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March 17, 2011     Navajo Times
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March 17, 2011
 
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PAGE A-G THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Where is the water for Twin Arrows Casino? Where is the water for the Navajo's Twin Arrows Casino? CEO Bob Winter said he didn't know how much the casino would use and does not know where water for the casino will come from. A current article stated drilling is being done whichwill be the deepest in the world to find water and fears it will result in empty caverns. Bob Winter better advise the Navajo leaders they had better bring their own water to Flagstaff's casino because Flagstaff is hurting for water, and, too, the five planned Navajo casinos will need water for their swimming pools and their golf courses. The locals can barely tolerate windy Navajo country and its dust, and in some areas at times, red dust. Navajo lands suffer very cold winters, so no swimming or golfing during those times of year. Winter must not have informed the Navajo leaders that only casinos situated near large cities profit from the most, not remote, rural casinos that the Navajo casinos will be. Fire Rock Casino's success is from Navajo tribal members spending all or a great deal of their government checks (disability, SSI and retirement) at gaming. The Navajo lands are considered a Third World country right here in America with many living without running water and electricity in remote areas, living off the land and sheepherding. Yet, the leaders prefer to spend $200 million on five casinos that care for their people's basic necessities. The federal government has allocated $33 million dollars in taxpayer money for high-tech communication lines and cell towers to be situated on Navajo lands. Well, if the starving Navajos don't have food on the table, running water or electricity, the government wants them to have cell phones. Derek Zoe Camp Verde, Ariz. Save special needs children's program President Ben Shelly of the Navajo Nation confirmed in his inaugural remarks Iris support for our children's education. He also said that the Bureau of Indian Education was not going to tell us how to educate our children. I am calling on the Navajo Nation to keep that promise and stop the BIE from destroying a program that works for our special needs children who require and are legally mandated to receive special education services as stated in IDEIA 2004. For almost 20 years, Eastern Navajo Agency has had a program that brought speech, counseling, and other related services to every child in its schools. Now some members of the BIE have become power hungry and are using the BIE's reorganization to stop this program. For years now, the schools that made up ENA have shared resources. In addition, all children within ENA were considered worthy of and provided with the best service possible by competent, trained, and licensed professionals. Now high up BIE officials want to split this up and possibly phase it out. If this is allowed to happen, children in small or isolated areas will not receive any of these legally mandated services. Smaller schools provide less money and therefore are considered insignificant by these higher-ups. Not only is this against both federal and state law, it is also unethical and is denying these children an appropriate education. Are Navajo children in smaller schools worth less than Navajo children in larger schools? This is not right! Parents need to become more involved in their special needs child's Individualized Education Plan, which is a legal document. They also need to speak up when the IEP is not being followed, as this is a violatiorv of their rights and the law. If more parents know and understand their rights, this blatant disregard for special education would not take place. I thought Navajo Nation was considered one nation - not divided. The treaty talks about the education of all our children. All of our children also includes our special needs children. Please stop this break-up from happening. Henry Meyers Thoreau, N.M. Rock Point school board exceeding travel budget Wake up, Rock Point Community School parents and grandparents. Our school board members - Raymond Jones, Jacqueline Stillman and Clarence Chee - have just gone to the PBR in Glendale, Ariz., this past weekend at the expense of the interest funds of our chillon. They plan to attend the PBR in Albuquerque again March 25-26 and further the Gathering of Nations April 29-30. They approved to attend work sessions and conferences during these times, regardless of being told that they have greatly exceeded their travel budget. At the beginning of the fiscal year, the school board approved a budget of $25,000 for their travels under interest funds. They have gone on a spending spree since then. They have now spent $83,000 and nearing the $100,000 mark. There is only $150,000 budgeted under interest funds for FY 2010- 2011. Due to the spending spree, many of the necessary items allocated under this funding source had to either be deleted, put on hold or decreased so the board's travel expenses could be covered. Interest funds could have been used to repaint the school buildings, purchase up-to-date computers, purchase learning software for students and purchase furniture for students . The $83,000 from interest funds is beyond excessive for travel compared to what could be used specifically for students. Furthermore, each travel that each school board member takes, an advance of more than $550 is given to them. The last travel they took, they were each given a check of $890 to supposedly attend the work session in Phoenix over the weekend. All travels are extra income for them. Further, some board members continue to turn in receipts late. One board member still has an outstanding travel bill of over $3,000 due to no receipts turned in for lodging and registration fees. This brings me to the question: Do board members even attend these cOnferences? Board members given travel advances cashed their checks yet never went on these trips. They have no justification, nor receipts to show for actually attending such conferences or trainings. Two of the board members are paying back for checks they cashed for travel advances and never traveled. Yet they hound staff and administration for being accountable for everything. Accountability is a two-way street. At least one board member has conscience and stands by her word because she has continued to mention to her board colleagues that their excessive board traveling is getting out of hand. She is greatly opposed to it. In fact, she is so opposed to it that she has refused to attend any more board travels. She has stood her ground by telling the rest of the school board members why do they need to go to Phoenix, Albuquerque or Flagstaff for work sessions. There is a board hogan at the school and all planning and leadership can take place from the hogan. However, they ignore their most senior member. The school board will argue that interest funds are at their discretion. But, interest funds are accumulated from the interest made from the money that our children are bringing into the school. The board has been told by the Din6 Department of Edueatiqn that interest funds are to be used fo the benefit of our students, not them. Calling work sessions without conferring with their administration is not good planning and leadership. In fact, the administration was told by the board, they do not need to confer with their administration when they go on travel, it's at their discretion. The practice of unnecessary and unreasonable meetings all to coincide with their personal interests to attend entertainment events is no good. It is plain unethical. Entertainment events are great and should be at their own expense. I received all this information as a concerned parent which I have the right to know, inasmuch all parents need to know. The school board will obviously retaliate against the RPCS administration:as they are known to do that. Obviously against certain staff as contract renewal is around the comer. We need to get more information from the RPCS administration to see if we need to call in the Navajo Nation ethics office. We will have to implement a recall petition. They are taking personal actions contrary to labor laws. Rock Point Community School parents and grandparents, ask your school administration questions about these travels and expenditures. This is all public information. Check out the board minutes and ask the school board members also, you have that right. We, as community members, elected them into office to speak for our children and our school, not go on trips to attend entertainment events. Enough is enough. We have to do something. The use of our eyes and ears - the Navajo Times - is being used once again for a concern. Listen for concerned meetings in our community of Rock Point. • Ernest Harry Begay Rock Point, Adz. Traditional, spiritual programs needed Ya'aateeh. My name is Kathy Yazzie from the great Navajo Nation. I am currently serving time in the Arizona State Women's Correctional Facility. I arrived here a couple months ago and' will be serving more time this time. Unfortunately this is my second time here. The first time I was incarcerated .I was devastated and did not think I could handle the situation very well, especially hearing, seeing, an0 reading stories of prison life. See LEn'ERS, Page A-7 REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK Singers carry on powwow tradition BY JAN-MIKAEL PATTERSON NAVAJO TIMES WINDOW ROCK - The Roanhorse Singers and its progenitor group, the Cozad Singers, have a history that not too many people outside the family know