Crooked Bough News Round-up

— Protect ‘Adahiilíní: Residents working to keep Grand Falls grand

 

at 3/30/23 3:30am

LEUPP, Ariz. Grand Falls is now a sacred site. Grand Falls, ‘Adahiilíní, on the Little Colorado River, is home and a place to harvest plants and medicinal herbs. But for visitors, it’s a getaway from the big cities. On Sunday morning, Violet White, the lead activist in protecting Grand Falls from tourism, said Erik Stanfield, an archeologist, did some “digging,” revealing that Grand Falls was deemed a sacred site. “He (Stanfield) investigated a little about this place, and on the 21st (March) is when I found out that Grand Falls registered as a sacred site,” White said. “That was very good news to us.” The site was recognized as “traditional cultural property” where there can’t be any development made, said White. Temporary shutdown Navajo Times | Kianna JoeA sign warns visitors they are not permitted to the Grand Falls area, about 19 miles northwest of Leupp, Ariz. Area residents say visitors are desecrating Grand Falls, ‘Adahiilíní, also known as “Chocolate Falls.” Grand Falls was frequented enough for a ramada and restroom to be built for visitors, but with further advocation, White said she and her group want to take those down to add more visitor restrictions. “Originally, the residents wanted to permanently shut it down, but I said, ‘Wait, let’s just temporarily shut it down,’ and I think with this (sacred-site finding) will help to permanently shut it down.” One of the residents who want visitors to stop disrupting the lifestyle of those near Grand Falls is Darlene Roides, who has lived in the area for 18 years. “I have a homesite here, and my grandfather is named after the Grand Falls, Hastiin Adahiilíní, and over the years, we’ve seen it getting worse––the tourists,” Roides said. “It has been bumper-to-bumper, and they come out and do doughnuts (driving). They leave garbage, liquor bottles.” The Navajo Nation is a “dry” Nation, meaning it is illegal to possess drugs or alcohol and sell it on tribal land. However, many outsiders disregard the Nation’s laws and do so near residents of Grand Falls, said Roides. “One time, across the (Little Colorado) River, somebody left beer bottles in one of the trees. They stuck on one of the branches. That just got to me,” Roides said. “There are ramadas and trash cans out there, and nobody is responsible for emptying those trash cans or taking care of the restrooms.” Turned into aircraft alley Navajo Times | Kianna JoeLeupp area resident Herman Cody talks about the tradition and history of ‘Adahiilíní and its importance March 26. Cody said medicine people gather medicinal herbs around the ‘Adahiilíní area. As the individuals who wanted to protect Grand Falls began to set up their stations to prevent visitors, the sound of an airplane turned the attention from the roads to the sky. Two smaller-sized aircraft had begun circling Grand Falls to see what they weren’t allowed to have visitors driven. “We’ve seen drones, we’ve seen planes come out here often, and they scare the livestock, and sometimes they even chase our livestock,” Roides said. “I remember when I was younger, we had a lot of lambs, and my moms main concern was that the tourists were going to run after the babies when they would cross the road.” Trying to protect his home as well, Herman Cody also said, “It was quite tasking when we lived here when people would come here with their caravan going back and forth, you can’t even bring the sheep anywhere with that because they would bring dogs and the dogs would just roam free and start chasing the lamb.” Cody is Tsinajinnie and born for Naakaii Dine’é. His maternal grandfather is Kinyaa’áanii, and his paternal grandfather is Tódích’íi’nii. The caravans of people also brought the noise. “There was a lot of noise down there,” Cody said, “even gunfire. Signs are coming in with bullet holes. They would drive down and stick out their pistols to try to get it, and BB guns too. No one stopped them. No one supervised them. They wouldn’t listen to us if we say anything.” Cody said his ties with Grand Falls go back to his father, a hataałii, Hastiin ‘Adahiilíní, who was Naakaii Dine’é and lived in the area. “There are some herbs along the rivers here from the falls toward Leupp and also (by) the river toward the Grand Canyon,” Cody said, “and not only do Navajos come out here for herbs and worshipping and other spiritual practices, (but the Apache people also do) where Whiteriver starts. It’s not only us, even the Hopi and also the Zuni. I was surprised. “The primary reason the people are here blocking this is because of the constant bombardment,” he said, “People coming out here, some of them even bring trailers out here with motorcycles and whatnot. They cross the river and go that way, and we have elders who live here who never went to school, and when they see these things, they get scared.” Desecration Navajo Times | Kianna JoeLuke Ray rides his horse to the ‘Adahiilíní blockade near Leupp, Ariz., March 26. The residents near Grand Falls have livestock such as sheep and cows, and Herman said during this time, there are calves, and visitors would bring their ATVs and start to chase after the calves for their entertainment. “If somebody went into your yard and started chasing your dog around, you wouldn’t be standing there thinking it’s OK, but they do that here because there’s no authority to tell them they can’t do that,” Cody said. Cody’s niece, Radmilla Cody, an activist wanting to preserve the site, said because there is no regulation, tourists do as they please. “They go skinny-dipping at the Grand Falls,” Radmilla said. “They’re naked and in the water, and we have elders who walk out that way and see that kind of stuff. Some of those tourists get lost and go knocking on doors, and these elders are home alone. They get scared.” What brought Herman Cody to the preservation of Grand Falls was a Northern Arizona University professor lecturing at the Grand Falls about the archeological and scientific side of the site. “My understanding was that he was going to charge a hundred and some odd bucks per person and bring those people out here and take them down there and do a lecture, and I thought, ‘Wait a minute––a hundred-something dollars? How many people is that? How much money is that, and where’s it all going to go? Has he informed the people in this area?” Herman said. White recalled the NAU “tour” that charged between $100-$125 for a lecture. Additionally, White said there was a tour group run by a Native person charging a similar fee to take tourists to the falls. When White reached out, she didn’t hear anything back. “There (are) other entities like ‘Grand Falls Hidden Experience’ that were touring, and that’s a Native guy, and he was charging $160 per person to do the tour, and that’s when I said this is not right,” White said. “So I called them (Grand Falls Hidden Experience), and I know he gave me a random name. He said he was working with ‘Beta’ out of Leupp.” ‘Protect ‘Adahiilíní’ On Feb. 18, White set up an emergency meeting to pull the community together to voice their concerns where “Protect ‘Adahiilíní” emerged. The main concern, White said, is the 25 families had was visitors profiting off of Grand Falls and initially wanted the falls closed permanently. White said she wanted to do this the right way and get public and government entities involved, like Navajo Parks and Recreation and the nearby chapter houses but said later on, and the entities ignored the conversation. “Some people said, why don’t we just profit off of it? So I talked to my some friends at Antelope Canyon, and they said you need a (Department of) Fish and Wildlife biological survey and a $2- to $5 million-dollar insurance and OSHA inspectors and NOSHA, we have to have a business license, we have to have an emergency evacuation plan,” White said. In addition to the legalities of possibly opening a park, White said the Leupp Chapter House didn’t have an ordinance to collect money or taxes. On top of all the barriers, White said opening a park would cause land disputes among the local families. “Who’s all going to do that?” White asked. “Do we really want that because now we have open range, and we have our livestock out here, and we didn’t want that, so that (the planning) just killed it right there.” The residents of Grand Falls and their allies want to preserve the land for sacred purposes and the community’s safety. White said the Protect ‘Adahiilíní group would also continue to meet for the sake of the Falls safety. “We’re out here because it’s peaceful and we feel invaded, that’s the main thing, you know this is our homeland, and we don’t go into other peoples backyards, and they’re coming into ours, that’s my issue,” Roides added. The post Protect ‘Adahiilíní: Residents working to keep Grand Falls grand appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: News]

— Letters | ‘Weaving is medicine’

 

at 3/30/23 3:30am

In the Navajo Times article, Young weavers set out to revitalize Diné culture, Holly James talks about Tasheena Littleben, 35, going back to weaving as she did when she was a little girl. After COVID-19 hit, Littleben took advantage of it and started to take the means in weaving looms. Littleben found inspiration after returning to her hometown, Rock Point, Arizona, an old photo of her mother and Littleben as a baby in a cradle alongside her mothers loom in the picture. As a mother, Littleben took this old photo and made it an idea, a lost desire to return to weaving. independently. At the same time that I believe Tasheena Littleben going back to her cultural ways is inspiring to persuade, it is also necessary to hold and teach young weavers. According to Littleben, Weaving is medicine. Today, young weavers have demonstrated that weaving is a form of being close to their culture — another way of staying true to Dinétah. More personal experience self-stories being put out there have been seen by young and all Diné people to inform that their culture is still ongoing in any form. Although Littleben does not say so directly, she assumes that young weavers can have down the skill related to their Diné culture. I agree that young Diné should focus their attention on how little the Diné teachings have fallen in size because in my experience, elders are hard to communicate with, including Native cultural teachers who have trouble time teaching by others staying by the book confirms it. This concludes that the young weavers Littleben mentions, Tyrell Descheny, Naiomi Glasses and Tyler Glasses Jr., with their skills in weaving looms. Tyrell was self-taught, and the help of his elementary teacher allowed him to take the first step in weaving his first loom and continue spreading his artwork on social media platforms. Naiomi is also a social media artist and has been taught by her grandmother and older brother, Tyler. Tyler, who has won ribbons for his weavings, showcases inspiration to influence his younger sister as he leads Naiomi to the introduction of weaving. Finally, each young weaver expresses their creativity in weaving to reach out to others with the encouraging and supportive hand of Littleben. Chantel Perry Tsaile, Ariz. The post Letters | ‘Weaving is medicine’ appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: Letters]

— Guest Column | Potholes unforgiving

 

at 3/30/23 3:28am

Ruth (Bazhnibah) Kawano By Bazhnibah Editor’s note: Bazhnibah is Ruth Kawano, the wife of Kenji Kawano. She is a retired registered nurse, a former U.S. Public Health Service captain, a former U.S. Air Force captain, and a former flight nurse. She is currently a writer-photographer. We have been inundated with potholes on the Navajo reservation since the pandemic, but “this winter it is the worst,” so say the people. From tires busting to rims being damaged to accidents, these potholes are not forgiving. Then there is the dangerous swerving to avoid the potholes. And if your passengers aren’t wearing a seatbelt, they can be bumped around, hitting parts of the vehicle, and injuring themselves. If you are unfamiliar with the area and driving at night, you are in for the ride of your life. According to the internet, a pothole is a shallow to deep depression of asphalt pavement where vehicles remove pieces of the pavement as people drive over them. “It is usually the result of water in the underlying soil structure and traffic passing over the affected area.” Special to the Times | BazhnibahA pothole is in the asphalt on a rural roadway. Water from rain or snow weakens the soil underneath the road. The traffic fatigues and breaks the poorly supported asphalt surface, and continued traffic ejects the road and soil materials to create a hole in the pavement. OK, there we have it. We know how they form and look since asphalt roads began in the early 1900s when people started driving vehicles in the U.S., and we began to see potholes. But decades ago, they were not as bad as they are now. We know, too, that if these potholes become large, damage to tires, wheels, and vehicle suspensions is liable to happen. On a recent Facebook conversation about potholes, one unlucky fellow had his tire and rim damaged so severely he couldn’t drive it without laboring on it for many hours. One spent “over $1,000” for the damage to his tires and rims. Another got “busted tires.” He called the state Department of Transportation for help and got help from a local police officer to assess his damage. Others witnessed accidents; one was a truck blowing out tires from a pothole and hitting another vehicle with a baby inside. All these incidents and accidents have also caused emotional trauma; the costs and time associated with tires, injuries, and loss of vehicles, and lives, can be devastating. It’s been mainly band-aiding roads the past few years, but we need new stable, well-maintained roads. Some ask where the tax money goes, where people get help, and what the leaders can do to help. People cannot just stay home to avoid potholes; we no longer have horses and carriages. So, what is a Nation to do? There is evidence that insufficient pavement thickness, drainage, and beginning cracks left unmaintained are causes of potholes. Some say that semi-trucks also add to the reason because of their weight on the pavement. We want to think that the Navajo Nation has done road assessments and surveys and looked at drainage issues. Maybe more patching until we get better repairs done is needed. We also know that it costs a lot of money to repave with thick pavement and will cause traffic delays and is labor intensive. We do our share of paying taxes at the gas pumps and the grocery stores, and many tax dollars go to Gallup, Flagstaff, Holbrook, Farmington, and other border towns for Navajo shopping. Where does that money go? It’s time to probe these endpoints of where tax dollars go. Maybe we can also all donate a few bucks to the Nation to get the roads redone. jQuery(document).ready(function() { jQuery(".post-meta p").text(function(index, text) { return text.replace('By Navajo Times |', ''); }); }); The post Guest Column | Potholes unforgiving appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: Guest Essay]

