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Navajo Nation Washington Office
Wááshindoon Weekly
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Executive Director's Corner | |
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Yá’át’ééh
In June, President Biden signed into law a two-year extension for the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). The extension allows for continuation of benefits for impacted miners This week the NNWO organized a series of events to welcome a delegation of post –1971 uranium miners who traveled to DC from Eastern Navajo Agency. The intent of their visit is to visit members of congress and seek their support for H.R. 5338 and S. 2798. These bills would extend eligibility for compensation and medical benefits to post –1971 uranium miners and expand the area of coverage for downwinders.
SCOTUS issued two important opinions this week regarding the second amendment protections and a woman’s right to an abortion; New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn., Inc. v. Bruen, and Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. In addition, Congress has taken steps to address many of the recent concerns regarding public safety and gun control through the passage of a bipartisan bill known as the Safer Communities Act (S. 2938).
Lastly, a non-profit organization known as the Horse Plus Humane Society provided no cost services to over 200 horses on the Navajo Nation. With inflation and limited veterinary services, horse owners benefitted from these much-needed services.
Enjoy this week’s Wááshindóón Weekly. Be well.
Ahéhéé
Lashawna R. Tso
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NNWO Welcomes Miners
for RECA Impact Week
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Left to Right: Navajo Nation Council Delegate Amber K. Crotty, Nora Begay – Wife of Leslie Begay, Former Uranium Miners Tommy Reed (back) Phil Harrison (Center), Leslie Begaye (Front Center), Marie Kirlie (Front Right), Lenora Garcia – Daughter of Marie Kirlie (back right), NNWO Executive Director Lashawna Tso. Photo courtesy of NNWO. | |
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Over the last few weeks, the Navajo Nation Washington Office has reported on the progress of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act with the most recent update being the approved extension that allows for a continuation of benefits under the current program to July 2024 versus the original sunset date of 2022.
New scientific data has emerged demonstrating a link between radiation exposure to additional cancers and adding areas previously not included in the original RECA bill providing justification to extend eligibility and benefits to many others who were impacted by the government’s uranium mining activities during the Cold War era.
Currently RECA benefits are only available to those affected pre-1971 and compensation is only granted to downwinders of the Nevada test site in several specified counties in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. Tests were conducted in New Mexico (Trinity) and in the Pacific, which calls for an expansion of the current bill.
This week a delegation of impacted post-1971 uranium miners, led by Navajo Nation Council Delegate Amber K. Crotty and Phillip Harrison, Jr. of the Navajo Uranium Victims Committee, traveled to Washington DC to participate in an event coordinated by the Navajo Nation Washington Office, the Union of Concerned Scientists, Hobbs Straus Dean and Walker LLP, and other coalition partners.
RECA Impact Week allowed for post 1971 uranium miners to engage with media to share their stories raising the profile of the issue. In addition, miners and their family members were able to speak with members of Congress and their staffs to educate them on the issue and share their personal experiences working in the mines, noting the lack of safety equipment and warnings of the dangers of radiation exposure. Over the span of two days, the delegation was able to meet with 14 congressional offices advocating for RECA Amendments of 2021 (H.R. 5338 and S.2798).
Delegate Crotty urged members of Congress to fulfill their Federal trust responsibilities by providing redress to post 1971 workers and emphasized that the Federal government has a shared responsibility with the mining corporations for the adverse medical complications experienced by post-’71 miners as a result of failed enforcement of the Mine Safety and Health Act. During much of the post-1971 mining period regulations specifically required mining companies to record in-mine exposures to gamma radiation and radon and radon progeny for each worker--and to report those exposures to a centralized database. Past review of records from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health showed that no exposure information was reported prior to 1983 when most mines on the Colorado Plateau had closed. The lack of data inhibits a complete understanding of the health status of post-'71 workers and makes it difficult to calculate exposure time of miners.
Delegate Crotty and Mr. Harrison were accompanied by other impacted miners including Tommy Reed of Shiprock NM, Leslie Begay of Church Rock NM, and Marie Kirlie also from Church Rock NM. Earlier this year, Leslie had undergone a double lung transplant which he told members of Congress “is a constant struggle” and that he now suffers due to negligent policy enacted by the government in the interest of national security. Leslie was accompanied by his wife Nora. Marie was accompanied by her daughter Lenora who spoke on behalf of impacted families highlighting the heavy emotional and financial burdens experienced as a result of radiation exposure “We have to drive almost three hours one way just to see a specialist,” she said.
Leslie highlighted the Navajo people's patriotism and contribution to the United States alluding to the victory of the allied forces during WWII through the utilization of the Navajo language to transmit “unbreakable coded messages” across the battlefield.
