Spectators at the inauguration of Navajo President Russell Begaye and Vice President Jonathan Nez react to Begaye and Nez taking their oath of office at the Fighting Scouts Events Center in Fort Defiance, Ariz., on May 12, 2015. Photo by Marley Shebala
NAVAJO VICE PRESIDENT JONATHAN NEZ
truly the awakening of our new dawn is here. Russell Begaye and I have chosen this path to serve you the people. for too long, our nation has been afflicted with diabetes, post traumatic stress disorder, other social diseases, and apathy. We will fight these monsters. our navajo nation must facilitate an environment of clean drinking water, healthy foods, quality education, housing, and fairness for all our people so there is shift to human justice. we must stand shoulder to shoulder. we have larger purpose. facing economic challenges in global society, we must address drought, disease. our children and families deserve better. our future deserve better. our children have right to live. our homelands will be healthy and vibrant. our success will be gauged by a successfully people. i call each of you to enter this new dawn with me and Russell Begaye. this is a journey, as much as a destination, and it all starts right now.
this speech comes from friends and relatives and my good friend, Eric Deschennie.
NAVAJO PRESIDENT RUSSELL BEGAYE
when look back you don’t dream you will be president of navajo nation because it is a gift. the people honor you. and it is a gift from God.
we are at a crossroads. do we continue to journey down that same path? r do we choose a new dawn where we are no longer ashamed to speak our language from birth to adult, in schools, in employment.
we were told not to speak our language and that we will be behind if we speak our language and so at that crossroad, our parents didn’t teach their children the navajo language because they believed that the navajo language would hold them back.
but we are at a new dawn and our langauge is who we are as navajo people. we are powerful people.
we also will no longer look off reservation for our needs.
do we continue to say that our land has no value. that we have no values.
we make can make our food, our needs from our own land. people are smart. we can make what we use here on our land.
for too long, we have relied on the outside.
it is time to bring home our relatives, our children.
with the awakening of the new dawn comes a healthy lifestyle so our people are no longer plagued with diabetes and other diseases, including cancer.
it is time our us to farm and produce our own food. we have people who are professional, such as architecture, law, water, engineering. we have great intellect. we must have control over our resources so that are people no longer become sick from it.
We will fight for our water instead of giving it away.
Begaye and Nez administration is the beginning of the new dawn.