— Ty Murray Invite: Tough pen of bulls get the best of Native riders

 

at 3/30/23 3:20am

ALBUQUERQUE The Native American contingent are still searching for their first gold buckle at the Ty Murray Invitational. Three veterans and one newcomer took part in this year’s event last week at the Pit in Albuquerque. Diné cowboy Keyshawn Whitehorse came in as the highest ranked bull rider at No. 16 followed by Dakota Louis (No. 24) and Cody Jesus (No. 54). Navajo Times | Quentin JodieDiné bull rider Keyshawn Whitehorse rode Kid Knapper in Friday’s performance at the 2023 Ty Murray Invitational in Albuquerque. Whitehorse doctored out after getting hurt during his ride. The novice of the group was 2022 INFR world champ Robbie Taylor Jr., who earned a special invitational to compete against the best bull riders in the PBR. The event in Albuquerque was the first ever Unleash The Beast event for the Chinle bull rider. Prior to that he rode 4-off-11 bulls in the Touring Pro Division and the Velocity Tour. “This is where I want to be in the future,” Taylor said. “I had a great time and it was a great experience. Making the PBR World Finals is a goal that I want to reach.” And although they showed grit and determination, the four Native riders were bucked off during the three-day event. In Friday night’s performance, Whitehorse was thrown off Kid Knapper in 2.34 seconds as the McCracken, Utah bull rider was looking to conquer that same bull in as many months. At the PBR Monster Energy Invitational last November, Whitehorse rode Kid Knapper for a whopping 91 points. The rematch at the Ty Murray Invite was skewed with Whitehorse getting smashed up as he was unable to return to action after getting stepped on. On Saturday, Louis lasted 3.06 seconds on Wild Bill while Jesus was bucked off in 2.59 seconds aboard Mississippi Madness and Taylor rode Cold Creek for 2.03 seconds. Jesus was hoping to use the same “Pit” magic he’s used before to put him over the top. Last year, he finished in a two-way tie for seventh place by covering 3-of-4 bulls. Every time I step in here it feels like I cant lose or I cant get bucked off no matter whats hurting, no matter whats going on, the Sawmill, Arizona bull rider said prior to his ride Saturday night. I mean, were here to ride bulls and the fans are gonna back me up. Going into the Ty Murray event, Jesus took a few weeks off to mend some minor injuries he sustain earlier this year. He was later scratched from competing on Sunday. I’ve been a little banged up here and there, but I cant think about it a whole lot, Jesus said. Theyre gonna be there. Theyre gonna be nagging. My job is only eight seconds. Navajo Times | Quentin JodieMontana bull rider Dakota Louis, a member of the Blackfeet Nation, stays grounded aboard Top Shelf before getting buck off 1.85 seconds into his ride Sunday at the Ty Murray Invitational. Louis is looking to make his fourth straight PBR World Finals in mid-May. Jesus has had some history with Mississippi Madness, a bull that was previously owned by Owen Washburn. I think I could have won Window Rock last year if he didnt buck me off, if I did my job and stayed on him, he said. I lost my feet and he just kind of pulled me down over his head and, you know, I slapped him and I broke my concentration. Jesus was hoping to jump start his 2023 PBR season at the Ty Murray Invitational. “Last year we were on the same spot, same kind of deal and it got turned around for me,” he said. Jesus has some work to make the 2023 PBR World Finals, which will be held in Fort Worth, Texas in mid-May. Like Jesus, Louis has seen limited action in the PBR due to injuries. “I’ve been hurt this year and I’ve only been to six events this year,” the Montana bull rider said. “But the world finals is definitely in the plans. “I plan on being there,” he said. And although he’s a veteran in the sport, Louis said early in his career he split his time on the PRCA circuit, PBR and the INFR. “I did that for a couple of years,” he said. “I would switch it all up and now I’ve been on the tour consistently for the last four years. “It’s been a daily process of just trying to progress myself mentally, physically and just enjoying it as well,” he said. “I feel like a guy can get too far ahead of himself and not enjoy the process and moment.” On Sunday, Louis drew Top Shelf and things didn’t work out for the Blackfeet Nation cowboy as he was bucked off in 1.85 seconds. “This was actually my first ever event in the PBR,” Louis said of the Ty Murray Invitational. “It was a dream come true to ride at this level. At that point, I got to ride with some of my heroes and back then I was still in high school.” And though he hasn’t had the success he would have liked at the Ty Murray Invite, Louis won last year’s PBR Cooper Tires Invitational in his hometown state in Billings, Montana. “That was remarkable, and it was a dream come true,” Louis said. “It was one of the first events that I ever watched as a kid. Being in my home state and all the support was huge.” In his final ride in Albuquerque, Taylor lasted 3.22 seconds on Try Me Sunday afternoon. “He was good,” Taylor said. “He went left right after the chute. The first two corners I did pretty good and I cut him off. And then I ended up sitting on my butt again and I just went out the back.” In his first ride, the Diné College rodeo athlete said he overestimated his draw in Cold Creek. “He had a lot of power, but he seemed laid back and he just took me off,” he said. With goals of making the PBR World Finals next year, Taylor said he’s looking to take Jesus’ offer of traveling with him next season. “I’ve been equaling my time with the PRCA and the PBR,” he said. “I’ve been going to more prorodeos and he wants me to go with him so that I can earn more points.” Jesus said he’s hoping to see Taylor at more events within the PBR while adding that he has the talent to compete at this level. “Robbie is just awesome,” he said. “I’ve seen him ride for a long time and he rides really good. “I hope he can stay focus and do his job because he’s the next best thing,” he added. The post Ty Murray Invite: Tough pen of bulls get the best of Native riders appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: Rodeo]

— Police Report | Navajo Police Department seek help finding person of interest

 

at 3/30/23 3:20am

BÉÉSHBITÓ VALLEY, Ariz. A person was killed with a sharp instrument March 26, 2023. The incident happened around 9 p.m. in Bééshbitó Valley, Arizona. The Navajo Police Criminal Investigations Division has a person of interest who is considered armed and dangerous. If anyone has any information on the suspects whereabouts, Thurman Yazzie immediately call the Dilkon Police District or the Navajo police district in one’s area. Yazzie currently has shoulder-length hair. This is an isolated incident in the area. However, if anyone sees Yazzie, do not approach him. Anyone with information regarding Thurman Yazzie is asked to call the Dilkon Police District at 928-657-8075. Navajo PD conducts drug and alcohol enforcement operation CHINLE The Navajo Police Departments Special Operation Division conducted another successful two-day drug and alcohol enforcement operation from March 23-24. It was focused on disrupting and deterring the trafficking and distribution of drugs and alcohol (bootlegging) within the Chinle community. This operation was a joint, collaborative effort amongst NPDs Proactive Crime Enforcement Unit, K-9 Patrol Unit, Bureau of Indian Affairs-Office of Justice Services Division of Drug Enforcement, Arizona Department of Public Safety, and Navajo County Sheriffs Office. The two-day operation yielded the following results: Four arrests (drug- and alcohol-related) One arrest (federal warrant) 56 enforcement stops Firearms seized Methamphetamine and marijuana seized “Outstanding effort by NPDs Specialty Units and partners (BIA-OJS DDE, AZDPS, and NCSO),” said Lt. Rory Atcitty of NPD’s Special Operations Division. “Their hard work, dedication, and commitment is certainly saving lives and keeping our Navajo communities safe.” NPDs Proactive Crime Enforcement Unit continues proactively addressing the concerns of illegal criminal activity involving the manufacturing, distributing, and transporting of drugs and/or alcohol (bootlegging), including other major violent crimes and gang activity throughout the Navajo Nation. Submit tips to the following email: Tips4NPDPACE@navajo-nsn.gov. Woman recovered after vehicle swept away in flood water HOLBROOK, Ariz. – The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center on March 23 received a call around 10:48 a.m. reporting an incident of a vehicle being swept off a dirt road by flood water. A Holbrook couple was traveling on Hutch Road, about 16 miles west of State Route 377. The caller reported his 64-year-old wife was missing. The sheriff’s office immediately dispatched patrol deputies, the Navajo County Search and Rescue, Hashknife Sheriff’s Posse, Joseph City Fire, Holbrook EMS, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s Air Rescue Unit to search the area for the missing woman. The husband reported that he and his wife were in a Jeep crossing, “Seymour’s Crossing,” a wash, the night before. The husband said that the swift-moving water swept the Jeep from the dirt roadway and began to push the vehicle downstream, where it came to rest. After an hour, the occupants crawled out of the vehicle and got to the riverbank, out of the water. While trying to find help, the couple was separated in the dark. The husband was found by local citizens and was taken to safety. He called the sheriff’s office, reporting his wife was still missing. Subsequently, the woman was found deceased about a half mile downstream from the Jeep and about 200 feet from the water. This is an ongoing investigation. Fatal crash on Rim Road HOLBROOK, Ariz. – The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office on March 25 received a call at about 4:09 p.m. regarding a single-vehicle crash on Rim Road at milepost 1 in Pinetop, Arizona. The reporting party was a 13-year-old male involved in the crash. He advised the car went off the road and crashed into a tree. When deputies arrived, they learned the vehicle had two other occupants. Coyiah Shawn Bennett, 31, and Michandi Bennett, 19, both of Whiteriver, Arizona, had succumbed to their injuries from the crash. The juvenile was transported to a medical facility with minor injuries. Officers from Pinetop-Lakeside Police Department, the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement, and the Pinetop Fire Department emergency responders responded to the scene. The Arizona Department of Public Safety assisted with the scene documentation. The Navajo County Sheriff’s Office is conducting the investigation. Apprehending ‘Mr. Yellow’ KAYENTA The Kayenta Police District last Thursday arrested Mr. Christopher Yellow during a warrant service operation. The arrest was a joint effort between the Navajo Police Departments SWAT team and K-9 Patrol Unit, special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Office of Justice Services, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and the Navajo County Sheriffs Office. Yellow was wanted on a federal arrest warrant and was taken into custody without incident. As with any SWAT operation including warrant services, the goal is to provide protection and safety for innocent civilians and police personnel while reducing the probability of serious injury or death to all persons involved in a high-risk critical incident,” said Lt. Rory Atcitty of NPD’s Special Operations Division. “In this case, we achieved our collective goal of apprehending Mr. Yellow safely and without incident. Apprehending Mr. Yellow was (highly important) based on the severity of an ongoing investigation.” The post Police Report | Navajo Police Department seek help finding person of interest appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: Police Blotter]

