Diné veteran division tabled
Delegates want money spent on vets,
not administrators

By John Christian Hopkins
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Council delayed acting on the creation of a new Division of Diné Veterans Services, tabling the legislation until the summer session.

The bill drew plenty of sponsors — including Delegates Larry Noble, Leslie Dele, Larry Anderson Sr. and Jerry Bodie — and almost as many questions.

While he understood the bill’s intent, it appeared to be top-heavy, Delegate Roy Laughter said. Instead of spending money on bureaucracy in Window Rock, he’d rather see the funds used directly out at the agencies, Laughter said.
And that wasn’t the only problem Laughter had.

Delegate David Filfred offered an amendment to the bill, so that the executive director of the new veterans division would be appointed by the Human Services Committee, instead of by the president’s office.

“I don’t support it right now,” Laughter said. “That would be opening up a can of worms.”

Having council oversight committees do the hiring and firing would result in micromanaging, Delegate Leonard Tsosie said.

“If we going to start doing that, we might as well get rid of the Office of the President,” Tsosie said, to a smattering of agreement. “If we keep going, the president will have no say ... and he’s the one elected by an at-large vote of the people.”

If the standing committee hires the executive director, it is only a short step to it dictating to him what it wants done, Delegate Orlanda Smith-Hodge said.

Delegate Ervin M. Keeswood Sr. pointed out that Filfred’s amendment would let the Human Services Committee hire the executive director, but the position would still serve at the pleasure of the president.

The committee could hire someone on Monday and the president could fire them the next day, Keeswood said.
Filfred amended his motion to have the position hired and reporting to the standing committee.

The amendment to this legislation would clearly infringe on the duties of the president, Delegate Leonard Chee said.
Council is a legislative body and should not try running programs and departments, Tsosie said.

Filfred’s amendment failed 8-60.

The legislation could be read to say that all local veterans groups would fall under the jurisdiction of the new division, Keeswood said. Some of those organizations may not want that, he added.

Keeswood offered an amendment to include language exempting local, chapter-based veterans groups from being under control of a Division of Diné Veterans Services.

The whole purpose of the new division is to consolidate funds and efforts to provide services to veterans, Tsosie noted. Rather than consolidating, Keeswood’s amendment would create a disunion between the groups, Tsosie said.
The intent of the amendment is good, but council may be moving in the wrong direction, Delegate Roy Laughter said.

“It’s for all the veterans out there,” Laughter said.

Keeswood withdrew his amendment and it was replaced by one that would include language to the effect that the division would assist all Navajo veterans, their wives, children and Gold Star mothers.

As council readied to vote on creating the new division, Delegate Pete Ken Atcitty said he wanted to see some documents on funding. Creating a new division is bound to impact other tribal services, Atcitty said.

The creation of the division would be approximately $3 million — but that cost would be recurring and likely to increase as more personnel are added, Delegate LoRenzo Bates said.

“I’d like to know the numbers,” Atcitty said.

Bates moved to table the bill until the summer session, so that a budget could be included. His amendment narrowly passed, 39-34.

John Christian Hopkins can be reached at Hopkins1960@hotmail.com