Members pray for youth club
Council shoots down veto override; delegate says Shirley 'screwed' up

By Pamela G. Dempsey
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — Gathered in a small circle, holding hands, members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Navajo Inc. stood outside of the Navajo Nation Council Chambers and prayed.

Moments earlier, in a special session, the council voted down an override of a veto by Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. that gave the Shiprock-based, non-profit organization more than $1.2 million in tribal funding to get back on its feet and re-open its doors.

While the override was recalled once and then added as an amendment to another bill, both moves failed and the council sustained the initial veto.

The president, said Shiprock Council Delegate Wallace Charley, really "screwed this up" from the beginning.

The Diné Expansion Office was established in 2001 under former President Kelsey Begaye's administration to further establish Boys and Girls Clubs across the Navajo Nation by working with the non-profit organization.

Through a sub-contract agreement, the Diné Expansion Office filtered down federal and tribal funding to the non-profit organization.

During the past 18 months, funding halted as disagreements between the two parties grew. In August, the two came to a temporary Memorandum of Agreement that would give funding to the non-profit for six months, but the money was never released.

Last November, the non-profit permanently shut its doors because of lack of funds; however, during its winter session, council passed legislation to help out the non-profit with $1.2 million.

Shirley vetoed the legislation on March 9.

"The Shiprock based non-profit organization has accumulated over $729,000 in debts which are not the responsibility nor liability of the Navajo Nation," Shirley wrote in a memo to Speaker Lawrence Morgan. "Now, over six months of accumulating debt without funding, the non-profit organization is blaming the Navajo Nation and seeking a Navajo Nation bail-out. The Nation did not cause the debt."

Boys and Girls Clubs of America Inc. issued a club charter to the Navajo Nation and plans to revoke the non-profit's charter in April.

Fran Rowden, executive director of the non-profit, said in February the organization planned to appeal once funding from the Navajo Nation was approved.

"We're at the last junction," Rowden said soon after the initial vote failed to pass the override.

The non-profit's board of directors will issue a press release on the organization's plans after it meets next, she said.

Spencer Willie, director of the Diné Expansion Office, said, which ever way the vote went, the Department of Youth and the Expansion Office will still move forward on its plans to open Boys and Girls Clubs on the Navajo Nation.

"Lechee is ready to go," Willie said, commenting on sites that are ready to open.

Other sites on the horizon include Tohatchie, Tuba City, Fort Defiance, and Crownpoint, Willie said.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of America has also promised $25,000 to the Navajo Nation for each new site.

— To contact reporter Pam Dempsey call (505) 879-1707 or email pamelagdempsey@msn.com