— Page enjoying success on softball field: Lady Sand Devils take 2nd at Epic Tourneys

 

at 3/30/23 3:19am

WINDOW ROCK The Arizona Interscholastic Association released its first statewide polls for softball and baseball on Tuesday. The Page Lady Sand Devils garnered the No. 8 slot in the 3A division under the direction of sixth-year coach Sunni Crank. A lot of our success comes from the girls themselves,” she said. “They have the mindset of playing from start to finish. “They’ve been practicing a lot on making the hitting adjustments as we go along, she added. Defensively, theyre backing each other up, making the plays when theyre needed and, you know, supporting one another.” With a veteran squad of six seniors the Sand Devils have compiled a 12-2 overall record, which includes a 3-0 mark in 3A North Region play. I feel like we have a good squad, Crank said. We’re continuing to get better each game and right now were looking pretty good in the region.” Page is coming off a top finish at the Epic Tourneys Softball Classic last week with the Sand Devils garnering the second-place trophy in the Platinum bracket. Page defeated St. David (11-0), Morenci (1-0) and Poston Butte (13-4) before coming up short to Empire (13-0) in the finals. We played some good games to make that championship game, Crank said. “But to be honest, I felt like we didnt play Sand Devil softball when we played Empire.” The Page coach said her squad took themselves out mentally knowing that Empire entered the tournament with an undefeated record, which includes winning the Wrangler Softball Classic in Wickenburg, Arizona. “We knew they were going to be a good team and mentally we didnt prepare ourselves enough for that,” she said. “But Empire is a good program. I mean, they were on point. They were solid defensively, offensively. They went out there and they played their game. They did their jobs, and we just couldnt find our rhythm.” Crank said the lost to Empire was very humbling, but they’re using it as a way to grow. “We’re looking at it as a learning lesson,” she said. Every game whether we win or lose, we hope the girls learned something from it, so that we can make ourselves better for the next game.” At 17-0, Empire earned the state’s No. 3 ranking in Tuesday’s poll. Crank said that squad is the real deal. “With a team like Empire, it definitely served as a wakeup call for us,” she said. “Those are the type of teams we’re going to face during the postseason.” Through 14 games, Page has run-ruled seven opponents while posting three shutout wins thanks to the pitching staff headed by senior Grace Jump. She has been kind of the backbone when it comes to pitching, Crank said. Shes thrown some phenomenal games and she’s put up some great stats.” The Sand Devils have also utilized junior Kylee Sam and freshman Leah Bigthump inside the circle with the former pitching a few innings against Empire. “Grace pitched a lot of games for us and she had shutout wins against St. David and Morenci,” Crank said. “She started to feel fatigued in that Empire game. Luckily, we have multiple pitchers that can come in and start when its needed.” The Page coach said Sam plays mostly shortstop while Bigthump has been coming on strong this year. “Shes pitched some good games for us, the Page coach said of Bigthumb. Our pitching is pretty good right now. Offensively, Crank said her entire lineup is pretty solid as the Sand Devils have hit 16 home runs heading into yesterday’s doubleheader with Tuba City. Our team is doing really well, she said. “We have some big hitters on the team. Tessa Cummings has come out and hit some home runs.” The biggest surprise, Crank said, is the production coming from freshman Shanelle Tallsalt. “She put up three home runs against Ganado in one game,” Crank said, while adding that Cummings and Tallsalt are leading the team with five homers this season. At the rate theyre going, Crank is hoping to hit 25 homers by season’s end. Im pretty sure they can get nine more dingers, she said. Right now, theyre seeing the ball really well. They have the patience to connect and hit the ball solid. “And theyre hitting the ball really hard, she added. Even if theyre not getting the home runs, you see a lot of line drives and a lot of hard down balls, so they definitely hitting the ball hard to put it in play. The post Page enjoying success on softball field: Lady Sand Devils take 2nd at Epic Tourneys appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: Baseball]

— Hopi first American finisher in LA Marathon

 

at 3/30/23 3:18am

WINDOW ROCK At the 38th Los Angeles Marathon, local Hopi runner Hosava Kretzmann came into the spotlight as he crossed the finish line as the marathon’s first American men’s finisher. Kretzmann, 28, was just focused on finishing; he wasn’t even sure what place he was in and was certainly surprised when he crossed the line and news crews surrounded him, hailing him as the first American finisher for the race, coming in sixth place overall. Submitted | Hosava KretzmannHopi runner Hosava Kretzmann was the first American finisher in the L.A. Marathon, coming in 6th overall and briefly appearing on national television where he gave a shout out to the native community. “It was really shocking to be the first American finisher,” Kretzmann said. “Im very proud, very thankful and very honored to be the first American and you know, the first Native American to finish too.” While on national television, Kretzmann told viewers he was representing the Hopi Nation and gave shout outs to famed native athletes who inspired him to run. It was surprising as Kretzmann isn’t one to seek out attention, but he said it was nice to get some recognition, especially after spending a lot of time training. What he really cares about is just running the race, using his full strength and not giving up. This was also Kretzmann’s first full-marathon ever; he has done smaller racers before but never a full-marathon. Although a great achievement, the LA Marathon was actually the first step in a journey Kretzmann has set for himself, with his goal being the Olympic Trials. Ever since he was a boy, Kretzmann was always amazed by the Olympics. He became even more fascinated after learning Hopi athletes like himself had made it. He has made it his goal to qualify. Kretzmann has been running for years, since he was a young boy when he would run in the mornings as directed by his elders, all the way up to the collegiate level when he’d run for Fort Lewis College. He enjoys his runs as they help him maintain his physical, spiritual, emotional and mental state. He grew up in Hotevilla and was raised mostly in the Hopi traditions but is familiar with the Navajo culture as well. Kretzmann’s So’o (grandmother) is Loretta Sequaptewa and his Qua’ah (grandfather) is Raymond Pawiki. His clans are Spider, Bluebird, Bear, and Ball. His grandfather’s clans are Bow & Arrow, Road Runner, Bamboo & Reed and Greasewood. Kretzmann was also inspired by past Hopi runners like Louis Tewanima, Philip Zeyouma and Guy Makitma. He read books of the subject and embraces the idea of running, how it brings purity and how it is important to start the day; whether its for exercise or prayers. His running is something that is part of his community, making him feel like he is part of something bigger, a long history that he hopes to add to as well. Running has helped him a lot in the past, giving him a never-give-up attitude that he applied to his life when he was in school and later when he started working. He hopes his own running journey can inspire other native youth and help them discover the benefits of running. This in turned helped fuel his decision to try and make it to the Olympic Trails for the running events. He tried training solo, but between that, his job and then the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic he had little time to practice. His dream was nearly lost after he got into a car accident. After six months of recovery, he considered giving up competitive running. But his fiancée encouraged him to continue running, motivating him to try again. He found a coach in Olympic Trails qualifier Dylan Belles, a trainer who Kretzmann is grateful for his tutelage and guidance. At that point, Kretzmann was focused on qualifying through 5K or 10K runs for Olympic Track and Field events, but Bellis believed Kretzmann would be better suited for the marathon. That is why he chose to run in the Los Angeles Marathon nearly two weeks ago. He was aiming to finish the race in less than 2 hours and 18 minutes, the qualifying time for the trials. However, he missed the time by nearly two minutes; finishing at 2:19:57.01. The run was a challenge, he had been to LA before and knew the course would have hills, but he had no idea how intense some of them would be. He was also still getting used to drinking fluids and taking in calories while maintaining a running pace. Although sad when he saw he wasn’t going to make the time, he took control of his emotions and set it aside, thinking there was so much good going on today to allow himself be distracted by this. He put the negativity aside and ran as fast as he could in the last 200 meters. Afterwards, he said it didn’t matter if he was the first American finisher or not, all that mattered to him was that he finished and he didn’t listen to the negativity. He was also pushed by the thought that he was representing his people in Hopi, as well as the whole Native American community. Kretzmann is already training for his next race, probably the Chicago Marathon in October if not an earlier one. He is confident he will qualify, needing to shave off only two minutes from his last time. He plans to focus more on nutrition this next time around and continue pushing himself. Kretzmann extends a sincere thank you to all of his supporters, including the ones who congratulated him on social media. He hopes he and the next generation of young runners will carry on their indigenous teachings and represent the native community in other events and shine more light on their people. He encourages young native people to be bold, humble and not to give up on their aspirations. “Its just really meaningful that were still here as Native people; we never left and we never will,” he said. The post Hopi first American finisher in LA Marathon appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: Track & Field]

— Young Farmington team playing beyond its years

 

at 3/30/23 3:17am

RIO RANCHO, N.M. A drop in experience and skill level is not showing for the Farmington Lady Scorpion softball team. Despite having a young squad head coach Tim Trotter is pleased with the progress of his battled-tested team. At last week’s Kristin Griego Memorial Tournament, Farmington went 4-1 and finished fifth overall at the Rio Rancho 20-team invite. Two weeks ago, the Scorps went 3-1 at the West Valley Softball Invitational in Arizona, losing its only game to Glendale Mountain Ridge by an 8-0 count. Navajo Times | Quentin JodieFarmington Lady Scorpion Stephanie Waybenais slides into third base against the Los Alamos Lady Hilltoppers in the fifth-place game of the Kristin Griego Tournament Saturday in Rio Rancho, N.M. The Lady Scorps won by an 8-6 count. I feel like we’re doing pretty good, Trotter said. Were really young this year. I really didnt know at the beginning of the year how we would do, but the girls have really stepped up.” The Scorps are 10-4 overall and Trotter said the team’s losses have been to really good squads. “Weve lost to good teams like Artesia, Albuquerque High, Alamogordo and a team out of Arizona,” he said. “All of those teams are gonna be in the top 10, so to be honest I feel really good about our team. We need to get a little more consistency, which I think will come with a little age and experience,” he added, “but overall Im happy with where we’re at. The Scorps has one senior on the team with Stephanie Waybenais starting at second base. The rest are a mixture of juniors, sophomores, freshmen and eighth graders. “I have four returners and I got three eighth graders with us, Trotter said. The pitcher and catcher are eighth graders so were really young. “We graduated seven or eight senior the last couple of year, so we’ve been pretty heavy loaded,” he added. “And to see the young kids stepping up and taking on roles is a positive thing.” For the most part, Trotter said his junior group has been carrying the team which includes shortstop Vivianna Tucson and outfielders Jayden Jones and Legend Otero. The two eighth graders that start are pitcher Ashlynn Sandoval and catcher Taelor Joe. The rest of the lineup includes a three sophomores in second baseman Hailey Curley, third baseman Amiah Declusin and left outfielder Aaliyah Archuleta. With some experience under its belt, Trotter is hoping his squad can carry that over to the district season which starts on Saturday at Sandia High School. The Scorps will play a doubleheader with first pitch starting at noon. Our district is tough, Trotter said. You know, we got La Cueva, PV and Sandia and they’re loaded this year. West Mesa is coming along. “I think itll be a real challenge, but I think this is good experience for them going into that that. During the three-day Rio Rancho tournament, the Scorps opened up with a 10-0 win over Espanola Valley and a 11-7 triumph over Las Vegas Robertson, the defending 3A state champs. Navajo Times | Quentin JodieFarmington shortstop Vivianna Tucson gets ready to throw the ball to first base against the Los Alamos Hilltoppers in the fifth-place of the Kristin Griego Tournament Saturday in Rio Rancho, N.M. In the quarterfinals, Farmington dropped a 7-1 decision to Alamogordo, the eventual runner-up team. Theyre a good group and they have two really good arms, Trotter said of the Lady Tigers. The girl kept us off and we didnt score any runs. We struggled a little bit in making some plays. It was a tough loss, but theyre a good group,” he added. The Trotter-coached team bounced back with a 10-6 win over Hobbs which pitted them against Los Alamos in the fifth-place game. The Scorps rallied from a 5-2 deficit and plated three runs each in the fifth and sixth frame for an 8-6 win. In the top of the fifth, Farmington put its first two runners on with Otero clearing the bases. The right outfielder eventually scored when Curley nailed a double in right field that tied the game at 5-all. In the sixth, Waybenais started off with a single and she broke the tie with an RBI single from Jones. The Farmington leadoff hitter along with Otero gave the Scorps an 8-5 cushion following a two-scoring double from Sandoval. “Our biggest thing has been our bats, Trotter said. I gotta be honest, I wasnt too pumped with our bats in this game, so it was good to see them turning it around. They got going when we needed them, and they strung a few together.” Afterward, Trotter was asked to select one of his players to the all-tourney team, which he didn’t want to do. “It’s a tough one, and I always hate individualizing one kid,” he said. “This was definitely a group effort.” Trotter said he was leaning toward Sandoval, who came away with three wins inside the circle. “She ended up being a good bat for us in several situations just like that last game we played,” he said. “We put two more on to take the pressure off.” The Farmington coach was also looking at Joe, who caught all five games for the Scorps. “I think she only had a couple of passed balls the whole tournament, he said. Shes been strong. “My returning shortstop (Tucson) is doing everything right now,” he added. “Shes leading the team offensively with her on base percentage.” Trotter said his entire squad was split on who should get recognized. “I hate picking one kid and its sounds like the entire group had a hard time picking one,” he said. “We were all split, but I think that’s a good problem to have. “I think it has to be a group effort if we’re going to have any success,” he added. The post Young Farmington team playing beyond its years appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: Baseball]

