Navajos on Hopi land to get aid
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — Navajos living on the Hopi Reservation soon
will be able to obtain Navajo legal help.
Navajo Nation Council approval of legal aid funds to start Oct.
1 came almost a week after President Kelsey A. Begaye and Speaker
Edward T. Begay visited Navajo families living on the Big Mountain
section on the north side of the Hopi Reservation.
In approving the fiscal year 2002 budget, the council dipped into
the Undesignated Reserve Fund for more than $300,000 in legal
aid to Hopi Partitioned Land residents through the Navajo-Hopi
Legal Services office in Tuba City or the tribal justice division
in Window Rock.
Families both resisters (non-signers of the 75-year leases with
the Hopi Tribe) and some 570 who signed the accommodation agreements
have long complained to Begaye on his more than half-dozen visits
the past six years that they are a people without a government
since they have no representation on the Hopi Tribal Council,
nor any on the Navajo Nation Council.
In a statement issued Thursday, Begaye said he and the speaker
visited the families to discuss the destruction of the Sun Dance
ceremonial ground by the Hopi government. "As you might expect,
they expressed great pain, anger and frustration.
They also showed great courage and strength under enormous pressure,"
Begaye said.
In mid-August in a dawn raid on Camp Anna Mae, the Hopi crews
(escorted by three police agencies) tore down the oldest of the
northern Arizona Sun Dance compounds. The crews pulled out the
tree of life at the center of the circle, cut it up and hauled
it away.
Hopi officials charged that the Benally families, key resisters,
were using the Sun Dance as a political weapon, nor did the families
have a permit for a gathering and therefore the activity violated
tribal sovereignty.
Begaye also said in his press statement, "I assured (the
families) that the Navajo Nation would do everything within its
power to support their right to exercise their freedom of religion,
and to continue to seek a way for them to stay on their ancestral
land. I also assured them that the prayers of the Navajo people
were with them."
On Sept. 2 more than two dozen people traveled from one of the
other three Sun Dance camps and conducted a healing ceremony,
without Hopi officials stopping them.
The president told the families there are 11 without leases the
Navajo government "would continue to oppose the forced eviction
the Hopi government seemingly has been pressuring."
He said he will keep striving "to protect Navajo religious
rights and the traditional way of life."
Begaye said, "It is morally wrong to evict these families
by force off land that they have occupied for generations and
to which they have an unbreakable spiritual attachment.
"It is morally wrong to bulldoze their sacred ceremonial
ground.
"It is morally wrong to claim that they must obey the law
without seeking ways to make that law humane.
"Although the Hopi government claims legal jurisdiction over
the Sun Dance ceremonial grounds, the desecration of a sacred
area and of the spirit of the Navajo people who live there is
terrible."
The president also said he is trying to understand the Hopi position
and to accommodate Hopi concerns to the fullest extent possible.
Begaye and Hopi Chairman Wayne Taylor Jr. meet monthly to discuss
commons concerns, one of which is that since February the Kykotsmovi-based
government has had the right to evict the non-signers.
However, he added, "If the Navajo Nation took a bulldozer
and knocked over a Hopi sacred site, the Hopis should complain
and we should be responsive."
Offering a gesture toward a solution, Begaye said each tribe should
respect the other's rights, culture and spiritual beliefs "and
work out a way to live together, despite our differences."
The president said, "There will be times when the Hopis must
compromise, times when the Navajos must compromise and times when
we both must compromise. It also requires trust in the other party.
The recent Hopi action at Big Mountain did not build trust."
Commenting about published reports by the Hopi Land Team that
his statements have been grossly unfair, the president countered
that what the smaller tribe's government did to the residents
seems to those families to be an even more unfair treatment.
Begaye concluded, "It comes down to simple humanity."
| Top |
Navajo parade thrills onlookers, annoys
drivers
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
WINDOW ROCK — Although observers said Saturday's parade for the
55th annual Navajo Nation Fair was a bit smaller than last year, it
still resulted in an 18-hour, six-mile long gridlock that would amaze
even New York City drivers.
Grand marshal Clara Maryboy, the 77-year-old mother of two Navajo
Nation Council delegates, saw tens of thousands of people line New
Mexico-Arizona Route 264 for more than three miles, often watching
from pickup trucks, cars and vans stacked four deep on each side of
the pavement.
This year's theme was "Together We Carry the Torch of Life."
