Report: Navajos 'at stake' in Cortez

By John Christian Hopkins
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — Navajos may want to think twice about going to Cortez, Colo.

According to the final report on hate crimes and discrimination in the 13 towns and cities that border the reservation, nearly half of the Cortez arrests over the past five years have been Native Americans.

Though they make up only 10 percent of the population, Navajos accounted for 47 percent of the arrests made, said Levon B. Henry, executive director of DNA Peoples Legal Services. But Cortez officials said no complaints of discrimination were received over that same time period, Henry added.

There's no way to know how Cortez stack up against Grants, N.M., because despite numerous calls Grants officials never bothered to respond to DNA, Henry said.

"Grants ... ignored our requests," Henry said.

A problem the study found was that many Navajos don't report incidents of discrimination or hate crimes, Henry said. The reason most cited is that police don't respond to them anyway and many fear they will be revictimized by law enforcement if they complain, he added.

"It's important to take this report seriously," said Delegate Leonard Tsosie. He suggested that the Nation consider setting up a civil rights office to follow up on complaints and keep track of statistics.

Delegate Katherine Benally believes the situation is more dire than reported. The border towns that responded probably only shared information that they thought would make them look good, she said.

"The border towns, yes they are like that," said Delegate Jerry Freddie.

Delegate Larry Anderson Sr. attended a gourd dance in Flagstaff recently and witnessed what he saw as pure discrimination.

"As soon as city officials found out there was an Indian event going on they let their coyotes loose," Anderson said. "I've never seen so many tow trucks in one place!"

The issue will be swept under the rug if the Nation doesn't take a stand, said Delegate Lorenzo Curley. The Nation needs to seriously consider economic boycotts of the border towns and hold demonstrations to highlight its concerns, Curley said.

"Our people's lives are at stake," Benally said. "They are getting beaten, they are getting killed."

"How many more Tony Clahs and Clint Johns do there have to be before this violence in the border towns stop?" Henry asked.

Twenty-year-old Clint John was a Navajo man who was shot and killed in by a Farmington police officer last June 10. It was that shooting on the heels of three men beating William Blackie, 46 that prompted the council to vote to create a Human Rights Commission and to put together the report shared Monday.

"Why isn't Blanding (Utah) on the list? Blanding is a racist town," said Aneth Delegate Davis Filfred.

The report focused on the towns and cities that directly border the reservation, Henry explained.

Information in the report which focused on the years between 2001-2006 included:

• Eight excessive force complaints have been filed against Farmington police officers; only one was upheld.
  
  
• 31 percent of Bloomfield, N.M. arrests were of natives.
  
  
• Between 2002-2005 1,817 natives have been arrested in Flagstaff.
  
  
• Cortez asked for a $500 deposit to compile the information requested for the report.

According to Dr. Barbara Perry, an author and acknowledged leader in the field, hate crimes against Native Americans are so prevalent that many tribal communities consider it normal. Perry believes only about five percent of discrimination incidents are reported by tribes.

Though the council approved the formation of a human rights commission, it needs to be properly funded, said Dr. James Davis, chief of staff for Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan. Legislation is in the works for funding a seven-person staff, Davis added.

The commission will help the Nation to document these instances, he added.

"We all know it's true, but this legal world we live in requires documentation," Davis said.

In addition to Grants, Holbrook did not respond to the Navajo study.

There was one bright spot, Henry reported. The Cuba, N.M., police chief has requested Navajo Nation support in providing crosscultural sensitivity training for his officers.

John Christian Hopkins can be reached at hopkins1960@hotmail.com or by calling 505-371-5443.