FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2016
MEDIA CONTACTS
Jared Touchin (928) 221-9253
Jolene Holgate (928) 380-4174
Crystalyne Curley (928) 286-7918
[email protected]
UtahTribalLeadersaddresstheprotectionofNativeAmericanchildren
WENDOVER,Utah–OnMonday,UtahtriballeadersgatheredinthecommunityofWendover,
Utahtodiscussissuesthatwouldaffecttribesatthestateandnationallevel,suchastheIndian
ChildWelfareActandvotingissuesthatincludesinefficientpollingsitesandalackoflanguage
interpreterstoaidnon-EnglishspeakingNavajopeopleinSanJuanCounty,Utah.
CouncilDelegateDavisFilfred(MexicanWater,Aneth,Teecnospos,Tółikan,RedMesa)attended
themeetingonbehalfoftheNavajoNationandconveyedsupportforaproposedresolutionby
theUtahtriballeadersbodytosendapositionstatementtoUtahGov.GaryHerbertregardingthe
state’slackofconsultationeffortswithUtahtribesconcerningtheplacementofNativeAmerican
childreninnon-NativeAmericanfosterhomes.
“Wehaveenduredalotofthings.Irememberhearingfromouroldfolksthattheyweretaken
fromtheirhomes,soIknowthehardshiptheyhavefelt.Itisimportantforanativechildtostay
withtheirpeoplebecausetheyneedtobeexposedtotheirlanguageandculture,”saidDelegate
Filfred.
DelegateFilfredofferedamotiontosupporttheresolutionandtoactonthepositionstatement
asanactofsolidaritybetweenalltheUtahtribes.UTLmembersvotedunanimouslytosupport
theresolution.
AccordingtoUTLchair,VirgilJohnsonwhoservesasthechairmanoftheConfederatedTribesof
theGoshutereservation,theresolutionwouldbesignedbyallmembersoftheUTLandsentto
Gov.Herbert’sofficeandthestate’sjudicialcourtsystem.
“WearecallingonthestateofUtahtohaveameaningfulconsultationwith[Utah]Indiantribes
whenIndianchildrenareremovedfromtheirhomes.Thiswillbepresentedtothegovernorand
thecourtsystemtoestablishthetribes’stanceonICWAcases,”saidchairmanJohnson.“Weare
nolongerstandingbackandlettingthestatesandthefederalgovernmentdictatetouswhatthey
want.”
JohnsonsaiditwasimportantthatmembersoftheUTLcontinuetoreinforcetribalsovereignty
andself-determinationtoensurethatthefederalgovernmentisheldtotheirtrustresponsibility
totheUtahtribesandaddresstheirconcernsregardingongoingICWAcases.
DelegateFilfredalsoprovidedareporttotheUTLregardingissuesfacingUtahNavajo,suchas
votingballotconcernsintheSanJuanCountythatoccurredduringtherecentgeneralelection.
“WehavecurrentissueswithSanJuanCounty,Utahregardingthevotingballotandredistricting
issues,aswellasthelanguageontheballots.ThestateofUtahalsodeniedNavajopeoplethe
righttovotebynotreopeningpollingstations.Somepollswereopened,buttherewereno
interpretersandtheyranoutofballots,”saidDelegateFilfred.
HeaddedthatthereweremanyNavajovoterswhodonotspeak,read,orwritefluentlyinthe
EnglishlanguageandinterpreterswerenotprovidedtoadequatelyassistNavajocitizens.
DelegateFilfredsaidsomeofthelanguageontheballotswastoocomplexforsomeNavajovoters
tocomprehendintheEnglishlanguage.
DelegateFilfredalsoreportedthataproposedtwo-storyhealthcarefacilitywouldbeconstructed
inthecommunityofMontezumaCreek.HeaddedthattheNationiscurrentlyseekingadditional
externalfundingtobeginconstructionofthefacility.
AttheconclusionoftheUTLmeeting,membersprovidedreportsfromtheirrespectivetribal
nations,anddiscussedarecommendationtopassanadditionalresolutiontosupporttherightof
NativeAmericaninmatestoreceiveaccesstoadequatehealthcareandspiritualservices,which
wouldbeconsideredatthenextUTLmeeting.
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