Zuni candidates lay out platforms
Bellson/Wemytewa

Shirley Bellson(right) Zuni Governor Candidate and Edward Wemytewa Zuni Lt. Governor Candidate [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

By Natasha Kaye Johnson
Diné Bureau

ZUNI — Shirley Bellson and Edward W. Wemytewa are confident their campaign platform will help to get them elected, respectively, as Zuni's Governor and Lieutenant Governor.

Bellson and Wemytewa followed closely behind with only 24 votes less than candidates Norman Cooeyate and Dancy Simplicio in the primaries. Bellson is the first woman to run for Governor.

Bellson's clan is Dogwood (Mula)-Child of Frog, and is currently an office manager for the Zuni Cultural Resources Enterprise. Wemytewa, whose clan is Tobacco-Child of Dogwood (Crow) is currently a Zuni Tribal Councilman.

Bellson and Wemytewa's platform includes refining the role of the Zuni Tribal Council, establishing a Board of Directors for the Enterprises, consistency in outreach and reporting to the community, establishing a conducive partnership with the Zuni public schools, strengthening Zuni culture within the school system, brining in grants, economic development and tourism development.

Because of the current tribal deficit, Bellson and Wemytewa are exploring ways to save the tribe money, and as Wemytewa put it, they need to find ways to "get more bang for their buck." With this, they plan to restructure the council, which would more than likely include cutting back on how much the council members gets paid, and would include limited benefits.

"There's going to be resistance," said Wemytewa, adding that it's time that it be looked at.

The two said one councilman publicly spoke against it, but backed down once community members expressed their support for restructuring the council. Refocusing the council on legislative issues is another plan the two want to carry out, if elected.

"The government and the programs need to be separated," said Bellson.

Bellson said the programs need to be left alone to work, and the council needs to focus on issues such as addressing economic development, updating the tribal constitution, land-use issues, updating tax laws and zoning.

Establishing open communication is a primary part of the Bellson's and Wemytewa's campaign platform.

"It's going to change," said Wemytewa. "We want to make sure people are informed."

If elected, Bellson and Wemytewa want to create a radio spot that would give frequent updates to the community. With both working with the current administration, they admit that opening and creating dialogue will take time.

"If you want people's trust, you have to show them your vulnerability," said Wemytewa. Keeping an open communication with tribal members in urban areas has also been a focus of their campaign, which is why the two said they set up a Web site, and held a public forum in Albuquerque.

As far as addressing the current deficit, Bellson and Wemytewa said they want to re-evaluate what programs have been successful for the tribe, and get rid of those that are not.

"We have to think in terms of business," said Wemytewa.

He said right now the tribe is "nickel and diming." What they would like to do is start seeding the tribe's economy. With this in mind, the two are looking into the possibility of bringing in hotels and expanding the restaurant business.

The two agreed that business administration is adequate, and that they just need to provide it with a plan. Wemytewa said the tribe needs to start prioritizing.

"Some programs are operating on bare bones," said Wemytewa.

"It's going to be really tight as far as money is concerned," said Bellson.

Though addressing the tribe's needs will be a challenge, both Bellson and Wemytewa remain positive about the direction of the tribe.

"As an incumbent, I feel good about it," said Wemytewa.