Code Talkers want movie to tell true
story
By Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — A Hollywood
producer should change his plans to ensure accuracy in a movie about
the Navajo Code
Talkers, according to the president of the code talkers association.
Samuel Billison, Navajo Nation Council delegate for Kinlichee Chapter
and president of the association, said Terrance Chang,
producer of the movie, "Windtalkers" and script writer John
Rice indicated they would like to meet with code talkers.
In October, after Billison wrote to actor Nicholas Cage, the association's
lawyers, M.P. Gross and Associates, began trying to
arrange the meeting.
"Our association has spent years attempting to ensure that our
story be told properly and that our youth be educated about our
experience," Billison said in his letter to Cage.
"Regrettably it has become clear to me that many myths exist
about us and much misinformation is out there. We constantly
are striving to set the record straight, and tell what the true experience
was, and how we gave the gift of our sacred language to
save our country."
Billison requested the opportunity to approve the code talkers' story.
White actor as star
Billison said it is disturbing that a "white actor" will
be the movie's star.
"Too many times our stories and way of life have been used in
this manner," he said.
"Our story is important
and sacred. It holds much value to our younger generation, who need
positive Native American role
models. But it must be done in the proper way. This is a story that
must be about Navajos."
Billison's letter concluded by asking Cage to reconsider his involvement
in a project that has ignored the code talkers and plans
to use a non-Navajo as the most important person in the movie.
"The code talkers are known worldwide now," Billison said,
"and we demand that their stories be told as close to being correct
as possible. ... The language is so powerful that the enemy never
broke the code, and never will, because like anything else it
will change. Certainly we don't want our culture and language to be
used incorrectly for some one's economical gain."
Billison said several companies were turned down and a few approved
for television documentaries about code talkers. He said
those who contacted the association had errors in their scripts which
were corrected.
Iwo Jima
Because the code was
never broken, the association's stationery carries the following line
from Major Howard Conners of the
5th Marine Signal Corps: "If it weren't for the Navajo Code Talkers
... the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima."
The code was a code within the Navajo language, so even Navajos who
were not code talkers would not have been able to
reveal it to the Japanese if they had been captured.
"So far, there is only one movie production approved by the Navajo
Code Talkers Association," Billison said. His group
worked closely with Red Horse Native Productions on a movie called
"True Whispers."
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Senate passes RECA bill Navajo leaders
urged to act
By Tom Purdom
Staff Writer
GRANTS — Legislation which significantly improves the Radiation
Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) unanimously
passed the U.S. Senate Friday and while the passage is a victory,
it is still a job half done.
A similar version now needs to pass the House of Representatives,
which just went into recess. The legislation will be taken up
when House members return to Washington D.C.
With the unanimous vote Friday by the Senate it was a time for celebration.
"There are many Navajos and others who continue to have serious
health problems as a result of their exposure to radiation
from uranium," said Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M. "This bill
extends compassionate coverage to many of those who have been
overlooked by previous legislation."
Bingaman co-authored the legislation, called Senate Bill 1515, with
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. Hatch is the Senate Judiciary
Committee chairman. Bingaman worked to significantly improve S.B.
1515 even before it was introduced into the Senate.
Bingaman played a major role to dramatically increase the number of
uranium workers who qualify for compensation. He
inserted a provision which extends coverage to uranium millers, open
pit miners and transport workers in addition to miners
covered in the original RECA bill enacted in 1990.
Bingaman also authored an amendment to the bill which adds kidney
cancer and other kidney diseases to the list of diseases
covered by RECA. Kidney diseases are common to uranium millers.
S.B. 1515 also streamlines the claims process by reducing the amount
of time it takes for the U.S. Department of Justice to
look at compensation requests. Once the department makes a decision
it has but six weeks to send the compensation to
victims.
As far as Navajos are concerned, S.B. 1515 authorizes some $20 million
in a grant program allowing the Indian Health
Service to treat Navajos who may have been exposed to uranium.
The legislation significantly reduces the amount of time miners, millers
and transport workers need to qualify for
compensation and it allows compensation for persons exposed to radiation
downwind from atomic bomb testing.
In Grants Paul Hicks, president of the New Mexico Uranium Workers
Council, said he was very happy with the Senate vote
Friday. Hicks' group and others like it worked long hours with federal
authorities to gain significant RECA reform.
"It's a tremendous feeling for me to know that it made it through
the Senate," Hicks said. "But it took a lot of help from
people
like Pete Domenici, Sen. Bingaman and Sen. Hatch and a lot of other
people who knew what we are all about to get the job
done."
Hicks said he feels confident legislation will get though the House.
The Navajo Nation will benefit from S.B. 1515 and Melton Martinez,
a Navajo and co-chairman of the RECA Reform
Coalition Group, said it passed the Senate without the help of the
Navajo Nation leadership, primarily President Kelsey
Begaye and Vice President Taylor McKenzie.
He said Begaye and McKenzie need to rally behind the legislation and
show written support as it passes through the House.