Many drivers, impatient with the stop 'n go traffic before and after
the parade, tried taking a dirt track as a shortcut to the one hour
it takes to go one mile. Others lived dangerously, zipping into the
center left-turn lane, and often almost colliding with drivers turning
left from side roads.
Pilots landing at the Window Rock Airport, next to the fairgrounds,
glimpsed a site that often makes the big city papers when Quartzsite
in southern Arizona holds its annual gem and mineral festivals almost
wall-to-wall vehicles parked on every available scrap of land.
Parade winners were the Pinon Community School Princesses for royalty,
the Young Country Band for non-marching musical groups, Cimarron Health
Care for floats, the 24-piece, black and yellow-uniformed Chinle High
School Wildcat Band for marching bands and the Navajo Nation Council
Speaker's Office for equestrians.
To clear the children from running across the highway, the parade
began with Navajo police vehicles sounding their sirens, reinforced
by the Apache County Sheriff's Office, which has the largest presence
of the three Arizona counties on the Navajo Reservation.
Then came several veterans' groups as an honor escort to Clara Maryboy.
The Navajo Code Talkers were highly visible in their bright yellow
long-sleeved shirts and red campaign caps.
Almost as brilliant in color was the Navajo Nation Band, in its red
velvet shirts, silver concho belts and white slacks, led by a baton
twirling corps in the same colors, but with white skirts instead of
trousers.
Dignitaries included President Kelsey A. Begaye, Vice President Dr.
Taylor McKenzie, the President's Youth Council, some of the Navajo
Nation Council on horseback led by Speaker Edward T. Begay, San Carlos
Apache Tribal Chairman Raymond Stanley Jr., Miss Navajo Nation Karletta
Chief and this year's four contestants, Miss Indian World Ke Aloha
May Cody Alo and Miss Indian USA Evonne Wilson, along with several
county, state and federal candidates.
The Zuni and Apache dancers were popular, along with the various junior
Reserve Officer Training Corps from the schools.
Many churches entered bands on floats, with Window Rock, Ganado and
Chinle High School marching bands also competing. Many businesses
and tribal divisions also entered floats.
There also were numerous school and community queens, princesses and
a few princes, along with several from other reservations and universities.
| Top |
Cibola voters to mail in tax ballots
Tara Drolma
Staff Writer
GRANTS — If you are a registered voter in Cibola County you will
soon receive a mail-in ballot asking you to approve an increase in
the county's gross receipts tax. Officials are hoping the tax, which
would take effect Jan. 1, 2002, will increase revenue by about $400,000
per year and help offset the rising costs of prisoner care.
Acting County Manager David Ulibarri said the ballot asks voters to
approve two ordinances. The first tax, the County Infrastructure Gross
Receipts Tax, will apply only to businesses and services in the county
and will not affect businesses within the cities.
The county infrastructure tax would increase gross receipts taxes
within Cibola County by 0.125 percent. According to a figures issued
by the county, if the tax had been in place last year it would have
generated $40,000 in additional revenue for the county.
Ulibarri said the first tax will probably not generate significant
revenues, but the county must pass it in order to be eligible for
the second tax, which is known as the county capital outlay gross
receipts tax.
The capital outlay gross receipts tax would increase gross receipts
taxes in the cities of Grants and Milan by 0.25 percent.
That's an increase from the current rate of 6.8125 percent to 7.0625
percent. According to county figures, if the tax had been in place
last year it would have generated $398,421 in additional revenue.
Ulibarri said the tax increase will hardly be noticeable. If the tax
is passed, residents will spend one penny for every $4 they are now
spending, he said.
"This is a fair tax that will affect everyone equally,"
Ulibarri said. "It will generate income from travelers who stop
to shop in Grants as well as residents." He said he wanted to
make it clear this tax is not a property tax.
Ulibarri said the county wants to use the money from the tax increases
to fund capital outlay projects like fixing county roads, new cars
for the sheriff's office, the new jail and other projects.
According to language in both ordinances, the revenues generated from
these taxes can be used for infrastructure improvements, land acquisition,
planning, design or construction of any new jail, solid waste, water,
wastewater, sewer systems, roads, bridges or related facilities, or
to pay off gross receipts tax revenue bonds.
Cibola County commissioners passed the ordinances in July and voters
must vote to approve the resolutions before they can go into effect.
