Kalle Benallie and Amelia Schafer
ICT

NAVAJO NATION — Citizens on the Navajo Nation are going out to the polls to vote.

The 110 chapter houses — similar to a city hall and community center at the local level of the Navajo Nation government – allow voters to submit ballots to the Navajo Nation presidential elections and state county elections.

Lenora Y. Fulton, Navajo, who was formerly on the Navajo Nation election board and the Apache County recorder was at the St. