Navajo Nation President Endorses Hillary Clinton for President; Says Trump Will Not Respect

[KamaAina]

Tribal Sovereignty

http://nativenewsonline.net/currents/navajo-nation-president-endorses-hillary-clinton-president-says-trump-will-not-respect-tribal-sovereignty/

Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye has endorsed Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, and urges Navajo citizens to support her, as well. According to the 2010 Census, the Navajo Nation is the most populated tribe in Indian Country. President Begaye also urged other tribal nations to endorse Clinton....

Here is the text of President Begaye’s endorsement that was released late Friday:
Yá’át’ééh Shidine’é,...

With this in mind, I do not feel Donald Trump will respect our tribal sovereignty and will set harmful precedents for federal Indian policy. Mr. Trump has funded advertising campaigns that falsely accused Indian gaming of being involved in organized crime and drugs. He has also supported using the power of the federal government to deny tribal sovereignty. I have serious concerns about whether Mr. Trump would honor our inherent tribal sovereignty and respect our treaty with the United States. Finally, I cannot stand by any candidate who denigrates and belittles women as Mr. Trump’s actions have shown....

I wholeheartedly endorse Hillary Clinton for the office of President of the United States. I encourage the electorate of the great Navajo Nation to review both candidates’ records and join me in this support. I also encourage other Indian Nations to support her as well.

This is YUGE! It could flip AZ!!

[saltpoint]

1. Strong statement, excellent points.

I suspect that Mr. Begaye is correct in his assessment of Donald J. Trump.

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. kick

[MisterFred]

3. I'm fairly ignorant here...

But don't the Navajos generally vote Democratic? (Doesn't seem like a reason the state would flip.)

[KamaAina]

8. Could help boost turnout

which, I imagine, is normally fairly low, as in most low-income areas.

[tawadi]

4. Hope it helps Clinton. nt

[Feeling the Bern]

5. When I was in Grad School at NAU and worked in the Native American office

Since there was no Hillel (father is Jewish, mother is a converted Jew and a Tuscarora), the Navajo were some of the sweetest people on the planet. Always smiled, always helpful, kindhearted. . .just amazing people. In contrast, the Hopi I met were just rude and constantly told me that I wasn't native American (because I took after the German side of the family, my younger brother looks like my mother) and told me that Iroquois were "fake Indians."

I remember an instance when my friends and I were going to take a road trip and we went to the Little America before we left. As we went to the fuel/truck stop to pay, these two Navajo girls I knew (undergrads) walked in to buy a few things and get something to eat before they headed back up to Tuba City. They were speaking Navajo to each other.

This big, fat, hairy, disgusting Grizzly Adams wanna-be with a "the south shall rise again" confederate flag shirt (with the sleeves cut off) waddled his fat ass up to these girls who were doing nothing and barked "speak English or go back to where you come from." Not missing a beat, I popped up (since I knew these two ladies personally) and said "their families were here while yours were pulling bones out of their noses in Europe!" He muttered something about Mexico and I lost it. I flipped my shit, screaming ”they are fucking Navajo, shitkicker. And if you are good Christian, do what Jesus did. Be Jewish like me!"

After the horse's ass left to go back to his big rig, I turned to the ladies and apologized for getting into their business. She just shook their heads and one told me she was used to it because the schools forced them to speak only English and they would be punished for speaking Navajo. This was in 1999. 17 years later, it's still the same. . .with Heir Trumpengroper!

[Cha]

6. Mahalo to Russell Begaye!

Thank you, KamaAina~

[denbot]

7. Ah Ho!

K&R