Greetings Relatives/Frens/Humans: It’s Day Two of the Navajo Council’s annual five-day session, which convened Oct. 17.
10:53 am, 10.18.22, Interesting Debate on Legislation LEGISLATION 0021-22: which Navajo Council approval of to Amend the Selection Process for the Navajo Nation Veterans Administration Executive Director; and Amending 2 N.N.C. § 1031, 1032, 1033, 1034, 1035, 1036 Relating to the Navajo Nation Veterans Advisory Council (2/3) SPONSOR: Honorable Kee Allen Begay, Jr. (m) (s) (v)
07/21/2022 – Motion to Refer Legislation 0021-22 back to the Naabik’íyáti’ Committee to hold a Work Session within 30 days; to hear from the Navajo Veterans, Navajo Nation Veterans Advisory Council and possibly the Navajo Nation Veterans Administration; (M) Hon. Jimmy Yellowhair; (S) Hon. Pernell Halona; (V) 13 In Favor, 09 Opposed (Speaker Damon Not Voting)
09/13-14/2022 – A Veterans Public Hearing was completed at Eastern and Western Agency on Tuesday, September 13, 2022 and Wednesday, September 14, 2022.
9/22/2022 – Naabik’íyáti’ Committee refers Legislation 0021-22 back to the Navajo Nation Council for consideration; (M) Hon. Eugene Tso; (S) Hon. Daniel E. Tso; (V) 11 in Favor, 06 Opposed (Chairman Damon Not Voting)
11:40 am, 10.18.22, Navajo Council votes 14 in favor, 9 opposed on 0021-22, which Fails to Pass because 2/3 vote of Navajo Council or 16 Yes Votes were needed to approve 0021-22.
FYI – Remember the Navajo Council Delegates who voted RED/No. They are the Council Delegates who support Prez Nez. Nez appointed James Zweirlein as Navajo VA director, and Nez approved a SIX-YEAR contract with Zweirlein. But no one can get a copy of the Nez-Zweirlein contract because it’s been legally designated CONFIDENTIAL.
Unofficial Navajo Council voting tally:
Elmer Begay Green; Kee Allen Begay Green, Paul Begay Red; Nathan Green; ECN Green; Herman M. Daniels Jr. Red; Mark Freeland Red; Pernell Halona Red: Jamie Heniro Red; Vince James Green; Rickie Nez Green; Carl Slater Green; Raymond Smith Jr. Red; Wilson Stewart Jr. Green; Otto Tso Green; Charlaine Tso Green; Daniel Tso Green; Eugene Tso Green; Thomas Walker Jr. Red; Edison Wauneka Red; Edmund Yazzie Red; Jimmy Yellowhair Green.
LEGISLATION 0021-22: An Act Relating to Health, Education and Human Services, Law and Order, and Naabik’íyáti’ Committees and the Navajo Nation Council; Amending the Selection Process for the Navajo Nation Veterans Administration Executive Director; and Amending 2 N.N.C. § 1031, 1032, 1033, 1034, 1035, 1036 Relating to the Navajo Nation Veterans Advisory Council (2/3) SPONSOR: Honorable Kee Allen Begay, Jr. (m) (s) (v)
07/21/2022 – Motion to Refer Legislation 0021-22 back to the Naabik’íyáti’ Committee to hold a Work Session within 30 days; to hear from the Navajo Veterans, Navajo Nation Veterans Advisory Council and possibly the Navajo Nation Veterans Administration; (M) Hon. Jimmy Yellowhair; (S) Hon. Pernell Halona; (V) 13 In Favor, 09 Opposed (Speaker Damon Not Voting)
09/13-14/2022 – A Veterans Public Hearing was completed at Eastern and Western Agency on Tuesday, September 13, 2022 and Wednesday, September 14, 2022.
9/22/2022 – Naabik’íyáti’ Committee refers Legislation 0021-22 back to the Navajo Nation Council for consideration; (M) Hon. Eugene Tso; (S) Hon. Daniel E. Tso; (V) 11 in Favor, 06 Opposed (Chairman Damon Not Voting)
On July 18, 2022, I wrote the following news story, which was published in the Gallup NM Independent newpaper. As of Oct. 18, 2022, I have not received a response from Navajo VA director James Zweirlein.
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – It’s been nine days since Navajo Nation Councii Amber Kanazbah Crotty called for Navajo Nation Veterans Administration Director James Zweirlein to be “stripped” of all authorities to speak on behalf of Navajo Nation veterans and President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer remain silent.
Nez and Lizer politically appointed Zweirlein as the Navajo Nation’s veterans’ administration director and approved a confidential six-year contract with Zweirlein even though they have a four-year administration.