"We're going to start faxing letters of support to the House
leadership," Martinez said.
The battle is not yet won.
"This is halfway through," Martinez said. "Now we have
to work on the House side."
Martinez said the Navajo leadership wants a 10-point reform program
and the legislation covers more than 60 percent of what
the leadership wants. He said it is time the Navajo leadership realizes
that 60 percent is better than nothing.
"We have Navajo elders who are sick now and need compensation
and if this does not pass the House then the Din elders who
are ill may never see compensation," Martinez said. "The
elders will get the help they need, the downwinders will get the help
they need, but the legislation still needs help through written support
from the Navajo leadership."
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Area in brief
Regular meeting
BREAD SPRINGS — There will be a regular chapter meeting at 1
p.m. Sunday at the Bread Springs Chapter House.
Information: (505) 778-5788.
Parent conference
KAYENTA, Ariz. — The Monument Valley High School will hold its
parent conference 6-8 p.m. Monday at the high school.
Chapter meeting
CROWNPOINT — The Crownpoint Chapter will hold its chapter meeting
at noon Sunday. Information: (505) 786-2133.
Chapter meeting
COYOTE CANYON — The Coyote Canyon Chapter will hold its chapter
meeting at noon Sunday.
Court closure
GALLUP — The McKinley County Magistrate Court will be closed
on the following dates and times for computer training:
Nov. 22-25, from 1-4 p.m. on Nov. 29-30, and Friday Dec. 3.
Council meeting
TWIN LAKES — The Twin Lakes Senior Council will meet at 10 a.m.
Sunday at the Twin Lakes Chapter House.
Information: (505) 735-2604.
Christmas parade
WINSLOW, Ariz. — As part of the Navajo Nation Toys for Tots program,
the City of Winslow will have a Christmas parade
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. The program will have a float to collect
funds, which will be used for travel expenses during the
toy collection drive in December. Information: (520) 657-3276.
Cornfields meeting
CORNFIELDS, Ariz. — There will be a regular chapter meeting at
1 p.m. Sunday at the Cornfield Chapter House.
Information: (520) 755-5911/3829.
Crafts sale
GALLUP — A crafts sale will be held and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today
at the Gallup Baptist Church, 222 Boulder Dr. Information:
(505) 863-5095.
Christmas pageant
GALLUP — The play, "Best Christmas Pageant Ever," will
be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the El Morro Theater. Admission is
$7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Tickets will be sold
30 minutes before the show at the door.
Country/western dance
GALLUP — A country/western dance will be held from 9 p.m. to
1 a.m. today at the Red Rock State Park. Information: (505)
735-2565.
Flow test
GALLUP — On Monday, Fuhs Construction will conduct a flow test
at 2021 W. Barbara Ave. The test will be conducted to
limit disruption of service; however, discolored or red water may
result from the test. Any City of Gallup water customer
located on Highway 66 west of Marguerite Street may be affected. If
you are one of those customers, you are encouraged to
limit activities such as washing laundry, food processing, or other
activities that may be adversely impacted by discolored
water. If you do experience discolored water, contact the City Water
Systems Dispatcher at 863-1200.
Another test will be conducted at Amigo Toyota, 2000 S. Second, for
a fire hydrant and it could affect water south of that
address on the main line west of the Toyota building.
Turkey bingo
TWIN LAKES — A turkey bingo and cake walk will be held at 6:30
tonight at the Twin Lakes Chapter House. Information:
(505) 735-2463.
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Balloons to fill Gallup's blue skies
By Bill Donovan
Staff Writer
GALLUP — The 19th annual Gallup Balloon Rally promises to be
bigger than ever.
A record total of 185 balloons will be ascending into the Gallup skies
during the three-day event, which begins Dec. 3. That's
20 more than last year...
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Census workers needed to work on reservation
Bill Donovan
Diné Bureau
GALLUP — The U.S. Census Office has put out a call for between
1,200 and 1,500 people to work on next year's census on
the Navajo Reservation.
The Window Rock office of the federal agency is now encouraging people
who want to work either part time or full time to go
to a chapter near them in the next few days to take a test...
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New Lands fire may be cover-up
By Diné Bureau
SANDERS — A fire that destroyed a five-bedroom home in the New
Lands Chapter of the Navajo Nation may have been
arson to cover up a burglary.
The home, about five miles south of Sanders, belonged to a family
named Curtis. Navajo police did not have a first name for
the family...
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Utah Navajos don't like gas tax
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Buying a gallon of gas at any of the five
gas stations on the Utah portion of the Navajo Nation is
a pricey proposition.
On Oct. 1, the tribe instituted an 18-cent-a-gallon gas tax throughout
the sprawling reservation, which covers parts of Arizona,
New Mexico and Utah...
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Senate told to fix impact aid
Staff Report
WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation Council's Education Committee
told a U.S. Senate committee this week that it
supports the removal of New Mexico's ability to take and redistribute
impact aid education funds.
Impact aid is money the federal government gives to school districts
that contain a significant amount of federal land on which
no taxes are collected...
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