Sister Gloria Davis

Sister Gloria Davis was the first Native American to join the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.

Courtesy photo

 

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Lawsuit: Gallup police unjustly detain Navajos

S.J. Ludescher
Staff Writer

GALLUP — A lawsuit has been filed in federal court alleging the City of Gallup violated the constitutional rights of Lewison Watchman while placing him in a routine "protective custody" and transporting him to Na'Nizhoozhi Center, Inc., in June 1998.

The case will delve into the circumstances that allow the City of Gallup to place someone into protective custody and admit him or her to NCI.

City of Gallup Police Chief Danny Ross said Monday morning he had not seen the lawsuit and would not comment until he had reviewed it.

Watchman, a Navajo from San Juan County, contends that many Navajos in Gallup are unjustly placed into protective custody and brought into NCI whether they have been drinking or not and whether they are able to care for their own safety.

He also contends that police officers do not follow proper procedure and do not obtain answers to threshold questions before taking Navajos into protective custody and transporting them to NCI.

NCI Executive Director Ray Daw said it is "real infrequent" for people who have not been drinking to be brought to NCI.

"When I've received complaints like this," Daw said, "a review of our records always shows a (BAC) reading that indicates otherwise. I haven't seen an incidence where I've had a complaint and gone to the charts and found them to not have been drinking." BAC refers to blood alcohol content.

"That's one of the reasons we have a breath analysis machine," he said. "We do a test on each person brought to our facility."

Daw said when an individual tests negative for alcohol use, he or she is given a choice of leaving or spending the night.

"We do our own breath analysis for two reasons," Daw said. "One reason is to make sure the person was using alcohol. The other is for health reasons to identify highly intoxicated individuals who may require closer monitoring."

A blood alcohol level of more than .3 is considered life threatening.

"There are a substantial number of individuals who get intoxicated on other substances like hair spray, rubbing alcohol or cleaning compounds that make it harder to identify," Daw said.

"Law enforcement officers face a real tough problem with monitoring on the streets."

When Watchman was admitted to NCI, a check of records for his admission revealed there were no blood alcohol level readings because he was unable to complete the five-second blow into the machine.

"We were not able to get a reading so he was put on a medical watch," Daw said. "Generally when people can't complete the test, it's because they are too intoxicated."

The NCI files further disclose that Watchman had been admitted to the facility before. His occupation is listed as a paralegal.

Watchman claims about 4 p.m. June 19, 1998, he visited Gallup public health service and was given Librium. The complaint describes the drug as "a potent muscle relaxer."

He then rented a room at the Zia Lodge for $20. Watchman, who is blind in one eye, claims he had not been drinking but had difficulty seeing the motel room numbers, due to his visual impairment and ingestion of muscle relaxants.

"While looking for his room," the complaint states, "Watchman was approached by a uniformed police officer, who began to question him.

"Watchman showed the police officer his room key," the complaint claims, "and explained that he had just come from the doctor's office and was looking for his room.

"The police officer did not listen to Watchman and in a rude and insolent manner physically forced him into a protective custody van."

He was then transported to NCI where he was held for several days.

Jay Patel, owner of the Zia Lodge, has no recollection of the incident.

According to medical personnel at Rehoboth Christian Medical Center, Librium is an anti-anxiety medication widely prescribed to control the symptoms of withdrawal and detoxification from substance abuse, particularly alcohol.

Side effects of Librium can include trouble with speech and gait, unsteadiness while standing or walking and the appearance of being partially awake.

Watchman contends that if the police officer had left him alone, he would have entered the motel room where he would have been safe and secure. "Instead, he was assaulted, battered, falsely imprisoned and had his liberty taken away," the complaint asserts.

Watchman's attorney, William G. Stripp, claims that "it is unlikely that a Gallup police officer would arrest an Anglo businessman in such a circumstance..."

"I believe that Mr. Watchman is correct in his belief that Navajos, in such a circumstance, are being denied equal protection and equal treatment under the law," Stripp said. "Mr. Watchman's constitutional rights are no less precious than the rights of an Anglo businessman."

Daw, who is also Navajo, disagrees. "I don't believe law enforcement intentionally targets Navajos for protective custody," he said. "Ninety-eight percent of the people brought to NCI are Native Americans. Overall, law enforcement does a good job with what they are charged to do."

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Native American nun was proud of culture, faith

Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Special to the Independent

GALLUP — The life of Gloria Davis came full circle this month.