The commissioners chose to hold a mail-in referendum because it is
less costly than regular voting at the polls.
All of the voting will be done by mail and ballots must be received
by 7 p.m. Sept. 18 to be counted. Ulibarri said the commissioners
will canvass the vote sometime between Sept. 19 and 21, depending
upon their schedule.
Voters can mail in their ballots or hand-deliver them to the county
clerk at 515 W. High St. Ballots will be counted that day and results
should be available later in the evening.
More information is available from the County Clerk's Office.
| Top |
Monument Valley dominates championship
Michael Peretti
Staff Sports Writer
FARMINGTON — Coming off a loss to Ganado, the Monument Valley
Lady Mustangs rebounded strong, winning the Farmington Invite this
weekend.
"We needed to play like this," said Monument Valley head
coach Lucinda Nash. "Coming off a bad loss to Ganado I think
this will help our self confidence."
The Lady Mustangs, (10-3) defeated the Kirtland Central Lady Broncos,
(7-1) in the championship match 15-1, 15-6 and 15-4. Other area teams
competed in the tournament, and finished taking four of the top five
spots in the tournament.
Shiprock defeated St. Pius in the consolation match 15-7, 4-15, 15-13
and 15-9. Gallup beat Taos 15-10, 15-11 and 15-13 to take fifth place.
Championship Monument Valley 3, Kirtland 0
Powered by strong hitting by Kimberly Nash, the Lady Mustangs picked
up three wins and the championship match.
Nash finished with 18 kills and served five points in the Mustangs
win.
Monument Valley jumped ahead in the first game and put it away quickly.
The Mustangs scored the first eight points before Kirtland could even
score. The Mustangs first server, Danessa Baldwin served seven straight
points to start the game.
After a point by Nash put the Mustangs up 8-0, the Broncos were able
to get a side out and Nadia Begay served their only point of the game.
Dawn Boone followed for Monument Valley with six straight points and
Irene Bahe only had to serve one point to end the first game.
In the second game Kirtland jumped ahead 3-0 with Racliflyn serving
two points and Begay serving one, but Monument Valley came right back.
Deidre Greyes came up and served six straight points to put the Mustangs
up for good.
Melissa Russell and Baldwin both served three points each for Monument
Valley.
In the final game Monument Valley jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never
looked back. Kirtland finally got on the board when Kym Simpson served
two points. Bahe got the two points back on Monument Valley's next
serve, and then Kirtland scored their last two points on Natasha Curtis'
serve.
With a 9-4 lead Russell came up to serve for Monument Valley and served
the last six points of the game.
"We did a lot of good, not just beating teams," said Lucinda
Nash. "We handled the pressure very good."
Nash said that one of her players was injured but that the team pulled
together and stayed focused. Nash said that she hopes the momentum
the Mustangs gained in the tournament carries over to there play in
the upcoming games.
"We play Tuba this week and it is a very important game,"
she said. "We lost to the m during the summer and its going to
be a tough match-up."
Kirtland head coach Nana Allision said that her team came a long way
in the tournament and that she wishes they could have given Monument
Valley a better game in the championship.
"They came a long way to compete, I wish we could have given
them a little more competition," she said.
Allison said that her team played good during the tournament, but
that inexperience may have cost them in the championship.
"We are a fairly young team," she said. "The Farmington
tournament always has good teams, and we were able to compete with
them."
Allison said that she would like to have a tougher pre-season schedule
to prepare her players for the regular season.
Irene Bahe finished with 13 blocks in the championship.
For Kirtland, Kym Simpson finished wit 10 kills. Rachel Harris and
Natasha Curtis both finished with four blocks.
Kirtland will travel to the Santa Fe Invite this weekend. Monument
Valley will play Tuba City on Tuesday in a big conference match-up.
To get to the championship match, Monument Valley defeated Taos in
the first round 15-10, 15-11 and 15-7 and beat St. Pius 15-11, 12-15,
16-14 and 15-8 in bracket play.
Kirtland defeated Gallup 15-2, 15-3, 15-13 and then beat Shiprock
10-15, 5-15, 15-7, 15-13 and 15-13 in bracket play.
Kirtland came back from two games down to win.
Third place Shiprock 3, St. Pius X 1
After taking a 7-6 lead in the first game, the Lady Chieftains went
on to win 15-7, but then ran into problems in the second game.
