Naabik’iyati Committee now on Legislation 0100-14, approving Navajo Nation Guardianship Act of 2014.
DELEGATE JONATHAN HALE
what these amendments do is bring back family into choices, not just corporations and adds clarity to process, instead of going straight to caregiver but bring in family.
AMENDMENT – (WE several pages and so I’ll have to get copy and scan and add after meeting)
VOTE 11 in favor, 1 opposed
DELEGATE LORENZO CURLEY
This legislation is very important and we should not rush through. We should have work session to answer all questions and reduce doubts. This involves justice. This law will authorize someone else to make decision for someone else. And the process of determining whether that person should have someone else make decision for him or her. This makes reference to Navajo Fundamental Law, traditional law, And I think children and teenagers fall under this law so judges really need to understand when they kids at risk by throwing in jail and detention centers and rehabilitation centers because I’ve seen it happen. it carries a lot of grief with family and kids. there must be some safeguard before this becomes law if this is what we are doing. this overhauls current law. i want someone to sit down with me to explain to me instead of all this verbage in legislation.
one of these days when we go back to working for a living, i don’t want to say that i don’t know what this law is for.
DELEGATE LEONARD PETE
I’m kind of confused about this Adult Guardianship Act.
DELGATE DANNY SIMPSON
The law regarding children, teens, adults existed since 1995 is existing law and we have to keep in there cuz of children. and that was brot up by Delegate Russell Begaye and we eliminated. But Delegate Begaye asked where guardianshio for kids. Division of social services is working on guardianship for children. This 0100-14 is for Navajo adults with disability. and once Division of social services bring guardianship for kids then those other laws will be removed.
DELEGATE LEONARD TSOSIE
this is a big change of law and i agree with Delegate Curley that we have work session to understand. look at page 4, definition of family and then there is defition of “good faith.” I understand need for freedom and there are words about navajo tradition. when we have individuals out there with serious problems mentally and i understand there are degrees and some can take care of selves so rather than total freedom, they will take to court. and families want to provide for them but this law wud block. i have constitutent and family wants to help with house but she doesn’t want.
so how differeniate between groups that are seriously incapciated and others can. so this taking power from family that wants to care for individuals. So do thru court and ombudsman?
And then it stops families from putting loved ones in rehab.