Davis, the first Native American woman to join the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, hoped she would live to see the day when Katharine Drexel, the founder of the religious order, was canonized as a Catholic saint. Davis lived to fulfill that desire when she attended the canonization ceremony in Rome on Oct. 1

But according to family and friends, Davis had another wish to commemorate her 50th anniversary of becoming a Catholic nun with a native "give-away" celebration at her home on the Navajo Reservation. That desire, however, will not be fulfilled.

Shortly after her return from Rome, Davis died of heart failure on Oct. 16 in Fort Defiance, Ariz. Last Saturday, an overflow crowd of mourners packed the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Gallup to remember and honor this Navajo/Choctaw woman who spent nearly half a century working to merge her pride in the cultural traditions of Indian people with her service to God.

Davis' funeral Mass, conducted by Bishop Donald E. Pelotte, was a reflection of that blending. Hymns were sung first in Navajo and then in English. The ceremonial incense was fanned by an eagle feather.

And at the ceremony's conclusion, the large cathedral reverberated with the sounds of a powerful Honor Song, performed by three of Davis' nephews, traditional singers and drummers.

A day after the funeral, one of Davis' sisters, Loretta Davis-Chavez, talked about Davis' life, her pride in her native culture and her faith.

Davis was the third daughter of Anselm Davis Sr. and his first wife, Aileen. Davis, a Navajo, met his wife, a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, at the Indian school in Lawrence, Kan. Aileen Davis followed her husband back to his home on the Navajo Reservation and converted to his Catholic faith.

Davis-Chavez said her parents, who had 12 children before Aileen's death in 1965, raised their children to be proud of their Indian culture, to pursue a college education and to follow the teachings of Catholicism.

Gloria Davis proved to be a particularly devout child, Davis-Chavez said, spending much time in prayer. At Gallup High School, her sister said, Davis was an attractive, popular girl with "many suitors." But in her sophomore year, Davis told her family she felt called to become a nun.

She transferred to Cathedral High School and began making plans to join the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, the order Drexel founded to minister to Native American and African-American communities.

In 1952, just weeks after graduating from Cathedral, where she had been elected homecoming queen, Davis left home to join the order. Her parents drove her first to Mississippi so she could say her good-byes to her Choctaw relatives, and then she caught a train by herself to Pennsylvania.

It was there that Davis met Mother Katharine Drexel, then in her 90s and bedridden. Davis would frequently sit with the older woman and hold her hand. One week after Drexel's death in 1955, Davis became the first American Indian woman to take her final vows in Drexel's order. That same week, the first African-American woman took her final vows as well.

Davis-Chavez and another sister, Eleanor, traveled three days on a bus to Pennsylvania to attend the ceremony. Davis-Chavez recalled with amusement how she helped her sister get into the cumbersome black habit that nuns were required to wear in those days.

Forty-five years later, the three sisters would be together once again in Rome, watching the canonization ceremony for Drexel.
"She was so happy and excited," Davis-Chavez said of her sister. After the ceremony, Davis, who had been diagnosed with an enlarged heart, remarked, "Oh, I'm so happy, I don't mind if God takes me tomorrow."

Three weeks later, Davis' family would gather once more for her funeral.

Although Davis served in nearly a dozen missions around the United States, Davis-Chavez said her sister was glad to be assigned to work in Fort Defiance, her birthplace.

"She was most happy to come home and be with her people," Davis-Chavez said. She said Davis saw so much hurt among Navajo people hurt caused by alcoholism, abuse and drugs. As a result, Davis was constantly on the go, striving to help people
in need and earned the nickname of the "Energizer Bunny."

Davis-Chavez said her sister had many sayings that reflected her devotion to others and to God. "Always remember you're God's V.I.P." was one familiar saying. "My only reality is God," and "God alone," were two others.

"She was really a true apostle," Davis-Chavez said. "Everything that she lived for... was God."

Davis' burial was held at the cemetery at St. Michaels, Ariz., one of the many missions founded by Saint Katharine Drexel.

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Cibola cockfighting legal — for now

Tara Drolma
Grants Bureau

GRANTS — Frustrated by his failure to convince the Cibola County Commissioners to make cockfighting legal, the owner of the Zuni Mountain Game Club took the county to court and won — at least for now.

Cockfighting became legal in Cibola County when Judge Joseph F. Arite granted Sonny Small a preliminary injunction preventing Cibola County from enforcing County Ordinance 87-1, the county's animal control ordinance.

The ordinance is administered under a joint powers agreement between the city of Grants and the county. It will still be valid within Grants city limits.

However, the ruling also means that Cibola County residents whose neighbors' dogs are running loose or persistently barking will no longer be able to call the sheriff's office or the animal control officer for help. Those officers have been ordered not to enforce the ordinance, which governs such things as animal fights, domestic livestock running loose, vicious animals, lost dogs, vaccination, and licensing.

At Monday's hearing, only Small and Steve Hayden, the current manager of the club, were in the nearly empty courtroom in contrast to the commission meetings where large numbers of cockfighting enthusiasts came from all over the state to speak in favor of their sport.

Small's attorney, James Sims-West, filed a Petition for Declaratory Judgment on Oct. 12, two days after the commission voted to table an updated version of the ordinance, which contained specific language to prohibit cockfighting. After the meeting the commissioners were adamant that cockfighting was still illegal in the county and they intended to keep it that way.

In his remarks to the judge, Sims-West claimed the county had not followed the New Mexico Statute 4-37-7A which says all "proposed ordinances be published one time in a newspaper of general circulation within the county at least two weeks prior to the meeting of the board at which the ordinance is proposed for final passage." Therefore, the ordinance is not valid.

The petition also claimed, "Plaintiff (Small) has no adequate remedy at law or otherwise for the harm and damage with the interference with his business, caused by the threatened enforcement of 87-1." Sims-West said his client didn't become aware of the ordinance until this August.

Small has been conducting cockfights for the past 16 years at his present location known as "The Pit." According to the petition, "the primary business of the ZMGC is the organizing and presentation of game-cock fights ... for the first time since the passage of ordinance 87-1, the county has informed Sonny Small and the ZMGC of the existence of the ordinance since being informed ... the ZMGC has ceased holding game-cockfights."

Confusion begins

The confusion began in 1986 when the commission enacted animal control ordinance 86-1. That ordinance was published; however, it was not recorded after the commission passed it. The statute states a law must be recorded immediately after it is passed.

In an attempt to correct this situation the commission passed 87-1 on Aug. 10, 1987. According to Sherry Thompson, attorney for Cibola County, the audiotape of the meeting shows the commissioners changed the number of ordinance 86-1 to 87-1 before they passed it, but it was the same ordinance.

Because the commissioners considered 87-1 to be the same as the original ordinance that had been published, they did not publish 87-1, but they did record it.

In her remarks to the judge, Thompson pointed out an injunction against the entire ordinance would mean the county would not be able to enforce any of the animal control ordinance. She said she understood Small was concerned about one portion of the ordinance, but he has chosen to attack the whole ordinance.

She also said that because the first ordinance was not recorded for 13 months after being published, it gave the public 13 months to respond. Following that, according to Thompson, Small has had 13 years to comment on the ordinance.

Arite agreed an injunction would restrain the county from enforcing the ordinance until a trial could be held. Arite said that 86-1 was not recorded so it is void and 87-1 was voted on and recorded but not published, so it is not valid either.

Arite asked Sims-West if his client wanted the issue put on a fast track so it would come to trial quickly and he said he did.
Arite then asked Thompson the same question and she said she did not want it put on a fast track.

Arite noted that after a month and a half, if Cibola County decides to enact a new ordinance, this matter might be moot.

Nov. 13 meeting

After the hearing Thompson said the county is drafting a new ordinance and it will be presented to the commission at the next meeting on Nov. 13. At that time the commissioners will vote to publish the ordinance and following publication, the commission will vote on the ordinance.

At their last meeting the commissioners voted 3-1 to table the ordinance. Jim Meisner said too much time had been spent on the ordinance and he voted to pass it as written and clarify the language latter.

Commissioner Mark Hiles was concerned the ordinance might prohibit hunting and he wanted a local veterinarian to review the language on kennels before they passed the ordinance. Commissioners Fred Scott and Bill Dawson agreed with him.

The 1987 ordinance made cockfighting illegal, but it had never been enforced at the club until this August when Hayden, the new manager at the club, visited the sheriff's office to introduce himself and offer the department a donation for a drug-sniffing dog.

After Hayden's visit, Sheriff Manual Lujan checked the laws to determine the legality of the activity and found it is illegal. About this same time, the county drafted an updated version of the ordinance. The updated ordinance contained specific language prohibiting cockfighting.

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Gallup netters still alive

Abelita R. Freeland
Staff Sports Writer

GALLUP — The Gallup Lady Bengals got the job done against Albuquerque Valley in a hard-fought 15-6, 15-6, 3-15,15-11 victory at home Monday night in the first round of the District 1AAAAA volleyball tournament.