about. Both groups originated from the late Louis Spotted Horse, Kiowa. "That was my dad's grandpa," said Leonard Cozad Jr., whose Roanhorse Singers are the host southern drum at this weekend's Honoring Our President Joe Shirley Jr. Contest Powwow taking place Friday and Saturday at the Wildcat Den in Chinle. Louis Spotted Horse was his great-grandfather's real name but within the BIA, where he worked, he was known as Charley Roanhorse. "It's confusing, I know," said Cozad, 72. "I guess you could say that Charley Roanhorse was his office name and Louis Spotted Horse was his tribal laame." Cozad's father, the late Leonard Sr., formed the Cozad Singers in the late" 1930s. The name was borrowed from Beelow Cozad, a relative who had attended Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania in the 1880s. The family then decided to adopt Cozad for its family name as well. In time, the drum group grew from members of" Leonard Sr.'s immediate family to extended family and close friends. Over the decades, the Cozad Singers became known throughout Indian Country, traveling to powwows in the U.S. and Canada, winning numerous championships and drum contests, and recording many albums of their music on CD and cassette. With the Cozad name firmly established in powwow story logs, Leonard Jr. then got permission from his father to use the Roanhorse name for a new group, which is made up mainly of the younger generation of the family. Both groups are based in Anadarko, Okla. The Cozads are dedicated to carrying on the Kiowa tradition. They compose their own music, creating songs for powwows and gourd dances alike. Song making is a gift that humbles the giver, Cozad explained. When called upon to compose a song, there is the obligation to do so for the individuals requesting it. "People are always coming up to me and telling me to make a song for them," he said. "I can make a song, compose a song, but what I can't do is charge. I can't charge because it would hurt me. The price of the song depends on the people I make it for and how they feel about it." Some requesters have given him thousands of dollars for a song, while others give just a little, he said. Either way, the reflection is on the person making the request. Cozad noted that through his travels with the Cozad Singers, he made friends on the Navajo Reservation. "It's an honor to be asked to host this powwow to honor a distinguished individual like your former President Joe Shirley," he said. "And to meet up with friends and relatives." NAVAJO TIMES NAVAJO TIMES PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC. TOM AV.VlSO JR. DOANE A. BEYAL BOBi3Y N4m.rlN OlavlA L BENALLY FN.IN YAZZlE VERNON YAZZm OP.I2A NEZ HELENA SKew EI.ISE BNzrr I(YM TYLER IAN THOMAS Jc-m, CARt KArr-mN STANTON AMBER LYNN WAUNEKA RHONDA JOE DANISTA GOLDEN PAUL NATONABAH LEIGH T. JIMME CANDAC. BIDDY  SHEBALA JAN- PATISOr, CYNDY YURTH NOEL LYN SMITH ERNX ZAH CAROLYN CALVIN WILLIE HOLTSOI LEONARD SYLVAN RONALD LIVINGS'ION, LAWRENCE CURLEY, JONAS S,m--] J^c:K EDHOR PRODUCHON AGER CONTROLLER HUMAN RF.SOURCES MANAGER ADVERTISING / SALES MANAGER PRODUCHON ASSIKFANT CmCULATION ASSISTANt GRAPHIC DESlGNEK GRAPHIC DESIGNI ACOUNT ASSErANT GLASSmEDs/LK;L MANAGER Copy EDITOR TYPESEttER CIRO.ILATION _NA_ANAGER TrVE AssrrAr, rr PHOrOGRHE . PHOTOGRAPHER SPORTS EDrrOR RETORTER REPORTER RERTER RERTER RF2ORTER REPORTER PRESS FOREMAN PRESS OPERATOR PInt, hERS CARTOONrSr The NAVAJO TIMES welcomes letters from readers. Due to the high volume of letters we receive, letters should be limited to 200 words. Msterlsl that could be libelous or slanderous Is not acceptable. Letters should be signed with the writer's true name (no fake names), address and telephone number In the event we must contact you. Letters without the writer's signature or name will not be printed. Letters addressed to someone other than this newspaper will not be accepted for publlcstlon. Write: Editor, NAVAJO TIMES, P.O. [Box 310, Window Rock, Arizona 86515-0310. LEGAL STATUS: Edltorkd end publlceUon off leas located at Window Rock Mall, Hwy. 264 at Route 12. Window Rock, NeveJo Nation, Arizona 86515-0310. Telephone: (928] 871-1130. Fax No. (928) 871-1159. MEMBERSHIPB: Native Ameflcen Joumallats Aaxoclatlon, Adzone New papers Association, Arlzons Press Club end National Newspapers Ammclatlon. The NavaJo Timas Is the legal publlcaUon wllh hasdquar- tern end publication address on the NavsJo Raservation and within the State of Arizone. As such, It la the publics- tlon legally qualified to publish offldal indl/or legal notice as required by law. (A.R.S. 39-201,202, 203, 204, 205). NAVAJO TIMES (USPS 378-040) la published Wasldy by the NevaJo TImes, located et Hwy. 264 & Route 12, Window Rock, AZ 86515-0310. Periodicals Postage paid at Window RockPoat Office, Window Rock, AZ 86515. POSTMASTER: Send change of addrmm to NAVAJO TIMES, P.O. Box 310, Window Rock, AZ 86515-0310.