Navajo Courts and Navajo Common Law

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Navajo Courts and Navajo Common Law NAVAJO COURTS AND NAVAJO COMMON LAW by Raymond Darrel Austin ________________________ Copyright © Raymond Darrel Austin A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES PROGRAM In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2007 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Raymond D. Austin, entitled Navajo Courts and Navajo Common Law and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy _______________________________________________________________________ Date: April 6, 2007 Robert A. Williams Jr., Professor of Law, Chair _______________________________________________________________________ Date: April 6, 2007 Manley Begay, Professor of American Indian Studies _______________________________________________________________________ Date: April 6, 2007 Robert A. Hershey, Professor of Law _______________________________________________________________________ Date: April 6, 2007 James A. Hopkins, Professor of Law _______________________________________________________________________ Date: April 6, 2007 Joseph H. Stauss, Professor of American Indian Studies Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate’s submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. ________________________________________________ Date: April 6, 2007 Dissertation Director: Professor Robert A. Williams Jr. 3 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyright holder. SIGNED: Raymond D. Austin 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.........................................................................................................................8 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................10 CHAPTER I. THE NAVAJO NATION...........................................................................15 A. Brief Navajo History................................................................................................15 1. Demographics and Contact...............................................................................15 2. Fort Sumner (Hweeldi) .....................................................................................16 3. Traditional Navajo Government .......................................................................26 4. Modern Navajo Nation Government ................................................................31 CHAPTER II. THE NAVAJO NATION COURT SYSTEM ..........................................37 A. History......................................................................................................................37 1. Introduction.......................................................................................................37 2. Navajo Court of Indian Offenses ......................................................................38 3. Navajo Nation Creates its Court System ..........................................................48 B. Modern Navajo Nation Courts .................................................................................55 1. Structure............................................................................................................55 2. Jurisdiction........................................................................................................59 CHAPTER III. FOUNDATIONAL DINÉ LAW PRINCIPLES......................................62 A. Modern Navajo Law ................................................................................................62 B. Navajo Common Law Underpinnings......................................................................66 C. Finding and Using Navajo Common Law in Court .................................................71 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS — Continued CHAPTER IV. HOZHO (PEACE, HARMONY AND BALANCE)...............................80 A. Overview of Hozho in Navajo Culture ....................................................................80 1. Descriptions and perspectives of hozho............................................................80 2. Levels of knowledge.........................................................................................86 3. Hozho and Hochxo represent right and wrong..................................................89 4. Nayee’ disrupt hozho.........................................................................................90 5. Traditional Navajo problem-solving model......................................................92 B. Hozho as Used in the Navajo Nation Courts............................................................93 1. Theoretical constructs .......................................................................................93 2. Navajo common law informs legal interpretations...........................................95 3. Goal is to restore hozho.....................................................................................98 4. Restoring hozho in individual rights cases......................................................103 5. Restoring hozho in domestic cases .................................................................107 6. Restoring hozho through nalyeeh (restitution)................................................112 CHAPTER V. K’E (SOLIDARITY THROUGH POSITIVE VALUES)......................115 A. Overview of K’e in Navajo Culture .......................................................................115 1. Harmonious relationships ...............................................................................115 2. Kin giving, sharing and support......................................................................121 3. Political affairs................................................................................................125 4. Traditional notions of equality........................................................................127 5. Traditional leadership .....................................................................................128 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS — Continued B. K’e as Used in the Navajo Nation Courts ..............................................................132 1. The court’s duty to use Navajo common law .................................................132 2. The rule on adopting Bilagaana law...............................................................138 3. Principle of Nataah Nibikiyati (Participatory Democracy) ............................143 a. Ashjoni adoolni (“make things clear” rule)..............................................149 b. Application of “talking things out” rule....................................................150 4. Principle of Házhó’ógo (Freedom with Responsibility).................................152 a. Navajo due process ...................................................................................155 b. Leadership standards.................................................................................164 c. Free speech................................................................................................166 d. Rights of criminal defendants ...................................................................170 e. Jury trial ....................................................................................................175 f. Miranda rights............................................................................................177 5. Principle of Ch’ihónit’i’ (Equity) ...................................................................181 CHAPTER VI. K’EI (DESCENT, CLANSHIP AND KINSHIP) .................................186 A. Overview of K’ei in Navajo Culture......................................................................186 1. Introduction to k’ei..........................................................................................186 2. K’ei determines relatives.................................................................................188 3. The four basic clans ........................................................................................190 4. Source of Navajo clan system.........................................................................196 5. Traditional marriage........................................................................................198 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS — Continued 6. Traditional divorce..........................................................................................206 7. Traditional property concepts .........................................................................207 8. Traditional probate..........................................................................................209 9. K’ei fosters duties and responsibilities ...........................................................210
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