The Lady Bengals next play the Bulldogs in Albuquerque on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

"We knew that the opening game for the district tournament was going to be a tough game and we just had to stay focused and do our job," Gallup coach Rachael Stewart said. "Their job was to just hit, cover, serve and everything. And just put Valley away and that was what they did." "We just started really slow and I don't know if it was the bus trip, but when you are two games behind it kind of puts you in a bad spot to try to come back from that," Valley coach Sue Garcia said. "There was a lot of inexperience of not going for the kill and playing careful, instead of going forth."

Side outs from both teams were traded before Gallup scored two points with an out of play attempt by Valley and an ace by Erika Foutz. But Valley was quick to come back with four points of their own with Felicia Gurula serving two aces, a kill by Valley and an out of play attempt by Christine Begay.

Gallup answered right back, tying the game at 4-4 with Vanessa Hubbard serving an ace and getting an an error on Valley. Hubbard served Gallup to an 8-4 lead.

Each team again exchanged sideouts prior to the Lady Bengals scoring two more hard fought points with Carla Paredes serving one ace and a stuff block delivered by Hubbard, taking the Bengal lead to 10-4. Down 14-4, the Lady Vikings didn't allow the Bengals to score their game point easily.

Valley rallied for two points of their own, but that wasn't enough to keep the Lady Bengals from a game one victory when Bengal Antonio had a stuff block.

In game two, Hubbard again helped served the Bengals to a 9-1 lead on Valley. She served five points with two aces and also got kills from Natalie Jones and Begay.

Begay registered another kill and another Valley error brought the score up to 11-2.

At a leisurely pace the Lady Bengals battled their way up to a 14-5 advantage, but again couldn't put the game away. After four side outs, Bengal Begay got the point with a stuff block with Ara Green serving.

There was 19 sideouts throughout game three with Valley scoring their 15 points on six serve possessions, and Gallup obtaining their only three points on three different possessions.

"I tried something different in the third game and they weren't sure of themselves," coach Stewart said. "I told them that no matter where I put them they are all volleyball players, no matter if that's the front row or the back row or a different line up, they just need to play their game and to play like they know how at our level and not Valleys'." Game four made Gallup realize that there could be a game five and possibly be knocked out of the district tournament when Valley gained an 8-0 lead with Viking Bobby Garcia serving six points.

The Lady Bengals gradually progressed their way from behind with scores of 9-4, 10-6, 10-8 and finally tied the game at 10-10 with a stuff block from Foutz and an error on Valley.

Valley scored their last point with a kill from Dorreen Zamora and Gallup sprung their way to 15 with Natalia Reeder serving the last five points. Bengal Begay issued two kills, Nicole House had one stuff block, Valley had one error, and Reeder took the victory home with a game point ace.

"Since Valley won the third game they kind of held back a bit when we went into it and so when they finally started scoring and getting more intense, then the excitement comes and they start playing volley ball and that's how they need to play," Stewart said. " The last time we played Valley, it went five games and it came down to Valley scoring in the fifth game with a score of 15-17, so they can fight. I think that was the hardest game that we had with them, and this game our girls were pumped up and ready to go.

"We knew that we could beat Valley and we didn't want it to end here and that's what drove them to finish it here," she added.

"Game three was an upset but we came back in the fourth game as a team. Game three we kind of came apart and we weren't really working together. We got back together in game four, we got back together and did it was a team," Bengal junior Christine Begay said.

The possibility of going into a game five and losing is what scared Begay, "I was scared for awhile and thought that we might not go into district any farther."

"We are really excited to play them (Bulldogs), we want to beat them really bad. We have played them twice and lost to them in three games, now we just want revenge and hopefully we will get it," Begay concluded.

Leading the Lady Bengals was Christine Begay with 10 kills, one dink kill, one dig, and four blocks with two stuff blocks.
Erika Foutz also had seven kills, one dink kill and 17 blocks with seven stuff blocks.Also for the Bengals,Vanessa Hubbard had three kills, 10 digs, 18 serves with 10 points and four aces, and one stuff block.

Leading Valley was Felicia Gurule with 10 kills, and three aces. Lori Moya hadseven kills. Dorreen Zamora ended up with seven kills and 12 points and one ace.

Athletes of the week

Michael Peretti
Staff Sports Writer

The Athletes of the Week for the week of October 17-23 are Shiprock Chieftains Marcus Benally and Sonya Edsitty.

