FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2016
MEDIA CONTACTS
Jared Touchin (928) 221-9253
Jolene Holgate (928) 380-4174
Crystalyne Curley (928) 286-7918
[email protected]
CouncilmembersjoinactingChiefJusticeAllen
SloanfortheopeningofthenewSupremeCourtfacility
PHOTO:(Fromlefttoright)VicePresidentJonathanNez,SpeakerLoRenzoBates,AssociateJustice
EleanorShirley,MissNavajoNation2016-2017RondaJoe,ActingChiefJusticeAllenSloan,DelegateOtto
Tso,DelegateEdmundYazzie,DelegateTuchoneySlim,Jr.,DelegateRaymondSmith,Jr.,andDelegate
TomChee.
WINDOWROCK–MembersoftheLawandOrderCommitteeandseveralothermembersofthe
NavajoNationCounciljoinedactingChiefJusticeAllenSloananddozensofJudicialBranch
employeesonThursdayattheVeteransMemorialParkinWindowRock,tocelebratetheopening
ofthenewNavajoNationSupremeCourtAdministrativeOfficeoftheCourts,whichislocated
eastoftheparkinWindowRock.
CouncilDelegateOttoTso(TóNaneesDizi),amemberoftheLawandOrderCommitteewhich
servesastheoversightcommitteefortheJudicialBranch,sponsoredlegislationthatwas
unanimouslyapprovedbytheNavajoNationCouncilinJanuary,thatprovided$300,000fromthe
Nation’sUnreserved,UndesignatedFundBalancetoassistinthecompletionofthemodular
buildingsbyprovidingfundsforthedesigntheelectricalsystem,installationofanewwaterline,
concreteforsiteaccessandcurbing,asphaltforanaccessroad,andaparkinglot.
DelegateTsowasinvitedtospeakattheopeningceremony,whereheemphasizedthe
importanceofleadershipworkingtogethertohelpprovideefficientservicesfortheNavajo
people,addingthathewillpushfortheestablishmentofapermanentSupremeCourtfacility.
“WehavetoprovidethebestfacilitiesforourNavajoNationemployees,”saidDelegateTso.“It’s
longoverdue.”
AssociateJusticeEleanorShirleyprovidedtheopeningremarksandtouchedonthechallenges
thattheSupremeCourtstaffhavedealtwithforyearsasaresultofdilapidatedoffices,which
eventuallyledtohavingthestaffmembersrelocatetootherofficesduetomoldandotherissues.
Severalstaffmembershavealsobeenworkingoutofthehousingunitthatisdesignatedforthe
ChiefJustice,accordingtoShirley.
ActingChiefJusticeAllenSloanthankedtheExecutiveandLegislativeBranchesforsupportingthe
JudicialBranchandforworkingtogethertoaddressthedilapidatedfacilities.
“ThisisthefirsttimeinthehistoryofmyservicethatI’veseenthethreeadministrationswork
togetherlikethis,”saidChiefJusticeSloan,whoalsopresentedcertificatesofappreciationto
Councilmembers,VicePresidentJonathanNez,FacilitiesMaintenanceDepartmentmanager
MarcusTulley,andthemanyJudicialBranchstaffmemberswhohelpedcompletethefacility.
ChairoftheLawandOrderCommitteeCouncilDelegateEdmundYazzie(Churchrock,Iyanbito,
MarianoLake,Pinedale,SmithLake,Thoreau),thankedhisLOCcolleaguesfortheiradvocacyand
forpushingthelegislationtobeapproved.TheLOChasmadeJudicialBranchfacilitiesatop
prioritysinceitsmemberstookofficeinJanuary2015.
“ThisiswhatcanbeaccomplishedwhenwecollaborateandworktogetherandIaskthatwe
continuetodoso,”saidDelegateYazzie.
SpeakerLoRenzoBates(Nenahnezad,Newcomb,SanJuan,TiisTsohSikaad,Tse’Daa’Kaan,Upper
Fruitland)alsothankedChiefJusticeSloanforbringingtheissuetotheCouncil’sattentionandfor
supportingthelegislation.
“Today,westandheretogetherasaresultofDelegateTso’ssupportandadvocacy,”saidSpeaker
Bates.“IthankDelegateTsoandchairmanEdmundYazzieandtherestoftheLawandOrder
CommitteeforsupportingtheJudicialBranchandforpushingfortheCouncil’sapprovalof
fundingforthisnewfacility.”
NewlycrownedMissNavajoNation2016-2017RondaJoewasalsoinattendanceandsangthe
NationalAnthematthestartoftheceremony.
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