— Winslow’s 2nd-year coach aims for playoffs

 

at 3/30/23 3:16am

WINSLOW Chris Garrett is a Winslow alumni who helped the 2010 baseball team make the Final Four in his sophomore season. That was the last time Winslow had a shot at a state title. Now in his second year as the head coach, Garrett is aiming to get his team backing into the playoffs for the second straight year. On Tuesday, the Bulldogs finished with 20 hits, scoring a big win over archrival Holbrook. With that hit parade, Winslow posted a 16-2 win, improving its record to 7-4 overall and 2-2 in the 3A East Region play. Winslow just put the bat on the ball today and we could not catch and throw them out, said Holbrook coach Ryan Baldonado, whose team dropped to 7-5 overall and 0-2 in the conference. A lot of times its just the simple stuff that gets us. They hit a lot and we made a few errors there in the first inning and they never looked back, the Holbrook coach said of the Bulldogs. This year’s Winslow team is a “special” mix, consisting of six seniors, several juniors and few talented sophomores. The seniors take on leadership roles, but Garrett is focused on forming a brotherhood that will strengthen their bonds, especially when playing. Garrett said it took a while for the team to find their groove at the start of the year, but after some close games, they focus on getting the fastball, focusing on their pitchers and adjusting to the opponent’s response. Navajo Times | Quentin JodieHolbrook relief pitcher Conner Winn throws a pitch to a Winslow batter Tuesday. The Roadrunners fell 16-2 in a shorten game. The team’s No. 1 goal this year is to win regionals. Garrett believes if they win regionals they have a shot of making the 16-team state bracket. When asked about making a deep run, Garrett said it’s a possibility as the last Winslow team to do so was in 2010 when he played for his old coach. In high school, Garrett was mentored by legendary coach Art Griffith, the highly renowned baseball coach in the 3A division who headed the Bulldog program for over 50 years before stepping down. Garrett worked under Griffith as an assistant coach for five years before taking the job as head coach last year. “Griffith was awesome,” Garrett said. “To this day, he’s there to answer any questions I have, and it’s an honor to take after him and I got to hold his high expectation that attitude is everything. We continue his legacy by doing that with our kids, we come out here and ask for attitude, energy and great effort.” The 2010 season was the last time Griffith got his team to the Final Four, but Garrett feels like this year’s team has the chance to make it back to the top again. Three-year varsity player Kane Ybarra is similarly confident the team has a shot at the playoffs. He is the starting shortstop, but he also pitches. “I feel like we’re a good group of kids and we’ve been playing since little league,” Ybarra said. “We’ve always been tight, even the younger guys too. We all played with each other in the senior league.” Last season, the team earned the No. 16 seed and just barely made it into the playoff, overcoming a hard fight with Show Low. However, they didn’t last long after facing No. 1 seed Northwest Christian. The team isn’t discouraged though, if anything they are determined to get a better region record this season than last year’s 5-5 mark. “We’re gonna at least be top two within our region this year,” Ybarra said. In the AIA statewide ranking that was released on Tuesday, Winslow sat at No. 24. On Tuesday, the Roadrunners got on board first but the Bulldogs responded with eight runs to finish off the first frame. Ybarra said that day was just their day, the moment he saw his teammates just started hitting, and he knew they were going to win that day. He knows the team has a chance and is going to make a run, saying he’s just proud of his guys. It is this attitude that Garrett is looking for and why he is feeling confident for the Bulldogs. “I believe this group has a chance definitely,” Garrett said. “A wise coach before me told me its not the most talented teams that he’s taken to the playoffs, it’s the team with the special bonds and ready to get to work that have won state championships.” Garrett is hoping that he has the team to do just that. The post Winslow’s 2nd-year coach aims for playoffs appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: Baseball]

— Obituaries for March 30, 2023

 

at 3/30/23 12:31am

Verna C. Whipple WINDOW ROCK — Funeral services for Verna C. Whipple, of Window Rock, will be held Friday, March 31, at 11 a.m., at the Window Rock Reformed Christian Church with Pastor Stanley Jim officiating. Burial will follow at the Fort Defiance cemetery. Verna was born Aug. 9, 1935, in Winslow, Arizona. She passed away March 23, 2023, in Fort Defiance. Verna attended Winslow High School and was employed as a bank teller and apartment agent. She enjoyed cooking, reading and going to Fire Rock Casino. Verna is survived by her husband, Henry L. Whipple; son, Henry D. Whipple; and daughter, Donna L. James. Verna is preceded in death by her son, John M. Whipple. Pallbearers will be Leon Sandoval, Vincent Yazzie, Robert Allan, Robert J.G. Allen, Henry D. Whipple, and family member. A reception will take place at Quality Inn following services at 2 p.m. Summit Mortuary oversaw arrangements. Robert A. Begaye JEDDITO, Ariz. — Graveside service for Robert Attakai Begaye, 65, of Jeddito, Arizona, was held March 27 at the Jeddito community cemetery with Emery Jackson officiating. Robert was born Oct. 13, 1957, in Keams Canyon, Arizona, into the Tótsohnii (Big Water Clan), born for Naasht’ézhí dine’é Tábąąhá (Zuni/Water’s Edge Clan). He passed away March 20, 2023, in Prescott, Arizona. Robert attended Tuba City High School and ABC Welding School in Phoenix. He served in the Army and worked for CDI Asbestos, Navajo Housing Authority, and Cedar Unified School. Robert was a rancher and family man who enjoyed carpentry, riding his horses and was a big fan of the Arizona Cardinals. Robert is survived by his wife, Sarah Nelson Begaye; sons, Shawn Nelson, Royce Begaye, Hollis Begaye, and Colton Begaye; daughters, Jessica Iron, Clarice Begaye and Robin Begaye; brothers, Denny Attakai, Julius Yazzie and Arthur Attakai Jr.; sisters, June Tsosie, Sarah Attakai, Grace Attakai, and Laura Attakai; and three grandchildren. Robert is preceded in death by his son, Doyle Begaye; brothers, Benny Attakai, Cecil Attakai and Kee Attakai; sister, Mary May Attakai; parents, Julia Y. Attakai and Arthur Attakai Sr.; adoptive parents, Hosteen Bitsi, Lakai Begaye and Annie Y. Begaye; and grandfather, Hosteen Clay. Pallbearers were Shawn Nelson, Hollis Begaye, Jack Begaye Jr., Shane Sangster, and other family members. Honorary pallbearers were Cleveland Sangster, Clifford Sangster, Arthur Attakai Jr., Denny Attakai, and Julius Yazzie. Greer’s Mortuary oversaw arrangements. The Navajo Times publishes obituaries free of charge as a public service. If you have an obituary you would like to submit, follow this link to the online submission form. We look forward to serving you. The post Obituaries for March 30, 2023 appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: Obituaries]

— Arizona v. Navajo Nation, which gets the water?

 

