FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Natalia Sells has an inventory of qualities she desires to see within the subsequent Navajo Nation president: Approachable. Adaptable. Inspiring. Somebody who upholds conventional values but in addition is progressive.
She’ll be a part of hundreds of different tribal members on Tuesday in casting their vote for one in every of 15 presidential hopefuls within the nonpartisan race. The sphere contains incumbent Jonathan Nez, former Navajo Vice President Frank Dayish Jr., former tribal Legal professional Common Ethel Department, lawyer Justin Jones, and Buu Van Nygren, the vice presidential candidate from 2018.
“I’m attempting to enter this with an open thoughts,” mentioned Sells. “It’s a very popular matter in my household. Everyone seems to be voting otherwise. I feel it’s going to be an attention-grabbing election season.”
The Navajo Nation is largest Native American reservation within the U.S., spanning 27,000 sq. miles (69,930 sq. kilometers) of excessive desert, forests, wind-swept mesas and mountains bordering New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. Its inhabitants of 406,000 is second to solely the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, which has 420,000 enrolled members.
The highest two vote-getters within the Navajo main will transfer on to the November common election. Greater than 122,000 Navajos are registered to vote, and the tribe typically sees round a 50% turnout for the primaries. Polls are open Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mountain time.
Nez’s time period has been dominated by response to the coronavirus pandemic wherein he enacted a number of the strictest measures within the U.S. to assist gradual the virus. The tribe at one level had one of many highest an infection charges within the nation. A masks mandate on the reservation stays in place.
Nez just lately accepted laws to spend greater than $1 billion in federal pandemic aid funding to enhance water, sanitation, housing and communications infrastructure the place many residents stay with out primary requirements. It got here after months of wrangling between the tribe’s govt and legislative branches about what ought to be prioritized.
“Continuity is essential, I’m certain to our Navajo folks, as a result of the educational curve goes to be excessive,” Nez instructed The Related Press. “We provide in our administration, that continuity, no on-the-job coaching. We’re simply going to proceed to maneuver ahead and implement these initiatives.”
Sells, a legislation pupil at Arizona State College, mentioned she’s combating expertise over change. Whoever wins, she desires to be assured they are going to discover methods to convey the youthful era again to the reservation.
“They need folks to return house, however the pay doesn’t all the time match the skillset,” mentioned Sells, who votes in Teec Nos Pos. “And on prime of that, there’s no housing, actually.”
Department is amongst six candidates hoping to grow to be the primary girl to grow to be Navajo Nation president. Just one girl, Lynda Lovejoy, has made it previous the tribe’s main at the same time as some Navajos warned {that a} girl as president portends an ominous future for the tribe. That notion isn’t as prevalent now, a minimum of not publicly.
Department has been crucial of what she says was the Navajo Nation’s gradual response to the pandemic beneath Nez’s administration. She co-founded a aid fund, elevating hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to offer meals, water and different provides to Navajo and Hopi households.
“There’s a whole lot of assets that get to Window Rock, there’s some huge cash that will get to Window Rock and it doesn’t make it to the folks,” she mentioned at a latest rally in Kayenta.
The opposite girls within the race are: educator Dolly Mason; scholar Leslie Tsosie; Chinle Chapter President Rosanna Jumbo-Fitch; Frankie Davis, who has advocated for extracting pure assets; former New Mexico state legislator Sandra Jeff, and Emily Ellison, who says she is going to push the federal authorities to provide the Navajo Nation title to its land if elected.
All of the candidates converse Navajo however to various levels.
Nygren sees himself as a younger, energetic diplomat set on working the federal government extra effectively and partnering with tribal lawmakers on initiatives. He mentioned the Navajo Nation’s inside rules have stalled financial improvement, and the tribe hasn’t honed in on tourism as a serious income supply.
“In the event you are available in very hard-headed and ‘my means or the freeway,’ the Navajo Nation Council will put you in test simply as fast as you possibly can in,” mentioned Nygren who has a background in development administration.
Jones mentioned he already is aware of what the issues are with the tribal authorities as an lawyer who has sued over elections, the Navajo desire in employment legislation and different issues. He’s staking his platform on supporting small enterprise like distributors at flea markets, janitorial companies, waste administration firms and contractors.
“As soon as the Navajo-owned companies get on their toes, they’re going to start out hiring Navajo folks,” he mentioned. “Which means the Navajo greenback goes to remain round.”
Dayish is likely one of the solely veteran politicians within the group and has work expertise within the housing, mining, aeronautical, and well being care industries. He ran for president in 2006 however got here in third behind Lovejoy. He has set a aim to spice up the variety of houses with electrical energy and working water, highschool and faculty graduates and the tribal funds by 5 share factors.
“Not less than we have now a goal,” he mentioned. “Clearly we need to go 100%, however based mostly on all the rules, all of the funding limitations, that’s what we’d be confronted with.”
The opposite candidates are: Greg Bigman, chairman of the Diné School Board of Regents; Ts’ah Bii Kin Chapter supervisor Earl Sombrero; and Dineh Benally and Kevin Cody, each of whom sought the tribal presidency in 2018.