Crotty’s call for Zweirlein’s authorities is be removed also included a demand for him to be “banned” from the Navajo Council, and for the defunding of his position, which she made before the Navajo Council’s top committee, the Naabik’iyati, when some Council delegates requested a verbal and written report from Zweirlein on the VA’s 2023 budget on July 8.
She recalled to the Naabik’iyati that Zweirlein’s July 5 report to the Budget and Finance Committee on the VA budget was “inappropriate, condescending to Navajo veterans.”
Crotty, who is a Budget & Finance member, said Zweirlein began his budget report with a story about a juvenile cutting himself with a knife.
“Zweirlein should be banned from the Council,” she said. “We and the veterans have reported Zweirlein to President Nez and Vice President Lizer, but they continue to allow Zweirlein to continue to bully veterans. Zweirlein should be stripped of all authorities to speak to the veterans, other tribes, and the federal government. He does not speak for all the veterans.”
In a Navajo Council recording of the July 5 B&F meetings, Zweilein reported, “The veterans need to know. It will make some of them upset, and they need to be upset. Please receive this report in the spirit in which it’s presented. If it makes you think, if it makes you engage in meaningful conversation, if you start asking the right questions, then it will have accomplished its goal.
“I need to give you a bit of context for this report, so I’m going to open with a brief story,” he said. “It’s a little graphic, but I’ll keep it at a PG 13 level. I had a stepson. He wasn’t my blood, but I loved him just the same. A few years back, I found him playing with a knife, a really sharp one. I tell him no son, it’s too sharp and you’ll hurt yourself. He starts crying and tells his mom.
“Mom tells me to give him the knife,” Zweirlein said. “I say he isn’t old enough and it’s sharp. He’s going to hurt himself. She replies to me, ‘He’s not your son. Just give it to him.’ So I give him the knife. Less than five minutes later, I see that he’s cutting himself, and there’s blood all over. I run over to him. I take the knife and I start applying first aid. He starts screaming for me to give him back the knife. His mom hears this, and she comes over. She ignores the facts that he’s covered in blood and tells me to give him back the knife and reminds me it’s her kid, not mine.
“She gives him back the knife and I continue to try to stop the bleeding,” he said. “No sooner than the knife is in his hands, and he starts cutting himself again. I stare in disbelief for a moment before taking away the knife one more time, now trying to stop bleeding in several spots, also, while trying to call for an ambulance.
“At the same time his mother is getting mad at me because I took his knife away again, and how could I let him hurt himself,” Zweirlein said. “She completely ignores the fact that I told her this is what he was going to do. She says, ‘He isn’t your son. You don’t get to tell im no, but you still need to look out for his wellbeing.’ The ambulance comes and takes him to the hospital. I went to the hospital because I still cared about this kid and I learned that there was severe nerve damage.
“He now gets to spend the rest of his life severely crippled,” he said. “The moral of the story that I want you to learn is that there are consequences to actions. Everyone needs to take responsibility for their actions and learn from them so as not to make the same mistakes. When people don’t want to listen to those who know best, the odds of bad things happening are increased significantly. Now I apologize for this picture that I just painted, but I needed to illustrate a point.”
Zweirlein noted to the B&F, “What I’m about to report to you looks just like that kid cutting himself over and over and not understanding that there are consequences to his actions. I’m going to report to you about the Veterans Trust Fund. You should recall the hoopla from last year surrounding how the budget was formulated. Individual veterans were, I’ll use the word complaining. Veterans’ organizations were passing resolutions all saying they wanted to have the budgets their way. All of them, and some delegates included, wanted to disregard Navajo Nation law in favor of what these individuals wanted.”
Crotty abruptly stops Zweirlein and asks B&F Chairman Jamie Henio to advise Zweirlein to keep the “decorum. This is a formal meeting; it’s not the Jerry Springer show, and these types of scenarios that are being presented are the director’s opinion and are very disrespectful to our veterans. And I will not tolerate it.”
Henio advised Zweirlein to just present a budget report.
Zweirlein reports that a 60% reduction in the Navajo VA budget for veterans’ services is because the Navajo Controller’s Office miscalculated how the Navajo Veterans Trust Fund annual interest, which funds the 2023 VA budget, and the Navajo Justice Department found that unexpended funds in the 2022 VA budget may have been carried-over illegally into the 2023 VA budget.
“So what I wanted to make sure that the committee heard today is that giving the veterans exactly what they have asked for, what I have been directed to do, this is the result, a decrease of $2.8 million in available financial assistance going into fiscal year ’23,” he reported to the B&F. “And I wanted to make the committee aware that this is no longer the fault of the NN VA. We talk decorum and I agree. But I will not sit quietly anymore and be blamed for circumstances that are no longer mine. So I ask of this committee please be advised…”
Crotty interrupts Zweirlein again and asks Henio to direct Zweirlein to submit a written budget report because Zweirlein’s opinions are “to hurt our veterans.” She tells Zweirlein, “This committee should not stand for what you say.”