at 3/23/23 3:30am

WINDOW ROCK Tribal water needs are to be met to sustain reservation living for Native people, but the Navajo Nation isn’t getting its water needs met. Thats according to the Winters Doctrine, the foundation of tribal water rights. On Monday morning, the Navajo Nation headed to the Supreme Court to present arguments as to why the Nation needed its water rights met by the U.S. government. Frederick Liu, representing the federal parties, opened the oral argument by recognizing the tribe has every right to water. Still, it didn’t have the right to ask the government to consider its water, create a plan, and execute it. “What the Navajo Nation cannot do, however, is to impose on the United States a duty that the government has never expressly accepted,” Liu said. Liu stated that the Nation arguing with the breach-of-trust claim could not move forward as a valid argument because the Navajo Treaty of 1868 never referenced the federal government to account for water accessible by the tribe. Responding to Liu’s argument, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch said the treaty had provisions about agriculture in which it was promised that the Navajo people would have a permanent home and the ability to farm animals. Liu agreed with Gorsuch on the written words of the Treaty of 1868. Gorsuch said because the tribe needs water to sustain its way of living on the reservation through agriculture, it deserves water. “No,” Liu said. Rights to water With what seemed like contradicting statements from Liu, it wasn’t just Gorsuch who was confused. Justice Elena Kagan asked for clarification on the argument. “You start by saying that the Indians have rights to water and that they get them by virtue of having rights to land, having a reservation of this kind, and the rights to water just go along with that. Is that a matter of the treaty, or are you saying its something else, that the rights arise some other way?” Kagan asked. Liu said that it’s not that the tribe doesn’t deserve water rights, and the breach-of-trust claim violation is that the tribe can’t ask to get duties carried out by the U.S. government. Justice Sonia Sotomayor said, “They agreed to sit to a land that would permit them to return to agriculture, and the bargain they got in return was we, the United States, took away all of your other lands, we gave you this piece of land here, survive. Even if it turns into a desert condition, where you admit significant water needs on the reservation, the tribe cant do anything about it.” Liu agreed but continued to emphasize because of the treaties signed, the Navajo Nation decided to handle its own affairs, meaning it cannot ask the U.S. government to be held accountable for something like access to water on the reservation. “And if we look at the status quo that they wanted to be returned to, it was a status quo in which they could support themselves,” Liu said. “It was not a status quo in – there never was a status quo in which the United States was supplying the Navajo Nation with water or water infrastructure.” To clarify some of the confusion stated previously, Rita Maguire, the attorney representing states in the Lower Colorado Basin and who oppose the tribe’s claims, said that much of the federal reserved rights in the conversation come from the Winters Doctrine, which stems from a 1908 decision that states when Congress reserves land, it also reserves water sufficient to fulfill the purpose of the reservation. Maguire said, “It is an implied right. There is no duty that attaches to Winters.” Future needs of the nation The Winters Doctrine rights provide the benefit of the doubt to Native American tribes in understanding treaties, including other treaties that include implied water rights, said Kagan. Contradicting, Maguire said that in the argument, the land reserved for the Navajo people included again, sustaining themselves, with the intent from the federal government to secure enough water to maintain the reservation. There was no specific duty given to the government. “Our argument is they cannot have a right to the Lower Colorado River until they come before this Court and receive an adjudicated (formal) right,” Maguire said. Following the state and federal government arguments, attorney Shay Dvoretzky, arguing on behalf of the Navajo Nation, took the stand. Dvoretzky provided two ratification references to the Treaty of 1868 that gave the Navajo people a permanent home. “Both parties understood that in promising the Navajos their land, the United States was also promising them the water it needed to sustain life in the arid southwest. Those treaties are specific sources of law that give the Nation rights to water and impose duties on the government to secure that water,” Dvoretzky said. Where the U.S. government never kept its promise, said Dvoretzky. According to Dvoretzky’s argument, the average Navajo person living on the reservation uses 7 gallons a day when the national average is 80 to 100 gallons a day per person, and the Navajo people continue to feel and see the drought penetrating their homelands. Dvoretzky said, “The United States thinks that it alone decides whether it has made good on its promises. But thats not how promises work.” Kagan said the governments argument includes the agreement that the Navajo Nation should be assured water, but it is not responsible for carrying out those duties on the reservation. Dvoretzky disagreed, saying it is the governments duty because of the case Arizona v. California, in which Arizona denied the Nation’s interference saying Arizona is in charge of the Nation’s water. “So, the United States is controlling these Winters rights and, in certain instances, like Arizona versus California, blocking the Nation from asserting those rights for itself,” Dvoretzky said. “The Nation asks only that the United States, as trustee, assess its peoples needs and develop a plan to meet them in consultation with the Nation,” she added. Kagan asked Dvoretzky, “Both of those are not spelled out in the contract. You know, both of those are implied rights and duties. So how do we choose between them?” Referencing the government has two duties: one, to not interfere with Nation’s water, and two, to ensure the Nation has access to water. So how does the Supreme Court decide on which to choose? asked Kagan. Dvoretzky said to answer Justice Kagans question, they need to choose based on the understanding of the treaties at the time by the Navajo Nation and the treaties interpretation favoring the Navajo Nation. “We would like to have a seat at the table to be a part of that, which weve been cut out from,” Dvoretzky said on behalf of the Navajo Nation. The post Arizona v. Navajo Nation, which gets the water? appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: News]

— Letters | Rhetoric and reality of federal financial dependence

 

at 3/23/23 3:30am

A current $10-billion Navajo economy infused from the presence of hospitals, government grants, school districts, private businesses, and government agencies has the potential to generate an annual $600 million non-discretionary revenue for the Navajo Nation government, and we continue to choose to rely on advocating for more federal funding? This is a more direct summary of the Navajo Times editorial I wrote in June 2022. There are two points to consider in our government choosing federal financial assistance as the only method to address our nations social, health, educational, and economic disparities. Regarding the first point, one should understand Ronald Reagans comments from 1988 on the United States treatment of American Indians, Weve done everything we can to meet their demands as to how they want to live, he said. Maybe we made a mistake. Maybe we should not have humored them in that wanting to stay in that kind of primitive lifestyle. Maybe we should have said no, come join us; be citizens along with the rest of us. To many, Reagans statement is racist, but to me, its a recognition of a foregone opportunity for any Indian nation to seize in advancing their federal-Indian relationship to better their nation; an opportunity persistently presenting itself to Indian nations to go beyond federal programs and financial assistance and set a pathway to define their destiny and to pursue them under their terms. I know here that the opportunity was and still is about questioning exactly what we have done for ourselves rather than what more federal financial assistance can do for us. When Reagans comments are heard intently, it echoes John F. Kennedys invitation ask not what your country do for you, ask what you can do for your country. And is it any wonder of elected leaders when the congress and federal administrations ask, what does Navajo need from the federal government to change its social outcome, 99.9 percent of the time, our elected officials choose more federal financial assistance and invariably dont ask to amend laws and regulations that impede on our progress so that we can move toward less dependency. The second point is the accepted choice by our elected officials. The Navajo of its federal assistance cites such choice as protracted subsidies. These choices have similarly caused generational pauperization in other countries that give similar-like aid to indigenous peoples. This observation is cited by a book that studied the lack of development in the least developed third-world countries. In the book, Reality, and Rhetoric, Studies in the Economics of Development by economist Peter T. Bauer provide insight into how our choice for more and more federal funding leads to further dependence. And from what we now know of the Navajo Nations $1.2 billion annual budget consisting of over 90% financial assistance from other government sources, it should have us ask how much is too much to make us realize that we are too dependent on federal financial aid. Short of any rational review of our policy in how we address our social, health, education, economic, and employment inequities, maybe the present and persistent act of returning the very same federal assistance we received back to Washington should awaken us to the fact that we do have too much federal financial aid. However, we can count on the current inflation, the federal Inflation Reduction Act and the Build Back Better act, or a push for a green economy to once again stain in line to ask for more federal financial assistance. So going back to my point of an existing $10 billion dollar economy that could generate $600 million in revenue for the Navajo Nation government through our taxes, it would generate at least one-half of the Nations $1.2 billion annual budget. More importantly, if we are generating our income, wouldnt we have greater self-rule in its use as opposed to the strings attached to federal financial assistance? One would think that doing for ourselves would be of greater value than having others do for us with the rules they set for us. If history is any guide to what we should expect in the short term and the long run, one can say that our future will stay dependent on federal financial assistance. And this, at some point, has to change, if only sooner, not later. Raymond K. Nopah Gallup The post Letters | Rhetoric and reality of federal financial dependence appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: Letters]

— Comics by Jack Ahasteen

 

at 3/23/23 3:29am

Jack Ahsteens toon for Mrch 23, 2023. Select a thumbnail below to launch a gallery of Jacks recent work: The post Comics by Jack Ahasteen appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: Comics]

— Future of Navajo water rights heard in Supreme Court

 

at 3/23/23 3:29am

WINDOW ROCK The Supreme Court seemed divided on Monday as it weighed a dispute involving the U.S. government and the Nation’s quest for water from the Colorado River. Arizona v. Navajo Nation is complicated, and it appeared a majority of the nine-justice court could allow the Nation’s claim to move forward in a limited form, with much depending on the vote of conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett. The Nation argued that it didn’t have enough water and that the federal government was at fault. Unraveled treaties Water rights amongst many Indigenous tribes continue to be held in the tangles of courts from unraveled treaties over the last hundred years. These aggregated cases before the Supreme Court scratch the surface of the complex myriad of original treaties and how the current government interprets them. The disputes in the highest court are to determine if the U.S. has a legal obligation to the Nation that can be enforced through the courts under the Navajo Treaty of 1868 that promised Diné Bikéyah an irrevocable homeland. Frederick Liu, the assistant to the solicitor general, began his opening argument, wasting no time in setting the climate on the federal views of the claims of Diné Bikéyah. “The dispute is whether the U.S. owes the Navajo Nation a judicially enforceable affirmative duty to assess the tribe’s water needs, develop a plan to meet them, and then carry out that plan by building water supply infrastructure on the reservation, the answer to that question is no,” Liu said. Liu adds to the federal hesitance of the Navajos claims, saying, “It is about water for an ongoing and indefinite basis, not for a limited period of time, and the dollar amount, there is no limit.” The U.S. Supreme Court case Winters v. United States (1908) clarified water rights for Indigenous reservations, established a doctrine to define the rights to water and set a standard for the U.S. to acknowledge Indigenous water rights to sustain survival and self-sufficiency. Winters rights are defined by the federal government and enforced and controlled by federal law when reservations were established by a treaty, statute, or executive order, and water rights were not specifically mentioned. A reservation of water rights was implied, and these water rights apply to water sources that are either within the reservation or bordering it. According to The Native American Rights Fund, 37 tribal governments, the National Congress of American Indians, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, and the San Luis Rey Indian Water Authority filed an amicus brief Feb. 8 supporting the Navajo Nation in Arizona v. Navajo Nation. The brief urges the Supreme Court to respect the Winters water rights doctrine, which the court established 115 years ago, and enforce the tribe’s trust relationship with the U.S. concerning water for the Nation. Water is necessary In the Winters decision, the court recognized that when the U.S. creates an Indian reservation, it also reserves the water necessary to fulfill the purposes of the reservation. “In creating a reservation, the federal and tribal governments understood that adequate water is essential to the purpose of a homeland,” explained Heather Whiteman Runs Him, the director of the Tribal Justice Clinic at the University of Arizona Rogers College of Law. “This has been settled law for over a century, and it is absolutely the case for the Navajo Nation,” she said. Shay Dvoretzky, the attorney arguing on behalf of the Navajo Nation, began his oral arguments starting with the treaties the Senate ratified with the Nation. The 1868 treaty that the U.S. promised the Navajos a permanent homeland with both parties understanding the U.S. also promised the Navajos water it needed to sustain life and the desert-like conditions of the southwest. “Those treaties are specific resources of law that give the Nation rights to water and impose duties on the government to secure that water, but for years the U.S. has failed to fulfill that promise,” Dvoretzky said. “We’re here because the U.S. says it doesn’t have to do anything to secure the water it promised, even though the U.S. also states it speaks for the Navajos as trustee of the Nation’s water rights,” he said. Dvoretzky pointed out a vast comparison between an average persons water usage in the Nation, using a daily total of only 7 gallons of water a day to the national average usage at a whopping 80 to 100 gallons, highlighting the gap and need for water on the Nation as its people lack the resources to obtain water and are left to conserve what they collect in between water hauling trips. “The Nation and its people feel the water shortage in the southwest,” Dvoretzky said. “The Nation asks only that the U.S., as trustee, assess its people’s needs and develop a plan to meet them in consultation with the Nation.” He continued, “As the court recognized in Winters, if you have a permanent homeland for agriculture, both of which are features of the reservation, you can’t carry out the purpose of agreement without also having water, so it didn’t need to be spelled out because it was an essential component of fulfilling the purpose of the agreement.” Defending water rights Six of the nine Supreme Court justices hold the conservative majority with a weighted vote hinging on Barrett. Barrett hearing the pleas from both sides and asking direct, firm, and thorough questions, illuminated the task ahead for Diné Bikéyah in its ability to protect and defend its water rights. Barrett said conceptually, she is trying to decide if the Nation’s argument feels more like a breach-of-contract claim versus a breach-of-trust, asking Liu if there is a claim that the Navajo could have brought for breaching the treaty. Liu responded, “If the Navajo Nation wanted to take advantage of common law trust principles, for example, if they tried to hold us to a duty of prudence of duty of loyalty, then they would have to prove something more than just any old treaty duty. “They’d have to show that that duty also bore the characteristics of a conventional fiduciary relationship,” he said. Justice Neil Gorsuch gave a synopsis to Liu that the Navajo were not allowed in the Arizona v. California case or at any other time to assert Winters rights and have any rights in the mainstream adjudicated because the government opposed the Nations motion to intervene in Arizona v. California. He continued to explain that the consent decree suggests it does not resolve the rights of any Indian tribe except as expressly provided in the decree, which does not include the Navajo, leading him to question Liu if the Navajo intervene, would the government oppose it again. Liu responded to Gorsuch, saying, “We might oppose it.” “That’s partly why the Navajo can bring a motion to reopen the decree if they want to,” Liu said, to which Gorsuch replied, “You’re going to oppose it again. You just made that clear standing at the lectern.” Barrett told Liu, “Seems to me that the strongest arguments made on behalf of the Navajo are in the nature of you breached the treaty, it was broken promises, you promised us (Navajo) a permanent home, and you’re not.” Support from Navajo A show of support from local naatáanii from Diné Bikéyah attended the hearings in Wáshindoon. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, Vice President Richelle Montoya, Speaker Crystalyne Curley, Council delegates Eugenia Charles-Newton and Brenda Jesus, and Navajo Nation Attorney General Ethel Branch made the journey to Wáshindoon to represent the future of Diné in this critical case. Former Navajo Chairman Peter MacDonald and Navajo Nation Water Rights Commission Chair Joelynn Ashley also attended. In a public press release on social media, Curley expressed her views and shared reflections from her childhood concerning accessible water then and how it hasn’t changed in the current day. “This case goes beyond the fiduciary duty of the federal government. The outcome of this hearing may determine the livelihood of our Navajo people now and for all future generations,” Curley said. “The right to water centers on our right to a permanent homeland through our treaties and the prayers of our ancestors since time immemorial.” “As a child, I grew up in a home without running water, and to this day, we still have over 30 percent of our people who don’t have access to clean running water in their homes,” she said. “Our leaders long ago fought for our right to our homeland, including the right to water, the right to life.” The U.S. Supreme Court will hear closing arguments next month and expects to deliver a ruling in June 2023. The post Future of Navajo water rights heard in Supreme Court appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: News]

