NAVAJO COUNCIL DEBATING LEGISLATION 0192-13: SUPPORTING THE NATIVE AMERICAN ENERGY ACT, HR 3973, a US Congressional bil to facilitate the development of energy on Indian lands by reducing federal regulations that impede tribal development on Indian lands.

DELEGATE KATHERINE BENALLY
This legislation, if approved by Congress, it will be something we have in future and the previous legislation by Delegate Begaye will be addressed by Congress. I support both legislation.

DELEGATE TSOSIE
We shouldn’t just move things along just to get finished. We have incorporated federal laws into Navajo law. When Delegate Begaye presented, we thot without controversy until Delegate Curley brot to our attention and now realize it includes federal environmental laws which hamstrings development on reservation. I appreciate Curley’s objections.

True, when adopt restrictions, we can’t develop economically, socially cuz laws say no. I for one said we don’t need federal approval but we just approved what we oppose. We need to be very careful on what we are doing instead of pushing legislation thru cuz all services to pple and put all these restrictions into our laws.

And we are sending these messages to Congress without debate. This one seeks to remove the obstacles in energy development so we cud try to do these things in much quicker manner. but based on experiences in eastern navajo regarding oil shale development, you long for federal intervention so we do all these balancing to see what is better.

DELEGATE RUSSELL BEGAYE
AMENDMENT: Navajo Nation be granted mineral leasing over lands. But always rejected any amendments to mineral leasing.
So ask Congress to consider mineral leasing. Other legislation is for business site leasing.