Letter to the editor: Language requirement changes require government process

Letter to the editor:

According to the Navajo Nation council delegates, the Navajo Nation constitution is a master document, the very important set of laws laying out the foundation of Navajo Nation democracy and the Navajo Nation rule of law. They emphasized that the Navajo Nation constitution does not grant us rights, but rather gives our government the power to protect those rights of the Navajo Nation sovereignty.

The Navajo Nation council delegates stress that the Navajo Nation constitution establishes the three branches of government and the system of check and balances that keeps any one branch from dominating. They believed the Navajo Nation constitution creates the framework for electing Navajo Nation leaders and limits their power. So the Navajo Nation people believe that the Navajo Nation constitution creates the Navajo rights that are the heart of the Navajo Nation democracy.

Whenever two-thirds of the Navajo Nation council delegates deem it necessary, they shall propose amendments to the Navajo language fluency in the Navajo Nation constitution, or on the application of the council delegates, two-thirds of Navajo chapters shall call a convention for proposing amendments to Navajo language fluency

In either case, both shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of the Navajo Nation constitution when ratified by three-fourths of the Navajo Nation delegates.

The consensus of the Navajo Nation delegates believed that the Navajo leaders, who framed the Navajo Nation constitution, wanted to make it difficult to change the Navajo supreme law of the Navajo land. They established two methods of amending the Navajo Nation constitution. Two-thirds of the Navajo Nation council delegates can petition the Navajo Nation council delegates for a Navajo Nation convention, but there have always been misgivings that a Navajo Nation convention might have the authority to go beyond the amendment on the table. If and when a full blown Navajo Nation constitutional convention would take place, three-quarters of the Navajo chapters would have to ratify an amendment for it to go into effect.

If Navajo Nation council delegates approve a Navajo language fluency in the Navajo Nation constitution, then three-quarters of the Navajo chapters must ratify before it changes the Navajo language fluency in the Navajo Nation constitution.

The idea of the Navajo Nation constitution in today's non-Navajo political landscape, it makes sense that we are in the midst of a Navajo cultural discussion about the rule of Navajo Nation law as it relates to the future of the Navajo language fluency, culture, value, identity and character.

Edward Litte

Tuba City, Arizona