Hopis hit by budget woes
Stan Bindell
Special to the Independent
KYKOTSMOVI, Ariz. — Budget problems within the Hopi tribal government
have lead to layoffs, and services have been cut back.
The Hopi Tribal Council passed a resolution Nov. 29 to fund each department
at an amount equal to 8 percent of the 1999 fiscal budget until the
council passes a permanent budget. The 8 percent can be spent from
Dec. 1 through Dec. 31.
The Hopi Office of Grants and Scholarships was the only department
exempt form the 8 percent budget ceiling.
The council passed the resolution by a vote of 16-3. The resolution's
intent is to ensure that tribal services continue uninterrupted while
the new budget is being reviewed. The resolution notes that the interim
measure could cause limited restrictions.
The tribe's Budget and Finance Committee recommended across-the-board
cutbacks because it said the tribe's revenue has declined. However,
some tribal officials say the Budget and Finance Committee did not
include all revenues in its considerations.
Lynette Shupla, youth outreach coordinator for the Hopi Youth Affairs
Office, said the 8 percent budget is only enough to pay the salaries
of the three workers in the office. She said the office needed to
use donations, which it received from outside the tribal government,
to pay for Toys for Hopi and Youth Council activities that are planned
this month.
While Shupla wants to see the youth office better funded, she said
the 8 percent resolution is having a negative impact on many tribal
programs. She said she was particularly concerned about how it may
impact services to the elderly.
Stanford Lomakema, director of the tribe's Office of Personnel Management,
responded to the 8 percent December allocation by informing all departments
that OPM was to be closed for three days during the month to stay
within its budget.
Lomakema also informed tribal officers, department managers and directors
that this would impact some employees' salaries and benefits.
He said in a memo that the tribal council had told him that "all
temporary non-competitive appointed employees" were to have been
laid off by 5 p.m. Nov. 30. He did not say how many workers this would
affect.
The Hopi Public Coal Project, which gives coal to Hopis for heating
their homes, was to be closed as of Sunday or when the coal runs out.
The lack of funds will mean the project will have to lay off its drivers
so they cannot deliver coal to the coal yard where Hopis pick it up.
Twelve Hopi villages received $475,000 each during the 1999 fiscal
year, but will only receive $38,000 for the month of December. Further
budget cuts of the village allocations have been recommended by the
Budget and Finance Committee.
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Many Farms may become water paradise
Bill Donovan
Diné Bureau
GALLUP — When the community of Many Farms was named more than
60 years ago, residents wanted to showcase the role agriculture played
in the lives of the chapter residents.
That role is still very important, as can be seen by anyone who goes
to the area today and sees the work being done on the Many Farms Dam,
which, when completed, will not only improve farming in the area but
make the area a water recreation paradise.
Paul Begay, the chapter's president who works in community relations
for Bernard Construction Co., said once the dam renovation is done,
"agricultural activities in the community will be vastly improved."
But for most Navajos, it will mean the opening of a new area for major
water sports.
"Once the dam work is done, Many Farms will have one of only
two lakes in the area (Lake Powell is the other) where motor boats
will be allowed," he said.
Bernard won the $15 million contract from the Bureau of Reclamation
to correct problems at the dam, which was first built in 1937.
"There has been some seepage in recent years," Begay said.
"If nothing was done, the dam would have deteriorated completely
eventually."
Bernard began working in September with plans to get the work done
by March 2001.
The renovation will more than triple the storage capacity of the lake
from the present 5,000 acre feet to 16,359.
What that means, Begay said, is that a lot of new jobs will be created.
Already, 18 Navajos have been put on the payroll along with four non-Navajos
to work on the first phase of the renovation. Most of the Navajos,
Bernard said, come from Many Farms, Chinle, Rough Rock and Round Rock.
By next March, that number will double as the company begins putting
on carpenters and heavy equipment operators.
What the dam promises to do, Bernard said, is sharply increase the
community economic base and provide more opportunity for area farms
to grow and prosper.
Bernard envisions a day not too far in the future when Navajo and
non-Navajo families flock to the area by the hundreds on summer weekends
to go boating, fishing, swimming and water skiing.
And all of these people will pave the way for a wide variety of local
businesses selling everything from artificial lures to Navajo food
(and even a hot dog or two).
"Things are going to be a lot better for a lot of people (once
the dam is finished)," he said.
As for environmental concerns, he said this was taken care of during
the pre-construction portion of the project.
"Certain areas were identified where traditional Navajos made
offerings or gathered herbs," he said. "None of these area
will be flooded and they have all been fenced off so that they will
not be destroyed by construction work."
Begay said the community, which has been trying to get the dam work
done since 1982, is totally behind the project since it can't but
help improve the opportunity for Navajo families to grow everything
from corn and squash to various vegetables.
"With the support of tribal leaders, Many Farms now has the chance
to become a major agricultural center on the reservation," he
said.
| Top |
Diné College leader quits
George Hardeen
Special to the Independent
WINDOW ROCK — After eight years, Diné College President
Tommy Lewis will leave as head of the oldest tribally-run college
in the country.
"I do not want my contract renewed," he told the board on
Saturday. "I have better things to do. I've got other plans."
