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- By Native News Online Staff
Happy Native American Heritage Month! Each November, Native American Heritage Month is celebrated in the United States. While many Native Americans like to say we celebrate being Native Americans year round, it the month present opportunies to reflect on our ancestors, history, and culture.
Here are some stories you may have missed this past weekend:
Navajo Nation Speaker Crystalyne Curley on Friday introduced legislation seeking the removal of President Buu Nygren and Vice President Richelle Montoya, citing alleged malfeasance, misfeasance, and breaches of fiduciary duty.
The legislation follows a formal ethics complaint filed Friday by Special Prosecutor Kyle T. Nayback in Navajo Nation District Court, accusing President Nygren of multiple violations of the Navajo Nation Ethics in Government Law. The complaint alleges misuse of government purchase cards, nepotism, falsification of documents, and directing staff to perform personal duties including childcare, cooking, cleaning, and managing personal bills.
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren on Saturday accused Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley of attempting to seize the presidency through a series of legal and legislative actions, including a newly filed removal bill and an ethics complaint lodged by the tribe’s special prosecutor. On Friday, Curley introduced legislation seeking the removal of Nygren and Vice President Richelle Montoya, citing alleged malfeasance, misfeasance, and breaches of fiduciary duty.
In a statement addressed to “My Navajo People,” Nygren said Curley’s actions — along with an ongoing lawsuit she filed against him — are part of “a deliberate effort by the Speaker to take for herself the Navajo Presidency.”
What the Seismic Shift in Indian Education Could Mean
Sadly, the 2018 U.S. Commission on Civil Rights’ “Broken Promises” report shows that the same proportional disparity remains for Native young men and women today. Doing the same thing and expecting different results is insanity.
Ninety-three percent of Native students attend public schools. Only seven percent attend Bureau of Indian Education or Tribal Grant Schools. While I do not support ending public education, tribal nations must consider that we have waited long enough for systems outside our control to succeed.
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