Shiprock (5-2)was unable to score until St. Pius had already put the
game away. St. Pius scored the first 14 points of the second game
and Kimri Clah was the only player keeping St. Pius from scoring the
shutout. Clah served the only four points for Shiprock in the game,
two on aces.
With one game apiece, Shiprock rebounded and picked up a win in the
third game behind strong serving by Raya Benally and Clah.
Benally served five points and Benally scored four, including three
straight to put Shiprock ahead 14-11.
In the fourth game St. Pius looked like they were going to force a
fifth game by serving the first four points of the game.
Andrea Ramirez was St. Pius' first server in the fourth game and she
scored four points. However, St. Pius would not score again until
the next time Ramirez came up to serve.
Shiprock held St. Pius scoreless as they went around the lineup, meanwhile
slowly taking the lead.
With an 11-9 lead Benally secured third place for Shiprock by serving
the last four points of the game.
"I think we are two weeks better because of this tournament,"
said Shiprock head coach Alicia Stewart. "We played with all
of these schools. Next week we go to the Santa Fe tourney and there
there will be even bigger and better schools."
To get to the consolation game Shiprock defeated Bloomfield after
losing the first two games. Shiprock lost 15-17 and 12-15 before rebounding
and winning the next three 15-13, 15-8 and 15-4.
In the second round Shiprock met rivals Kirtland and jumped ahead
2-0 before falling three games to two. Shiprock lost the match 10-15,
5-15, 15-7, 15-13 and 15-13.
Fifth place Gallup 3, Taos 0
After falling to Kirtland in the first round of bracket play, Gallup
rebounded and won their next to matches to finish in fifth place.
Gallup (4-2) went into the bracket play with the number two seeding
from pool play.
"I don't think Gallup has ever been in the winners bracket,"
said Gallup head coach Rachael Stewart. "So that was one positive
thing."
Stewart said that her team did not play very well in the tournament,
but that they ended on a good note.
"After we lost to Kirtland we came back the next day and won
our next two matches to finish as high as we could."
Gallup lost to Kirtland on Friday 15-2, 15-3, 15-13 and then came
back on Saturday to beat Bloomfield 8-15,15-8, 15-7, 15-5 and then
beat Taos in the fifth place game 15-10, 15-11 and 15-13.
Stewart said that playing three matches earlier on Friday took its
toll on Gallup and they could not compete with Kirtland.
"We struggled passing the ball," she said. "And our
servers had a tough weekend."
Stewart said that there was some positive that the team took from
the tournament. She said that the girls stayed together while in Farmington
for the two day tournament and that gave them a chance to bond.
She said that the Bengals need to get prepared for their games and
to play to their potential.
"When we play at our level we are unstoppable," she said.
Gallup will play Belen in Gallup on Tuesday.
Also competing in the 16 team tournament was Piedra Vista, Farmington,
Ignacio, San Juan, Aztec, Fruita, Dolores, Navajo Prep and Farmingotn
JV.
| Top |
Jury indicts woman for knife attack
Tara Drolma
Staff Writer
GRANTS — Dolores Garcia, 45, of Grants was indicted by a grand
jury on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon against
a household member last week. She is accused of using a knife to "unlawfully
touch or apply force" to her husband, Clarence Garcia.
Garcia was arrested in July after Grants police responded to a complaint
at 661 E. Sargent St. that a woman, armed with a knife and a hammer,
was chasing a man.
According to court records, Garcia told officers when they arrived
at the home that he was having trouble with his wife.
Officers noticed a "large amount of blood" on the victim's
left shoulder and found he had a puncture wound in his back. Garcia
said his wife had stabbed him in the back when he got home from work.
The charge is a third-degree felony punishable by no less than three
years' imprisonment and a fine not to exceed $5,000, or both...
| Top |
Grants netters get easy win against Thoreau
Carrie Loretto
Sports Editor
THOREAU — Opponents better beware if fifth-year Grants volleyball
coach Audrey Dominguez can instill some confidence in her team.
Grants' most recent victim, Thoreau, found that out after the Lady
Pirate netters powered their way to a relatively easy 15-3, 15-4,
15-10 victory at Thoreau High School Saturday afternoon.
It was the second straight year Grants beat Thoreau.
