, four this lawsuit are welcomed and environmental response trusts, long overdue,” President Shelly and a trust for a number of said. environmental and tort plaintiffs. The claims against Anadarko According to Etsitty, the and Kerr-McGee involved $26.4 million will be wired to cleanup for a number of former the Navajo EPA Hazardous uranium mines and uranium Substances Fund. The fund processing site located in Cove, is authorized by a fund Ariz. and Shiprock, N.M. The management plan that was Navajo Nation Department of approved by the Budget and Justice and Navajo EPA worked Finance Committee and the together to bring the settlement Comprehensive Environmental to a conclusion. Response Compensation and President Shelly became Liability Act, he added. involved with the bankruptcy On Jan. 23, the U.S. EPA case when he was previously issued a news release from serving as vice president. During Region 9 in San Francisco that the previous administration, he stated the Anadarko and Kerr- met with Allison McFarlane, McGee settlement was finalized chairman of the U.S. Nuclear and that funds are to be disbursed Regulatory Commission about for cleanups around the country. prioritizing cleanups on the Jared Blumenfeld, U.S. Nation. EPA Regional Administrator On Jan. 23, 2015, Stephen for the Pacific Southwest, said Etsitty announced that since an communities from the Navajo appeal was not filed with the Nation to Henderson, Nev. are presiding judges, the Navajo finally getting funding needed President Shelly praised the drawdown of more than $1.2 billion for the cleanup Nation would begin receiving to take critical steps toward of 50 abandoned uranium mine sites and a former uranium mill on the Navajo settlement funds in the next cleaning up toxic legacies that Nation. However he said more funds were needed. (Photo by Rick Abasta) several days. Etsitty is the pollute their environment. WINDOW ROCK, Ariz.— or $26.4 million, which will be executive director of Navajo “After decades of trying The Navajo Nation is finally deposited in the next 10 days. EPA. to avoid their environmental receiving funds from the $5.15 The remaining 40 percent will “I understand the initial responsibilities, Anadarko is billion Anadarko v. Tronox be paid after three months. amount we will receive is $26.4 today paying billions of dollars settlement. According to terms “These funds will go toward million. This is 60 percent of to immediately fund these and of the settlement, the U.S. EPA the cleanup of 50 abandoned the total amount we are set to other critical environmental will receive $985 million for uranium mines on the Navajo receive,” Etsitty said. “The cleanups,” Blumenfeld said. cleanup of 49 sites on the Navajo Nation. On Dec. 12, 2013, we remaining 40 percent will come The cleanup of radioactive Nation. announced that we prevailed in in a few more months to the waste remaining from cold The Navajo Environmental the bankruptcy case involving Nation and U.S. EPA.” war era Kerr-McGee mining Protection Agency is also Anadarko Petroleum and Kerr- Other claimants, including operations will begin later in receiving funding from the McGee Corporation,” said U.S. EPA, will also begin 2015, including the former settlement, a total of $43 million. Navajo Nation President Ben receiving funds from the uranium mill in Shiprock. The initial drawdown from the Shelly. settlement. U.S. EPA is set to settlement will be 60 percent, Although we are receiving receive approximately $600 -30- President Shelly meets with Congressional delegation, discusses ONHIR Affairs for the White House For families that have not Domestic Policy Council been relocated, the tremendous joined the delegation. The needs for infrastructure federal delegation toured the development and roads Nahata Dzil community and continue to dominate. Other families in Jeddito to see the considerations include the firsthand results of relocation. deteriorating school facilities, President Shelly explained in spite of 2004 commitments the countless socio-economic by the federal government to disparities that resulted from replace 14 schools. lack of infrastructure and “The Little Singer economic development. Community School which Before being relocated, many you will see later today, is of the Navajo families were one of the last schools on self-reliant and maintained the 2004 replacement school a healthy lifestyle through construction priority listing,” livestock and farming.