— ‘He always made Thoreau first’: Ben Shelly, former Navajo Nation president, dies at 75

 

at 3/23/23 3:28am

WINDOW ROCK Ben Shelly, the former president of the Navajo Nation, died after an illness Wednesday morning, March 22. Shelly, 75, was from Thoreau, New Mexico. He was Tó’aheedlíinii and was born for Ts’ah Yisk’idnii. His maternal grandfather is Áshįįhí, and his paternal grandfather is Táchii’nii. In 2010, Shelly was elected president, went into office Jan. 11, 2011, and served until May 12, 2015. Shelly ran against Lynda Lovejoy, the first female president-elect. In an interview with the Navajo Times, Lovejoy said, “I am sorry to his family to hear of his loss.” Navajo Times | Donovan QuinteroFormer Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly poses with a Pendleton blanket that was draped over him by President Buu Nygren during a private meeting in December at Twin Arrows Casino. Lovejoy, who lives in Albuquerque, shared her experience running against Shelly in 2010. “All I can say is it’s over with and long gone,” Lovejoy said as she remembered the grueling race. “It was quite an experience,” she said. “I had a lot of respect for him. He was vice president to Joe Shirley, and I have respect for our leaders. I didn’t really run against him.” With differences in their campaigns, Lovejoy said she didn’t run against Shelly and ran for the people because she felt better suited to be president during the election. When asked about what her experience was like to be running against Shelly, Lovejoy said there were some immature moments highlighting her gender when she said it didn’t need to be mentioned. “It wasn’t only him but by others who worked in his campaign who also displayed immaturity, but that’s just how things are within Navajo Nation. It’s not surprising; there could’ve been more professionalism,” Lovejoy said. “There should be no personal criticism, but there was. But also, we tried to display respect toward each other, she said. It’s just at times, there was immaturity displayed from his side and his campaign.” Man of many roles During Shelly’s election to the Nation’s highest office, the Navajo Nation Council changed from an 88-member Council to 24. Before his presidency, Shelly was vice-president under Joe Shirley Jr. Shelly then became the first vice president of the Navajo Nation to be president in the next election. With being the first president to have also been vice president, Shelly was the first New Mexican Navajo Nation president. In 2015, when Shelly’s term was over, Shelly lost his re-election, but the Navajo Supreme Court extended Shelly’s term for five more months. At the time, former President Joe Shirley ran against Chris Deschene. Deschene was eliminated from the presidential race after Shelly’s five-month extension. The next president would be former President Russell Begaye. Shelly was on the Navajo Nation Council for 16 years before being in office, and after leaving, Shelly and his family operated a transportation business for seven years. Throughout his presidency, Shelly worked on numerous projects for the Navajo Nation, ranging from water issue discussions with Sen. Jon Kyl to being recognized by the Indian Health Services Director Dr. Yvette Roubideaux for his push to stop the use of commercial tobacco smoking in public places on the reservation. Honest in conversations Speaker Crystalyne Curley said, “On behalf of the 25th Navajo Nation Council, I offer my thoughts and prayers to Martha (Shelly’s wife) and their entire family during this difficult time.” Curley reminisced on Shelly’s life. “President Shelly will always be remembered in our hearts and minds for his great sense of humor, devoted public service, and love for his people and family. We mourn the loss of our leader, but we honor and give thanks for his life and the legacy that he leaves behind,” Curley said. Dineh Benally, the former San Juan River Farm Board president, told the Navajo Times, “He led our Nation forward for quite some time––county commissioner, Council delegate, vice president, president. “He did everything,” he said. “He held every position; he did a lot.” Similarly, accounting for Shelly’s many roles, Thoreau Chapter President Valerie Arviso expressed appreciation for Shelly always putting his hometown first. Arviso said having grown up in Thoreau all her life, she had seen Shelly as a great leader who always put his community first, the elderly and the youth especially. “My condolence to the family for their loss,” Arviso said. “What I always remember is he always made Thoreau first. He did what he could, and we were so proud of him when he won. We were 100% supportive of him.” Former Speaker Lorenzo Bates said during Shelly’s presidency, he got along with him because he was always honest in their conversations. One instance Bates remembers was when Shelly and he were talking, and Shelly said, “You’re just a speaker.” Bates said he laughed and responded, “I am THE speaker.” He remembered Shelly laughing and simply saying, “Yeah,” a memory that Bates said contributed to why he liked him. Bates also recalled Shelly’s voice that could not be tampered with. “When there (were) controversial positions and he took a different position than Council, whatever reason, I’d always get sent over, and I’d work it out with him,” Bates said. “In all the times I’d go into his office, I’d learned I’d have to sit through 15 to 20 minutes of what we he felt and thought.” Laughing, Bates said there was no point in arguing with him. It would just make matters worse. “He was quite the guy and never afraid to say what was on his mind.” Shelly leaves behind former first lady Martha Shelly, his wife of 57 years, from Coyote Canyon; five children, 12 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Shelly’s family will have a private service and plan a future public memorial. “My condolences goes to his family, and we are sad to have lost another leader. May he rest in peace. God gained another angel,” Arviso said. Deswood Tome, who worked for Shelly, said it was a privilege to serve the late president. “He didn’t wait for you,” Tome told the Navajo Times. “He was constantly on the go. He would call me at 4 a.m. and (ask) if I (was) still asleep. “He didn’t like meetings because they were unproductive,” he said. “His ambition was to get things done. If assignments weren’t accomplished, he wanted to know why. He then would give implicit instructions to get it done.” Tome said when House Committee on Appropriations members came to the Navajo Nation in the spring of 2015, Shelly was adamant that it continues with the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation. The late Sen. John McCain wanted to eliminate the office. “The problem is that there were still some 250 families remaining to be served for relocating,” Tome said. “The president told the visiting members of Congress, ‘If you’re going to do away with ONHIR, then we’re going to tell the Navajos to move back’ onto HPL (Hopi Partitioned Lands).” Tome said Shelly was direct. “He wasn’t a politician who spoke in hyperbole,” he said. “He was the most candid person I ever encountered. “What was great about working with the president is how fast he worked,” he added. “It was a speed in which I was already accustomed to working. He wanted the job done right, (and) he had high regard for ethics and law and demanded the same of his staff.” The post ‘He always made Thoreau first’: Ben Shelly, former Navajo Nation president, dies at 75 appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: News]

— Down to the wire: Green team prevails in All-Star finale

 

at 3/23/23 3:20am

GALLUP The final contest of the 2023 New Mexico High School Coaches Association All-Star game came down to the wire. In this evenly matched battle, the Green team prevailed with a 109-107 win over the Red squad Saturday night at Gallup High School. I think thats a credit to the process we did in selecting the teams, Red team coach Joshua Dunlap said. We kind of agreed to do it draft style. Me and (the Green team) coach picked back and forth like they do playground style and it worked perfectly.” Navajo Times | Donovan QuinteroRed All-Star Nathaniel Yazzie (11) of Gallup High puts up a shot against Green All-Star Adam Montoya of Santa Fe St. Michael’s on Saturday. Using that process, the Gallup High coach said they were nervous that one team would be heavily stacked over the other as his Red team has some considerable size. Green team coach Thale Goodluck acknowledged that disparity, but he felt that they could exploit its speed to counteract that. “We knew they were gonna utilize their bigs and 3-point shooters,” Goodluck said. “We had to pick it up on the defensive end and close out their shooters.” The Crownpoint High coach said it was an honor to be selected as one of the coaches for the Green team as he was assisted by Santa Fe St. Michael’s head coach Gerard Garcia and Tohatchi assistant coach Lionel Livingston. It was fun seeing all the different talent that is out there in New Mexico,” Goodluck said. “It was a lot fun and I really didnt have to do too much. I just showed them positioning and the rest they did it themselves.” The Green team took the lead for good at 92-90 on a 3-pointer from Artesia senior Nick Sanchez at the 5:36 mark of the second half. The Goodluck-coached team stretched that margin to as much as seven points before holding onto the win as the Red team had a two opportunities to tie the contest with under 13.6 seconds left. Man, thats just basketball, Red All-Star player Nathaniel Yazzie said. We ran what we wanted to run, and we got what we wanted to get, but thats just basketball.” Despite coming up short, Yazzie said he was blessed to be coached by his high school coach one more time while playing alongside teammate Isaiah Tom. I appreciate this so much, the Gallup senior said. Its a dream come true, you know, playing in an all-star game and playing in my hometown. It’s just surreal and I really dont know how to put it into words right now, but its great. With only one day of practice, Yazzie said his new all-star teammates had to learn as many set plays as they could. “They did great in learning how to execute these plays,” he said. “We actually clicked very well that first day and it was great to play with guys that have a high level of talent.” The Red team was led by Pojoaque senior Derek Sanchez as he put in 22 points. Kirtland Central’s Satchel Hogue added 18 and St. Pius X senior Brian Kalb chipped in 17. Hogue had the hot hand early in the contest as he nailed three early treys in the opening half. During warmups, I wasnt shooting that good, so I wasnt sure if I was going to score that many points,” the KC senior said. “It changed in a matter of time, so that was good for me. The Red team also got 11 points each from the Gallup High players in Tom and Yazzie while Newcomb’s Javin Tracy put in two. I think I did alright, Yazzie said. I just tried to play my game and get my teammates involved. I wanted to play my game, which is attacking the basket. I also like to shoot a little bit, and I think I did that. The Green team was led by Sanchez as the Artesia guard finished with a game-high 30 points. Hope Christian forward Jett Wyckoff added 22 and Deming’s Alex Alfaro finished with 13. Crownpoint senior Tyrell Archie scored two points for the Green team. “This was a good experience,” Archie said. “I got a chance to see where I’m at compared to the rest of the state. It was a chance for me to see how I matched up with teams off the reservation.” And while he got some ample playing time, the Crownpoint High senior said he couldn’t find his rhythm. “I just couldn’t get anything going,” he said. The post Down to the wire: Green team prevails in All-Star finale appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: Basketball]