The B&F do not vote on Zweirlein’s report because none of the B&F members seconded a motion by B&F member Jimmy Yellowhair to accept Zweirlein’s report.
The Feature Photo for this blog post is of the front of about 250 Navajo Nation veterans horseback riding and marching, involving about 250 veterans, on the Navajo Council chambers on July 19, 2022, in Window Rock, Arizona. The veterans informed the Navajo Council that they supported Legislation 0021-22.
APPROVED AGENDA OF THE 24th NAVAJO NATION COUNCIL FALL SESSION Oct. 17 – 21, 2022 10 AM Window Rock, Navajo Nation (AZ)
VIA TELECONFERENCE
Call-in Number: (669) 900-6833
Meeting ID: 928 871 7160
Passcode: 86515
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PRESIDING: Honorable Seth Damon, Speaker, 24th Navajo Nation Council
- CALL SESSION TO ORDER; ROLL CALL; INVOCATION
- RECOGNIZE GUESTS AND VISITING OFFICIALS TO THE NAVAJO NATION
- REVIEW AND ADOPT THE AGENDA
(m) Hon. Vince R. James (s) Hon. Nathaniel Brown (v) 21-0 (snv) - RECEIVE THE STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE NAVAJO NATION
(m) Hon. Paul Begay, Jr. (s) Hon. Edison J. Wauneka (v) - RECEIVE REPORT FROM THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE NAVAJO NATION
(m) (s) (v) - RECEIVE REPORT FROM THE SPEAKER OF THE NAVAJO NATION COUNCIL
(m) (s) (v) - RECEIVE FINANCIAL REPORT FROM THE CONTROLLER
(m) (s) (v) - ORAL REPORTS
A. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) (m) (s) (v)
B. Indian Health Services (IHS) (m) (s) (v)
C. Attorney General (m) (s) (v)
D. Navajo Nation Youth Advisory Council (m) (s) (v) - WRITTEN REPORTS
A. Standing Committees (m) (s) (v)
B. Boards and Commissions (m) (s) (v)
C. Bureau of Indian Affairs (m) (s) (v)
D. Indian Health Services Area Director (m) (s) (v) - OLD BUSINESS
(A) LEGISLATION 0003-22: An Act Relating to Resources and Development, Budget and Finance, and Naabik’íyáti’ Committees, and Navajo Nation Council; Allocating $900,000 from the Unreserved, Undesignated Fund Balance (“UUFB”) to the Division of Economic Development/Tourism Department for Personnel and Operating Expenses for the Remainder of FY2022; Waiving 12 N.N.C. § 820(E), § 820(F), and § 820(J) to Allow Use of the UUFB for Recurring Expenses (2/3)
SPONSOR: Honorable Wilson C. Stewart, Jr.
(m) Hon. Raymond Smith, Jr. (s) Hon. Jimmy Yellowhair (v)
4/20/2022 – Motion to Refer Legislation 0003-22 to the Naabik’íyáti’ Committee for further discussion; (M) Hon. Carl R. Slater; (S) Hon.
Jimmy Yellowhair; (V) 20 in Favor, 02 Opposed (Speaker Damon Not Voting)
8/30/2022 – Naabik’íyáti’ Committee refers Legislation 0003-22 back to the Navajo Nation Council for consideration; (M) Hon. Rickie Nez; (S) Hon. Vince R. James; (V) 13 in Favor, 05 Opposed (Chairman Damon Not Voting)
9/29/2022 – Motion to Table Legislation 0003-22 Until the Navajo Nation Council Fall Session Pursuant to Action by the Office of the President and Vice-President Regarding Legislation 0007-22; (M) Hon. Carl R. Slater; (S) Hon. Edison J. Wauneka; (V) 21 in Favor, 00 Opposed (Speaker Damon Not Voting)
(B) LEGISLATION 0021-22: An Act Relating to Health, Education and Human Services, Law and Order, and Naabik’íyáti’ Committees and the Navajo Nation Council; Amending the Selection Process for the Navajo Nation Veterans Administration Executive Director; and Amending 2 N.N.C. § 1031, 1032, 1033, 1034, 1035, 1036 Relating to the Navajo Nation Veterans Advisory Council (2/3)
SPONSOR: Honorable Kee Allen Begay, Jr.