Benally had a big game this weekend, rushing for 243 yards on 19 carries, helping Shiprock to a 43-17 win over Thoreau. Benally also scored three touchdowns in the game.

A week earlier Benally rushed for 317 yards on 26 carries and scored six touchdowns in the Cheiftains win. Benally has helped his team to a 5-3 record, and a 2-0 district record.

Benally said that he thinks this is just the begginning of what his team can do. "We have been doing pretty good so far, but we are just starting to get our teamwork together. We have just started to work well as a team."

"I think I have done pretty good so far this year," he said. "But I think I can do better, you can always improve."

Benally said he does not know how the rest of the state competition looks, but as far as their district, he said he thinks they have a pretty good chance to do well in district.

"A lot of my success is due to my offensive line and offensive coordinator," Benally said.

Benally said that he is happy that he was chosen as the Athlete of the Week. "I think it is a good opportunity to let people get to know me."

Edsitty said that she is very suprised to be picked for the award. Edsitty has had several good games, helping her team to an 8-0 district record and a first place finish in district.

Edsitty has played well recently, picking up at least 15 kills in her last three games. She had 17 kills in a win over Tohatchi, 28 kills in a win over Wingate, and last week had 21 kills in a win over Thoreau.

To add to her kills, Edsitty also scored 11-of-16 serving, had one ace and 10 digs in the district clincher.

"I think we have done really great this year," said Edsitty. "We have come a long way from the beginning of the year."

Because the Lady Cheiftains are district champions, they automatically get homecourt advantage and will be hosting the district championship.

Edsitty said that the road to state will be a little different this year. "I think we have a really good chance to win in district, but the tournament is kind of different this year. This year the winners of district have to go to regionals before state." Despite the change, Edsitty said she still thinks they have a good chance to get to state and do well.

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Charges dropped against man in grave-digging case

Zarana Sanghani
Staff Writer

GRANTS — Charges against Richard Smith for digging up an unmarked grave at an Anasazi site were dismissed Friday because probable cause could not be found.

State archaeologist Glenna Dean said the decision was disappointing.

In August, the State Historic Preservation Division found that Anasazi sites called the Cienega Ruins in San Rafael were dug up. Dean reported that human bones, pottery shards and broken stones from the Anasazi Pueblo rooms at Cienega Ruins were scattered throughout the area.

The Cibola County Sheriff's Office charged three men, including Smith, with digging up the sites...

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City schools honored for making gains

Zarana Sanghani
Staff Writer

GALLUP — In a revised list, 10 Gallup-McKinley County Schools and one Zuni Public School received awards for being high-improving schools last school year.

The first list, released earlier this month, was miscalculated.

Ten schools in GMCS made the revised list. They include Crownpoint Elementary, Gallup High, Jefferson Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Ramah Elementary, Ramah High, Rocky View Elementary, Thoreau Elementary, Tohatchi Middle, and Twin Lakes Elementary.

Dowa Yalanne Elementary in Zuni also made the list...

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Deaths

John B. Abe

LOWER GREASEWOOD, Ariz. — Services for John B. Abe, 63, will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, at Our Lady of the Rosary Mission, Lower Greasewood. Brother Paul O' Brien will officiate. Burial will follow in the Lower Greasewood community cemetery.

Abe died Oct. 20 in Lower Greasewood. He was born March 2, 1937, in Lower Greasewood into the Bigwater Clan for the Edgewater People Clan.

Abe attended Intermountain Indian School. He was employed with May Company Department store and lived in Los Angeles, Calif. for 30 years. He then returned to Lower Greasewood.

Survivors include wife, Betsy M. Abe; sons, Jimmy Abe, Jason Abe and Jonathan Abe; daughter, Jamie Abe; brothers, Billy Abe and Henry Abe; and sister, Anna Beall.

Abe was preceded in death by parents, John Abe and Asdzan Bahe, and sister, Marie Manuelito.

Pallbearers will be family members and friends.

Tse Bonito Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Dorothy Radosevich

GALLUP Services for Dorothy "Dragitca"Radosevich, 82, will be announced at a later date.

Radosevich died Oct. 23 in Albuquerque. She was born Feb. 14, 1918, in Page "McGaffey," N.M.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Vera Syverson

GALLUP — Services for Vera Syverson, 87, will be announced at a later date.

Syverson died Oct. 23 in Gallup. She was born June 29, 1913, in Booneville, Ark.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.