Lewis broke his decision to the board shortly after it emerged from
an executive session to announce it had decided to evaluate him as
president.
The reaction to Lewis' news by the six regents attending the meeting
was surprisingly nonchalant.
Without comment from anyone, board president Phillip Bluehouse merely
said "OK" and moved to the next agenda item the election
of new board officers.
However, a second issue discussed in executive session, and apparently
linked to Lewis' decision to leave when his contract expires on April
15, was the board's decision to revisit the controversial reorganization
of the college.
Without formal action, the board decided to review its Oct. 14 vote
on the FY 2000 budget and adoption of the reorganization plan when
it meets in January.
Regent Marilyn Atcitty had objected to the minutes presented in the
board packet, saying the vote had not included the reorganization,
and that a review of the tape recording would be necessary.
As a result, the consensus of the board was to put the entire reorganization
on hold as it is.
"What we're saying is let's not do any more transferring until
we straighten this out," regent Leonard Tsosie explained. "Let's
not bounce people from one campus to another or from one department
to another until we straighten out the reorganization thing."
Lewis told the board that if it could not support him and stand by
its own decision, meaning the reorganization, "then I can't work
with you. I'm very sorry."
He also apparently took exception to Atcitty's questioning
of the minutes, which were prepared by the president's office.
"To put up a front now, that you didn't say this, didn't do that,
is just an excuse," Lewis said. "You put me through a lot.
You stood me up a lot, and I don't appreciate that. I don't deserve
that. I have more pride and respect for myself. For that reason, I'll
just work through April 15."
Although he told the board an evaluation of him would now be unnecessary,
the issue remains on the table to be discussed in January.
But that wasn't the end of it. Next on the agenda were reports by
two members of the student-staff-faculty and community consensus group
which has squared off in opposition to Lewis.
Spokesman Rex Lee Jim read a two-page chronology from 1992 to last
month citing accreditation team reports and a recent survey that noted
various unmet administrative needs and a long-standing lack of communication.
He reaffirmed the group's position that the administration step down
and a transition team be put into place.
However, Lewis dismissed it all as "unfair." He called the
consensus group "just a handful of people" and said the
survey was "skewed and slanted" against him with the intent
to do harm.
Even though 73 percent of faculty respondents reportedly said they
had lost confidence in the administration, Lewis countered that there
was "a lot of manipulating," and people were "enticed"
to say what the group wanted.
Joining Lewis in his criticism was Francis Becenti,
vice president for academic affairs. He said he'd "reached the
end of the line as far as this monkey business."
He challenged the group to give him a list of what it believes he's
done or not done in his three months at the school.
Meanwhile, several faculty have questioned his appointment to the
vice president's job, even in an acting capacity, without the position
being thoroughly advertised.
Just as it appeared the consensus group messengers were to be further
chastised for their message which the board was obviously not embracing
staff association president Don Burbank reminded it that now six chapters
have passed resolutions supporting the group's position.
"We took it on ourselves to bring this up," he said. "The
people who push the brooms and do the cleaning, we think, too. We
just want to get this whole thing resolved."
On Thursday, the Navajo Nation Council's Education Committee will
hold a final hearing at the Tsaile campus On Friday, the committee
meets at Alamo, N.M., where it will receive reports from the administration
and consensus group on the steps they've taken to resolve the turmoil.
| Top |
Tribal boards seek candidates
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — If you have a desire to be a chapter officer, school
board member or take a try for the grazing committee, you have until
Feb. 2 to file your nominating petition.
That's the date set by the Navajo Election Office, which last week
said the primary will be May 2 and the general election Aug. 1 for:
chapter presidents, chapter vice presidents, chapter secretary-treasurers,
Navajo school board members, district grazing committee members, the
Navajo Board of Election Supervisors, farm board members and Eastern
Land Board...
Ex-drinkers still celebrate the season
Tom Purdom
Staff Writer
GRANTS — For some, the holiday season is nothing but pure heaven.
But for others it is the exact opposite especially for those who cannot
drink alcohol or do not wish to drink alcohol.
In short, December and the New Year is party, party, party...
| Top |
Regents elect officers
George Hardeen
Special to the Independent
WINDOW ROCK — The Diné College Board of Regents did some
housekeeping on Saturday and elected new officers.
President Phillip Bluehouse of Ganado was re-elected by the six members
with three votes.
Andy Ayze, president of the Navajo Nation Council's Education Committee,
was unanimously elected vice president...
| Top |
Tuba youth raise money for center
Stan Bindell
Special to the Independent
TUBA CITY, Ariz. — Tuba City's Community Action for Children
and Youth is raising funds for its youth complex by offering a board
game to the city.
Monica Counterman, a CACY member, said the organization is selling
board game spaces to businesses and individuals for the Tuba City
Opoly Millennium Edition. Counterman was careful not to compare the
game to Monopoly because of that company's copyright...
| Top |
Y2K watchers say tribal offices ready
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — Navajo Nation officials may find out Wednesday
whether the tribal government is Y2K ready.
Two key government officials both of whom have been closely involved
in making sure that everything that can be done has been done said
Monday they believe the Navajo government indeed is ready...
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