
- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
MICHAELS, Ariz. — A national discount chain store on the Navajo Nation has filed an application to sell alcoholic beverages, despite opposition from the Tribe’s leadership.
Family Dollar in St. Michael’s, Ariz. has applied for the license. The local governing body, Apache County supervisors, would be able to recommend to the Arizona Liquor Board to either grant or deny the liquor license.
On Tuesday, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez issued a letter to the Arizona State Liquor Board and the Apache County Board of Supervisors that strongly opposed Family Dollar’s notice of application to sell alcohol.
“This application poses a direct threat to the health and safety of the residents of St. Michael’s Chapter and the entire Navajo Nation,” Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer wrote. “Our Navajo People have a long, ongoing battle with alcohol and the devastation that alcoholism causes to our families and communities. Consumption of alcohol has contributed to increased incidence of domestic violence and other criminal activity, motor vehicle fatalities, and deaths caused by exposure to extreme weather conditions. We cannot stand by and allow this liquor license application to go unchallenged.”
Nez and Lizer said they would encourage Navajo citizens to boycott of Family Dollar stores if Family Dollar continues to pursue liquor licenses in the Navajo nation communities.
“Our Navajo people are the primary customers that contribute to all of the revenue of these businesses. If Family Dollar continues to pursue liquor licenses in our communities, we strongly encourage our Navajo people to boycott these stores — they are taking advantage of our consumers. We demand that Family Dollar withdraw their applications for liquor licenses,” President Nez said.
More Stories Like This
Lawsuit Filed by Fort Belknap Indian Community Against Greenberg Traurig, LLP Reads Like a Movie ScriptSpecial Edition Native Bidaské: Oglala Composer Mato Wayuhi
Ho-Chunk Trucker Spreads MMIP Message, Offers Safe Haven from Domestic Violence
Native News Weekly (September 24, 2023): D.C. Briefs
Assemblyman Ramos Honored with Award for Long Service to California Native American Commission
Native News is free to read.
We hope you enjoyed the story you've just read. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps. Most readers donate between $10 and $25 to help us cover the costs of salaries, travel and maintaining our digital platforms. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to join the Founder's Circle. All donations help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.