(m) (s) (v)
07/21/2022 – Motion to Refer Legislation 0021-22 back to the Naabik’íyáti’ Committee to hold a Work Session within 30 days; to hear from the Navajo Veterans, Navajo Nation Veterans Advisory Council and possibly the Navajo Nation Veterans Administration; (M) Hon. Jimmy Yellowhair; (S) Hon. Pernell Halona; (V) 13 In Favor, 09 Opposed (Speaker Damon Not Voting)
09/13-14/2022 – A Veterans Public Hearing was completed at Eastern and Western Agency on Tuesday, September 13, 2022 and Wednesday, September 14, 2022.
9/22/2022 – Naabik’íyáti’ Committee refers Legislation 0021-22 back to the Navajo Nation Council for consideration; (M) Hon. Eugene Tso; (S) Hon. Daniel E. Tso; (V) 11 in Favor, 06 Opposed (Chairman Damon Not Voting)
(C) LEGISLATION 0013-22: An Act Relating to the Health, Education and Human Services, Budget and Finance, and Naabik’íyáti’ Committees, and to the Navajo Nation Council; Approving $540,528 in Supplemental Funding from the Unreserved, Undesignated Fund Balanc to Rehoboth Christian School to Fund Student Transportation Costs, a Navajo Language Teacher Position, Summer School Expenses, and Other Needs
SPONSOR: Honorable Pernell Halona
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Seth Damon
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Edmund Yazzie
(m) (s) (v)
4/21/2022 – Motion to Refer Legislation 0013-22 to the Naabik’íyáti’ Committee for further discussion at the next Regular scheduled or Special Naabik’íyáti’ Committee meeting; (M) Hon. Jamie Henio; (S) Hon. Eugenia Charles-Newton; (V) 12 in Favor, 11 Opposed (Chairman Damon Votes in Favor to Break Tie)
5/12/2022 – Legislation 0013-22 was referred back to the Navajo Nation Council for consideration; (M) Hon. Edison J. Wauneka; (S) Hon. Jimmy Yellowhair; (V) 14 in Favor, 09 Opposed (Chairman Damon Not Voting) - NEW BUSINESS
(A) LEGISLATION 0110-22: An Act Relating to the Budget and Finance, Resources and Development, and Naabik’íyáti’ Committees, and the Navajo Nation Council; Allocating $5,000,000 from the Síhasin Fund for the Assessment and Remediation of the Former Navajo Forest Products Industry Location in Navajo, NM; Approving the Related Expenditure Plan Pursuant to 12 N.N.C. § 2501 – §2508 (2/3)
SPONSOR: Honorable Wilson C. Stewart, Jr.
(m) (s) (v)
(B) LEGISLATION 0159-22: An Act Relating to the Resources and Development, Budget and Finance, and Naabik’íyáti’ Committees, and to the Navajo Nation Council; Allocating $10,031,897 from the Síhasin Fund for the Mariano Lake Chapter Multipurpose Building Project; Approving the Related Expenditure Plan Pursuant to 12 N.N.C. §2501 – §2508 (2/3)
SPONSOR: Honorable Edmund Yazzie
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Raymond Smith, Jr.
(m) (s) (v)
(C) LEGISLATION 0161-22: An Action Relating to Resources and Development, Budget and Finance, Naabik’íyáti’ Committees, and Navajo Nation Council; Allocating $5,000,000 in Síhasin Funds to the Navajo Nation Oil and Gas Company for Development and Construction of the Tse Si Ani C-Store; Approving and Adopting the Tse Si Ani C-Store Expenditure Plan Pursuant to 12 N.N.C. §§ 2501 –2508 (2/3)
SPONSOR: Honorable Raymond Smith, Jr.
CO-SPONSOR: Honorable Wilson C. Stewart, Jr.
(m) (s) (v)
(D) LEGISLATION 0164-22: An Action Relating to the Health, Education and Human Services, and Naabik’íyáti’ Committees, and the Navajo Nation Council; Approving the Reinstatement of Shandiin Deputee as a Member of the Navajo Nation
SPONSOR: Herman M. Daniels, Jr.
(m) (s) (v)
(E) LEGISLATION 0156-22: An Action Relating to Law and Order Committee, Naabik’íyáti’ Committee, and the Navajo Nation Council; Confirming the Probationary Appointment of Cecelia Tallman as Navajo Nation District Court Judge
SPONSOR: Honorable Otto Tso
(m) (s) (v)
(F) LEGISLATION 0184-22: An Action Relating to Health, Education and Human Services, Naabik’iyati’ Committee, and Navajo Nation Council; Reaffirming Resolutions NABIN-69-18, NABIMY-27-19, and NABIAU-25-21, Requesting a Tribal Communication with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to Establish Direct Services on the Navajo Nation for Navajo Veterans
SPONSOR: Honorable Kee Allen Begay, Jr.
(m) (s) (v) - CLOSE OF SESSION; ANNOUNCEMENTS; ADJOURNMENT
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