— Native women report negative health care experiences

 

at 3/23/23 3:20am

TEMPE, Ariz. A trip to the hospital for a health concern should be answered, but for many women, especially Native women, it’s the opposite. A survey done by the Kaiser Family Foundation show that women are more likely to be dismissed by their healthcare provider and have a terrible experience overall, leading them not to ask questions or not see their provider for any health issues. Native Health, located throughout the Phoenix Valley, and Changing Woman Initiative, located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, both agree that Native Women are left behind in treatments and education about their health issues. Dr. John Molina, the health services director at Native Health, said, “One of the things I’ve experienced is that our Native women, especially the more traditional ones, talking about their bodies and body functions is something they feel very uncomfortable with.” Native Health is a healthcare facility for urban Natives in the Valley, and according to its website, it provides “patient-centered, medical, dental, behavioral health, WIC, and wellness programs.” Humility Molina said that often, in his experience, the providers would be male and non-Native, which would further the discomfort for Native women. However, if the provider was female and Native, there was more success in helping the patient. Four in 10 women between 18 and 35 said they had had a negative experience with their healthcare providers, according to the 2022 KFF women’s health survey released in February 2023. Molina states that the more a patient feels comfortable with their provider, the more successful the provider can diagnose and answering patient questions. “For orientation every year, we try to enhance cultural competency values,” Molina said. “We would talk about belief systems and values among (Native) people, and a lot of it is based around the topic of humility. Some topics may be taboo. We encourage the providers to really get to know their patients.” Across the board, when talking about their health concerns, women reported that they were dismissed, told they weren’t telling the truth, and discriminated against at a higher rate than men, according to the survey. Native Women who are more traditional based and sometimes who don’t speak English as their first language see those barriers, preventing them from going to the doctors for help, said Molina. “They may feel uncomfortable in a Western-based setting, especially going into the private practice areas where providers could be rushing. Our Native women are storytellers, so when they’re trying to explain what’s going on, non-Native providers could dismiss them,” Molina said. Not being heard However, health care services like Indian Health Service don’t run into the same problem, said Molina. Those services are often more understanding of their Native patients. As a retired OB-GYN and having worked at Indian Health Services for many years, Molina said he knows many Native women are uncomfortable with “non-Indian” health care. Another concern raised about womens health overall is the lack of understanding about female health conditions like cancer and menopause. One in three women, about 35% of women between ages 40 and 64, said their health care provider has talked about menopause with them or explained what to expect, according to the survey. Molina said, “There’s a need for education. Not only on the need for screening but also where do they get the screening, who do they feel comfortable going to, I think that’s one of the biggest issues.” Alongside Molina, Felicia Otto, the Changing Woman Initiative’s office manager, said in her time with the non-profit organization, she heard many Indigenous women’s stories who felt like they weren’t being listened to elsewhere and opted for Native women-run healing centers. Changing Woman Initiative is an organization aiming to revitalize the understanding of cultural births and utilize traditional healing practices and medicines for reproductive wellness. Otto said, “I got a call the other day from a mom who was very impressed with us. She came here to get her wellness check versus going out to other places where she had really bad experiences.” Founder of Changing Woman Initiative, Nicolle Gonzalez, received her bachelor’s in nursing and a master’s in nurse-midwifery from the University of New Mexico where she also recognized the need for traditional holistic practices to keep the stages of motherhood sacred within the Indigenous communities. The effort to provide the option for traditional births and healing throughout a woman’s pregnancy is on every staff members mind when welcoming women for their health appointments. “The space is so homey, not like the stereotypical strict office clinic setup. It feels a little more inviting and puts a lot of our women at ease. On top of that, we want them to feel comfortable and at home, and it’s really in our best interest,” Otto said. Changing Woman Initiative provides numerous services to better serve Native women, from sexually transmitted disease screening and treatments to plant medicine education and consultation. “We want the women coming in here to feel safe. We have a beautiful array of staff who have worked with many different communities so that there’s a better understanding of the many different types of women who can walk in here and need help,” Otto said. The survey suggests women are neglected more than men. Native women are often made up of traditional teachings and values, and when put under the western medicine microscope, they’re left behind, said both Molina and Otto. “We as Indigenous people believe in that medicine (traditional medicine and ceremonies), but the western medicine is more diagnosing and treating, and because of that, sometimes our Native Women aren’t valued as much,” Molina said The post Native women report negative health care experiences appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: Health]

— Chronic absenteeism escalated during pandemic

 

at 3/23/23 3:19am

PHOENIX Spring break kicked off for students three years ago, but upon their return, some didn’t return to the classroom, and some still haven’t fully returned to school. During the pandemic, the Arizona Department of Education revealed students missing more school than years before. Specialists from the Helios Education Foundation and the superintendent of the Avondale School District came together to talk about the problem they saw. Chronic absenteeism is missing more than 10% of the school year at the same school a student attends, according to the 2022 Helios Education Foundation report. Paul G. Perrault, the senior vice president of community impact and learning for the foundation, expanded on chronic absenteeism among students within Arizona, including Native American students. He said Native students miss school at a higher rate than their counterparts. “A lot of times, it’s because of the location. Many Native American schools within Arizona are in rural areas. These schools did have more school closures, and they had more exposure to Covid and then had bigger policies,” Perrault said. At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, schools across the country considered the safety of their students, thus shutting down in-person learning. Location, transportation With the location being one of the reasons Native students tended to miss more school than other students, Perrault saw transportation as another. “When we talked to these students, there were other contributing reasons they could not consecutively attend school. Some families did not have a reliable vehicle. Some students might’ve had to stay home to take care of their siblings,” Perrault said. The 2022 chronic absenteeism report was conducted from research provided by the Arizona Department of Education, which found that enrollment and withdrawal increased the percentage of days a student misses to narrow down chronically absent students to 18%. At least 7,000 students across Arizona were absent in 2021, based on the 18% guideline according to the report. “Kids went home in 2020, in 2021, everybody thought things were back to normal, but during that school year, between 24% and 25% of students were still chronically absent, which was dramatically higher than absences in the past,” Perrault said. High rates of missing school didn’t stop the efforts made by superintendent Betsy Hargrove from the Avondale School District. She also shared her plan to better school attendance. Hargrove shared an “Awareness and Acceptance Equals Action” plan that showed parents their child is missing more days than they should. Moving forward, the school and parents work together to ensure the child attends school more often. “Bottom line is there are barriers to come to school whether it’s an economic barrier, whether it’s a distance barrier, whether its extensive circumstance within the home that needs to be navigated differently,” Hargrove said. Awareness plan Part of Hargroves awareness plan was rewarding students in a tier-like manner for showing up to school and sending home letters so that parents are aware of how many days their child has missed. “Whatever it might be, I truly believe, and we have found incredible success coming alongside and being a part of a united group to support children and create new behaviors and create new habits and celebrating those,” Hargrove said. Lenay Dunn, deputy director for the Regional Educational Laboratory West, a research and evaluation organization focused on successful education, agreed with Hargrove regarding community help to get students back to school. “I think those same evidence-based strategies can support. I think thinking about what can we do to ensure the support happening at the schools. It really is a community initiative,” Dunn said. Along with recognizing chronic absenteeism in Arizona school districts, school districts must consider the education students receive. Dunn said, “It may be true that students won’t be held back for being chronically absent, but their grades will slip, and that’s what the issue is.” The 2022 chronic absenteeism report showed increased chronic absenteeism for vulnerable student populations: economically disadvantaged, English learning, Native American/Alaskan Native, Black/African American, and Hispanic students. According to Dunn, more missed days from school lowers the grades for the vulnerable student population. Perrault, Hargrove, and Dunn emphasized the importance of attending school and how to do so and said they want school districts to review the report to support their students better. Hargrove said, “I don’t believe I’ll ever meet a parent who would not want their child to be successful.” The post Chronic absenteeism escalated during pandemic appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: News]

— Tohatchi, Navajo Pine split twin bill

 

at 3/23/23 3:19am

TOHATCHI A four-run rally in the third frame provided a much-needed boost for the Navajo Pine softball team to split its doubleheader with Tohatchi on Monday. After coming up short 20-8 in the opening game, the Lady Warriors closed out the nondistrict game with a 13-6 triumph on a cold and rainy afternoon. “We played a lot better defensively and our pitcher was more consistent with her throws,” said Navajo Pine veteran coach Hilary Thompson, whose team improved to 3-1 overall. “We got some pretty good hits, but we still have some struggling with their timing. “But I think we were more effective in this (second) game,” she added. First-year Tohatchi coach Darrick Henry said the errors they made “demoralized” his squad as Navajo Pine erased a 3-0 first inning deficit into a 6-3 lead. “They got a big jump on us,” he said. “We had some bad throws defensively and it’s something that we can correct. There were some calls that went against us, but those external factors didn’t decide the game. “This loss was all on us,” he said. With it being his team’s season opener, Henry felt that his club did fairly well. Obviously, we saw some mistakes that we need to work on, but were making slow improvements,” he said. “Were glad to get some players from the basketball team last week, so theyre still kind of raw but theres some positive things that we saw. With 25 players on the squad, Henry said he has the numbers to field a JV squad. We like our numbers, but there are some challenges that comes with it as far as logistics, jerseys and making sure theres enough room in the dugout, he said. But were managing through it. Im just very glad that the players are being flexible with me along with the parents. The Lady Cougars are headed to the West Las Vegas tournament this week with the Henry-coached team opening up with Lordsburg at 4 p.m. today. Its going to be a good tournament, Henry said. Its going to help us prepare for the future and itll give us more of an idea about how we stack against our teams as well. Of the nine starters that he has, seven are returning starters. Navajo Times | Quentin JodieTohatchi right-hand hurler Mariah Begaye gets ready to deliver a pitch to a Navajo Pine hitter on Monday. His top hitters include Raeanna Hunch, Amy Anderson, Mariah Begaye, Devyn Harvey, Daleighia Chato and Makayla Bitsoi. “We’re pretty stacked all the way around,” he said. “They’re all great and we also got some good substitutions as well.” In Monday’s game, he utilized Mariah Begaye and Logan Benallie inside the pitching circle. For the time being, those two hurlers are going to pitch for his experience squad. We got another one, but she got hurt in our scrimmage last week, he said. Hopefully, well get her back this week. With a loaded team, the Tohatchi coach is looking to improve on its 13-14 record last season when the Cougars finished third in District 1-3A with 6-4 record. They finished behind co-district champs Navajo Prep and Zuni. The rest of the district members include Wingate, Newcomb and Thoreau. Obviously, you always want to contend for a district championship, Henry said. Im hoping that we compete and get these seniors something to remember for the rest of their lives.” For Navajo Pine, Thompson is looking for her young team to grow. I just want them to come together and learn how to work together as a team, she said. Right now, theyre kind of struggling with communicating, but if they communicate better, I think theyll have more success. Of the 11 players on her roster, nine of them are returners from last year’s squad that produced a 10-13 overall record, which included a 3-5 mark in District 1-1A/2A. We have a whole new outfield, she said. We only have one returner, so the rest are pretty new. We need to work on that, but our infielders are coming together. Our third base is new, but everyone else is a returner.” Like the Tohatchi squad, Thompson will be using a two-man rotation with freshman Mikayla Baker and junior Kayluanah Bahe sharing the pitching duties. And although senior Jessica Joe is a returner, she is playing a new position at catcher. Next week, Navajo Pine will take part in the Mesilla Valley Christian School tournament in Las Cruces as a way to prepare for upcoming district season. We’ll see some good competition out there, Thompson said. Well see teams like Hatch Valley and Capitan, so the competition is really good there. The district will have five teams this season with Rehoboth Christian and Laguna Acoma being the frontrunners. The rest of the district includes Pine Hill and Tohajiilee. “They’re usually up there,” Thompson said of Rehoboth and Laguna Acoma. The post Tohatchi, Navajo Pine split twin bill appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: Baseball]