"Thoreau used to kill us," said Dominguez remarking on the
improvement in her team during her tenure. "When I first started
we couldn't pass the ball. Now we have much stronger passers..."
| Top |
Mendoza defends tax for complex
Voters go to polls Tuesday
Bill Donovan
Staff Writer
GALLUP — McKinley County Commissioner Harry Mendoza has been
one of the major forces behind getting funding for a new county
government complex.
But even he thinks that the voting Tuesday by county residents on
the question will be close, mainly because of the negative stories
and editorials that have been in the press in the last couple of
years.
"There's a lot of inaccurate information out there right now,"
he said.
County officials have been writing letters to the editor of the
Independent to clear up one misconception that approval of the funding
for a new county complex will increase local property taxes...
| Top
|
Troubled schools headed for takeover
Andrea Egger
Staff Writer
GALLUP — Following a state school board's decision to take
action next year against probationary schools that haven't improved,
the president of the local school union is worried about what will
happen to Gallup-McKinley County schools.
Church Rock Elementary School is the closest to being eligible for
a State Department of Education takeover, said Tom Payton, president
of the McKinley County Federation of United School Employees and
a social studies teacher at Kennedy Middle School. Kennedy is also
on the list of schools on probation.
Other schools on probation include David Skeets and Ramah elementary
schools, Gallup Middle School, Thoreau Middle School, Crownpoint
High School and Navajo Pine High School, said Ed Monaghan, director
of elementary education for the district...
| Top
|
Western Navajo can share views on redistricting
Jim Maniaci
Diné Bureau
TUBA CITY, Ariz. — The public will have a chance at 6:30 p.m.
(MST) Tuesday to tell the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission
what it thinks of the proposed realignment of congressional and
legislative districts.
The commission will meet in the Greyhills High School Academy auditorium
on Warrior Drive.
Steven W. Lynn, chairman of the five-member panel, said the draft
maps "result from a great many difficult decisions and from
compromises between many equally worthy groups and interests. They
also build around and incorporate a great volume of citizen input,
which came to us from 24 public hearings, hundreds of citizen input
forms, Website visits and e-mail(s).
"In designing the districts, we were guided by our fellow Arizonans'
strong emphasis on preserving communities of interest and respecting
the integrity of cities, counties, and other local government boundaries.
Now we would like your reactions to our draft plans..."
Ganado beats Payson
Staff report
Led by MVP Melissa Peterson, the undefeated Ganado Lady Hornets
captured the tournament championship at Payson over the weekend.
The Lady Hornets (13-0) beat Fountain Hills 15-5, 15-10 in the championship
match behind nine blocks and 11 kill from Peterson.
"We played really, really well against them," Ganado coach
Jerome Burns said. "We were able to go out there and block
them. Our defense was excellent. You can see by the number of blocks
Melissa had."
Peterson also had five blocks and 12 kills in the semifinal victory
over Miami; three blocks, five kills and two aces against Snowflake
and eight kills and two blocks in the win over Mogollon...
| Top
|
Midway pooch leads a balanced life
Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer
WINDOW ROCK — Dogleg that golf cart to the left, full throttle,
or veer it to the right it didn't matter. Cutter was one well-propped
Queensland heeler at the Navajo Nation Fair.
She's a dog who has found a certain balance in life. The good life
comes by being at the side of her master, Bill Kling of Casa Grande,
Ariz., who has managed the Frazier Shows carnival and all its rides
for "about 10 years ... well, no, more than that, just say a
long time."
At 3 years old, Cutter is a pooch in her prime. Sitting on her haunch,
with a cushioned seat under her, she's the ideal companion who won't
get squirrelly and jump ship. She knows it's better to stay put, even
when Kling makes a pit stop at the carnival ticket window to see how
sales are doing, or in parked position to talk to an inquisitive reporter.
Cutter doesn't move because she knows the cart is going to ride off
as soon as she gets an inkling...
| Top
|
Contact the Gallup
Independent
Please send the Gallup Independent feedback on
this website and the paper in general.
E-mail: gallpind@cia-g.com
By mail:
The Independent
PO Box 1210 Gallup, NM 87305
500 N. 9th Gallup, NM 87301
All contents property of the
Gallup Independent.
Any duplication or republication requires consent of the
Gallup
Independent.
Feel free to send any questions or comments to
gallpind@cia-g.com
E-mail the webmaster at
martyr_dom@hotmail.com
for problems concerning the website ONLY.