The event ended with positive feedback from members of Congress and staffers, which has presented an opportunity for NNWO to continue working with our coalition partners to push support for the expansion of RECA. NNWO invites staffers from the Hill to learn more about RECA issues and encourages other advocacy groups to join in efforts to strengthen the legislation.
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Congress Passes First Major Gun Bill in
Nearly 30 Years
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The new gun legislation hopes to prevent mass shootings like the one that took place in Uvalde Texas at Robb Elementary School. Photo courtesy of CNN.
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Today Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S.2938) as a direct response to a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas last month that killed 19 children and two teachers, less than a week after an attack in Buffalo, New York killed 10 people at a supermarket. This represents the first major piece of legislation aimed at reducing gun violence in nearly 30 years.
This bill focuses not on the types of weapons typically used in mass shootings, but on who has access to guns. Some of the provisions include stricter background checks for purchasers under the age of 21, requiring authorities to examine juvenile records going back to when the purchaser was 16, including any mental health records that might indicate the purchaser could pose a risk to society. The law also provides millions of dollars to the states as an incentive to adopt “red flag” laws, or laws that allow law enforcement to temporarily confiscate guns from an individual who is deemed too dangerous to own them. The law also provides money for mental health programs across the country and tightens the rules people convicted of domestic violence from purchasing guns.
The legislation at its core is a compromise. It has been criticized by Democrats for failing to reduce the types of weapons that are available in the country including automatic and semi-automatic weapons and high capacity magazines. It’s been criticized by Republicans for infringing on Second Amendment rights, and in particular punishing innocent people who have not committed a crime, as many red flag laws can lead to guns being confiscated on the basis of a false accusation without a criminal conviction. But with the country in shock over the particularly lethal events of the last few months, members of both parties agreed that anything was better than nothing. The greatest hurdle was the Senate, but with the help of moderate negotiators, including Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), a bill was written that garnered 15 Republican votes, including Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The House vote passed with 14 Republican votes, but Republican leadership was much more vocal in their opposition.
This legislation is significant as one of the first school mass shootings in the United States took place in Indian Country. Last week President Nez sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging them to pass legislation that would help alleviate public safety concerns in Navajo Nation schools. Public safety has been a growing concern for years. The problem is particularly acute in the schools, as response times would be likely be long, given the remoteness of our schools. Anything that can help prevent an incident in the first place could greatly benefit Navajo children.
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Supreme Court Issues Decisions
Dividing Public Opinions
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This week the Supreme Court issued 11 new opinions, two of which caught national attention immediately.
The first opinion, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, inc v. Bruen, dealt with a New York state law that gave the state officials considerable discretion in deciding when to issue a concealed carry permit. Justice Thomas issued a 6-3 opinion, joined by all of the conservatives on the Court. His argument focused primarily on the history of the Second Amendment and laws restricting weapons in the United States, to which Thomas concluded, allowing discretion to the state official as to whether a permit should be issued violates the history and intent of the Second Amendment. Notably the Court rejected a two-part test that had been applied uniformly by courts across the country since Heller affirmed a right to self defense as being fundamental to the Second Amendment. The test asked whether a regulation affected a right contained within the original scope of the Second Amendment, and if so, whether it was fine-tuned to advance a public interest. This approach in other contexts is often referred to as “strict scrutiny.” The dissent, written by Breyer, called for maintaining the two-part test, and noted that the case came before the Court without a full evidentiary hearing. It is not clear from the record whether New York officials ever abused their discretion in giving out concealed carry permits, and if they hadn’t, it would be wrong for the Court to rule on the issue. Commentators immediately questioned the effect of this case on the bipartisan gun control law that Congress voted on this week.
The other major opinion that came out this week was Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This case clearly and unequivocally overturned Roe v. Wade, leaving the decision of whether or not a state can restrict a woman’s right to an abortion up to the state. The result immediately drew criticism by the Biden Administration, which has vowed to do everything in its power to push back against the result. Conservatives have long hoped for this day, and getting enough pro-life justices onto the Court to secure this outcome has been a campaign promise of Republican presidential candidates for decades. Accordingly many states had already passed laws banning most abortions that would go into effect as soon as it was deemed legal by the Supreme Court. Twenty-six states are expected to ban the majority of abortions almost immediately. This is an issue that has long divided Indian Country, with many looking down on the government attempting to control the lives of Native women, and others seeing even the unborn child as sacred life that needs protecting. The one thing that is certain, is this outcome will lead to increased debates at the state and Tribal levels to determine when abortions will be permitted and where.