— Gallup native finds perfect fit at Pine Hill

 

at 3/23/23 3:18am

By Santiago Ramos Jr. Special to the Times PINE HILL First-year Pine Hill athletic director/girls basketball head coach Patricia Chavez has brought new life to the remote BIA school that’s located on the Ramah Navajo Nation Reservation. The Gallup native, who coached the Lady Braves at Santa Fe Indian School before moving closer to her hometown, took over as the new Pine Hill AD/girls basketball coach after Carlett (Danny) Daniels left for Magdalena High School where he’s an assistant girls basketball coach. Chavez admitted that she’s pleased with her move and taking on a new job with new responsibilities. Chavez says it was a perfect fit. Special to the Times | Santiago Ramos Jr.Former Santa Fe Indian School girls basketball coach Patricia Chavez accepted a new position at Pine Hill High School serving as the school’s athletic director and girls varsity coach this year. “From many years of experience as a coach in many capacities, the AD position fit me like a glove,” Chavez said. “What was a learning curve was budget and the processes to follow from an administrative standpoint. With the guidance and leadership of my Superintendent David Nez, he guided me through the process and still today he mentors me how to deal with unruly people, how to conduct myself in meetings and how to run a business.” Chavez said that Nez also lured her to coach again after a two-year break. “He’s the one who enticed me to coach again as he felt Pine Hill athletes needed a new fresh look. So I obliged and created an atmosphere, a partnership with teachers, administration in all school departments, including cafeteria, security, health and wellness. I scheduled a meet-and-greet with both athletes, community members and board members. It was a bit nerve-racking but I did me, a phrase I like is: just do you!” Chavez said a former player’s mother, Bailey Nez, got the process into possibly applying at Pine Hill started. “I had every intention of remaining at SFIS as a Health and PE teacher but Bailey asked me if I would be interested in an Athletic Director position and that I would be a good fit at Pine Hill,” she said. “This stewed inside me and it kept poking at me. A week later I decided to drive to Pine Hill to check out the community. I was familiar with the area as I was born and raised in Gallup. “Upon entering the Pine Hill housing area and high school it was very desolate and not lively at all,” she said. “After driving around, I spotted two teenagers sitting on a tire at the football field. We chatted and I asked them what they liked about Pine Hill. They responded: “We love the mountains, peacefulness. We just love our community. I smiled, looked around and agreed and went on my way.” Chavez admitted she wasn’t sure if she wanted to apply for the AD job much less coach again. “At first I just was not sure,” she said. “My godson Brandon Baca and I spoke and he encouraged me to take a leap of faith and apply for the AD position as he also knew these positions would be a good fit and that it was what I needed to spark the flame inside me once again. I took this to heart and he was right!” Chavez applied and that very same day she met those two teenagers she handed delivered her application and resume. A week later Chavez was offered an interview. “I interviewed and accepted the job over the phone,” she said. “It was at this point I knew the value of my worth and what I can offer and bring to the Pine Hill community, After two years of not participating in an athletic program I knew Pine Hill needed me and I needed Pine Hill. “When I was asked to coach again, I accepted hands down as an educator, one realizes how much students need and crave change,” she said. “They needed something to believe in, to reach, to feel whole and alive again. My mother and father taught their children to give of themselves and never expect anything in return. So this is my purpose, my oath to the communities and schools I worked with and for. “Pine Hill is a special place and when the sleeping Warriors woke from hibernation more and more people shared in our success this year,” she added. “I truly appreciate all of my coaches and staff for their commitment to Pine Hill athletics.” Pine Hill Schools Superintendent/Principal Nez agreed. Special to the Times | Santiago Ramos Jr.Pine Hill coach Patricia Chavez huddles with the girls basketball team during a timeout earlier this season. Under her direction, the Lady Warrior earned a 14-14 record and finished second in the District 1-1A. “Her enthusiasm is contagious,” Nez said. “Her commitment to her job and dedication has affected all of our staff. I used to see an empty parking lot soon after the buses left in the past, now we have teachers staying late into the evening preparing effective lessons. All our departments and programs seem to have an extra pep in their steps. Our student athletes are getting the help they need academically. “They are not only getting coaches in the sports they participate in, but they are learning about nutrition, about the mental aspects of the game and about life, about not quitting or giving up,” he said. “And how to be self-reliant. We have all joined her in the positive energy, and positive outlook on all things.” The Pine Hill football team posted one of their best seasons ever this past fall. SubmittedThe Pine Hill football team finished the season with a 4-4 record under head coach Earlson Tso. “This past season was one of the best years in Pine Hill since being a resident of Pine Hill for nine years,” first-year head football coach Earlson Tso said. “We started off slow but we finished the season 4-4. It was a challenge from the beginning due to the low attendance early in the season. But I continued to recruit and encourage kids to join the football team. Surprisingly most of the students that joined were middle schoolers and players that never played football. “ Pine Hill volleyball coach Benelda Cohoe-Belone guided her team to an 11-9 record and second in the District 1-1A. The Lady Warriors battled 2A Cloudcroft to a long hard-fought three-set match before losing 25-23, 34-32, 26-24. “There’s a solid team effort from the coaches in all sports within the Pine Hill athletic program to continue to build and develop the student-athlete on-and-off the court,” Cohoe-Belone said. Despite not having the turnout at the beginning of the season, cross country coach Tyrell Henio guided his girls team to qualify for the state meet this past fall. “This past season I started off with three or four runners which is not that many but I managed to recruit more runners halfway through the season,” Henio said. “My boys and girls teams worked hard academically and confidently that helped them qualify for state. We wouldn’t have been there without the help of our new AD Chavez who gave us positive support and got us what we needed for Pine Hill students and pushed us to our limits. I think this past season was the best season the school has had in a long time.” Under Chavez, the Lady Warrior basketballl team finished 14-14 and finished second in the District 1-1A. “We had a tough schedule,” Chavez said. “All of our athletic programs were successful. Cross country qualified the girls team for state, football was 4-4 with the most games won in over five years and volleyball was 11-9, 4-2 as the district runner-up. After two years without athletics and without live schooling due to Covid, Pine Hill athletics was successful in 2022-2023.” The Pine Hill boys basketball team also enjoyed a successful season as regular season district champs, district tournament runner-ups and earned a state seed for the first time since 2014-2015. When Nez found out that Chavez was looking for a new start in life, he went out and recruited her. “I learned that Ms. Chavez had become a free agent and was looking for a new place to call home and through my wife Ms. Bobbi Nez,” he said. “Immediately, as a school district, we began recruiting her. It has paid off.” Nez says he’s also been affected by Chavez. “I even find myself working late and getting all my reports in on time and smiling and laughing at work,” he said. “Our students are benefiting from our new wholesome sports program that truly is centered on students. It’s not just about winning on the court or field, it’s about winning in the game of life.” On her second trip to Pine Hill after accepting her new job, Chavez said she felt welcomed. “Upon arriving the second time to Pine Hill, I was greeted with open arms, people were warm and friendly. I located a teacher home that was simply perfect for my cat Cheeks and I. “I have also created many positive relationships with people I work with and who have been more than supportive, generous, and fun. They have been very heartwarming, traditional, and giving, which has filled my heart and soul more than anyone can imagine. It brought me back to my roots and what is really important as many of us are simply woven from the same cloth.” jQuery(document).ready(function() { jQuery(".post-meta p").text(function(index, text) { return text.replace('By Navajo Times |', ''); }); }); The post Gallup native finds perfect fit at Pine Hill appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: Sports]

— NMHSCA 1A/2A All-Star game: Siblings compete on opposite teams

 

at 3/23/23 3:17am

GALLUP To’hajiilee siblings Alyce and Tyler-Rose Apachito had not faced each other during their high school careers. The two seniors made the 2023 New Mexico High School Coaches Association All-Star game and they played on opposite teams. Navajo Times | Donovan QuinteroGreen All-Star Sylvia Gedman (right) eyes the basket while be guarded by Red All-Star Alyce Apachito during the 1A/2A New Mexico High School Coaches Association All-Star game on Friday afternoon in Gallup. It was pretty weird because sometimes I wanted to pass her the ball, Alyce said. And sometimes I seen her trying to pass it to me, but I enjoyed competing against her. “It was a lot of fun,” she said. Tyler-Rose said making the all-star game with her cousin is something she will not forget. “It means a lot to both of us because we’re making our community proud,” she said. “We went out there for them and we also made our families proud too, so it was awesome that we’re both all-stars.” It was Tyler-Rose’s team that got the best of Friday’s 1A/2A All-Star game as the Green squad nailed 11 treys over the Red team in a 77-62 ballgame at Gallup High School. “I think we just got along with each other,” Tyler-Rose said of her team that also included Laguna Acoma senior Sylvia Gedman. “We got three practices in and we worked really hard in practice,” said Tyler-Rose, who finished with eight points and two treys. “You could say, working hard does pay off.” Gedman was the lone Laguna Acoma player to make the all-star team as she finished with two points. “I was actually surprised that I got selected,” the 6-foot-2 post player said. “I kind of forgot that there was going to be an all-star game, so it came as a complete surprise that I made it. “I thought my point guard, Erica Martin, would have made it with me,” she added. Gedman felt that she did her part inside as the guard play of the Green team shouldered the team’s production in the second half. At the half, the Green team led 36-28 and following the break they hit nailed eight treys in its 15-point win. “Our point guards were really good,” Gedman said. “They’re all amazing and they can all shoot. We relied on the guards today and they delivered.” And while the Green team carried the momentum with its 3-point accuracy, Alyce came on strong for the Red team by scoring 14 of her team-best 16 points in the second half. Navajo Times | Donovan QuinteroRed All-Star Mathias Apachito of Alamo Navajo looks to score against Green All-Star Aiden Holt of Pecos on Friday. “It was all about me waking up,” Alyce said of her exploits. Im used to playing team ball, but this time I had to take over and show out. The Red team also got six points from Alamo Navajo senior Hailey Apachito. With graduation around the corner, Alyce said she’s planning on studying either early childhood or nursing. “I’m hoping to play college basketball as well,” she said. And while she does have some offers from the state of New York and Arizona, Alyce said she’s contemplating on staying local. Tyler-Rose said she’s looking to join the Northern New Mexico University women’s basketball program in the fall in Espanola, New Mexico. Gedman also has a few offers in both volleyball and basketball. “I’m keeping my options open right now,” she said. “I’m going to look at what offers are out there and what’s best for me.” The post NMHSCA 1A/2A All-Star game: Siblings compete on opposite teams appeared first on Navajo Times.

[Category: Basketball]

As of 3/31/23 7:44pm. Last new 3/30/23 8:11am.