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Navajo Non-Profit Receives Grant to
Provide Equine Care
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An equine dentist works on a Navajo horse. Veterinary services are expensive and hard to come by on most parts of the Navajo Nation. Photo courtesy of ARQ. | |
Horses on the Navajo Nation and the people who love them benefitted this week from a grant from Horse Plus Humane Society based in Hohenwald, TN to Navajo Nation-based animal welfare organization Animal Rez-Q Inc. Almost 200 horses received dental and hoof services, vaccinations, and deworming. Almost 50 were gelded and all of it was at no or low cost to the owners when the two organizations teamed up with fourth-year veterinarian students from Midwestern University in Glendale, AZ and Horse Plus veterinarians, equine dentists, farriers, and volunteers.
Glenda Davis (Tabaaha, Ashiini, Kinyaa’aanii, and Todichinii’nii) managed the Navajo Nation Veterinary and Livestock program for 30 years before heading up NN Animal Control for three years and retiring in 2020 to devote all of her time to managing Animal Rez-Q, Inc. (ARQ), which she founded in 2014. The organization has been working to provide low cost spay/neuter, vaccinations, deworming, and microchipping to dogs and cats on the Navajo Nation and surrounding Native communities along with services to livestock owners. The've partnered with the Office of the First and Second Ladies of the Navajo Nation, Red Rover, and others, as well.
The five-day program helped horse owners receive services close to home and empowered veterinary students to be able to work with large animals in mostly non-clinical settings. ARQ and the Horse Plus team traveled to Ganado, the Hopi Vet Clinic, Kayenta, Shiprock, and Fort Defiance to bring services to places where often the closest available veterinary services require drives of two or more hours.
Ganado resident, Marie Shepherd brought two horses to the event. “I’m really appreciative of the group that came together to provide these services to us locally. With (the prices of) everything going up, it really helps to get services for our animals that they really need…I know some of what we got here is very expensive if you were to go out to a regular vet clinic.”
There is a critical shortage of large-animal veterinarians nationwide, especially in Indian Country. Horse owners sometimes try to geld thier horses in ways that often prove fatal because they can’t afford or do not have access to proper vet services. Navajo pre-vet school student Hailie Cohoe volunteered to help at the event and under the direction of Horse Plus veterinarians had the opportunity to perform the surgery in a humane, clean, and safe environment. She did her first castration, dental, and hoof work. Cohoe commented on the need for horse castration and other veterinary services on the Navajo Nation because of the over population of animals and the impact it has on the land and the animals. “Out here the studs are just over populating…there’s no water, no vegetation, there’s nothing to eat, so they’re just starving.”
The program had broad support and prior to it’s beginning, participants received a blessing from traditional Medicine Man Harrison Jim who reminded staff and volunteers about how sacred the horse is in Navajo culture and people’s responsibility to provide good care. Glenda Davis who spearheaded the effort commented, “This was an amazing grant that we were able to receive and it’s really going to help our people.”
To learn more about the program and to see video of the services and hear the voices of participants, please click here.
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Additional News and Updates | |
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Notice of Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Quarterly Business Meeting
Notice is hereby given that the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation will have its quarterly meeting on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 from 1:30pm to 4:30pm EST. The meeting will be held through videoconferencing and a recording will be made available afterwards.
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Applications for New Awards;
Education Research and Special Education Research Grant Programs
The Department of Education is issuing notice inviting applications for new awards for FY 2023for the Education Research and Special Education Research Grant Programs. The applications will be available starting June 30, 2022.
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Legal Services for Homeless Veterans and Veterans At-Risk for Homelessness Grant Program
The Department of Veterans Affairs issues this rule implement a new authority requiring the VA to award grants to eligible entities that will provide certain legal services for homeless veterans and veterans at risk for homelessness. This new grant is within the continuum of VA's homeless services programs. This interim final rule is effective July 1, 2022. Comments be received on or before August 1, 2022.
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Applications for New Awards;
Indian Education Discretionary Grants Programs - Native American Language Program
The Department of Education is issuing notice inviting applications for fiscal year 2022 for Indian Education Discretionary Grants Program - Native American Language program. The deadline for notice of intent to apply is July 5, 2022.
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Recycling Education and Outreach; Grant Program and Model Recycling Program Toolkit
EPA is developing and implementing several new programs as directed by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The EPA is seeking information about effective strategies to reach consumers and encourage them to engage in activities that reduce the generation of waste, improve effective recycling and reduce contamination in the recycling stream. Written comments are due on July 25, 2022.
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"Grow With Us"
Gardening for Beginners
Ongoing through
September 28, 2022
The Fort Defiance Indian Hospital Board, Inc. Public Health Nutrition presents "Grow With Us" Gardening for Beginners. The program will provide a step-by-step process of starting a garden at home.
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ONNSFA Application Deadline
June 27, 2022
The Office of Navajo Nation Scholarship and Financial Aid Application deadline to apply for the 2022-23 Academic Year is on June 27, 2022.
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For more information on the information provided in this newsletter, please contact NNWO at info@nnwo.org.
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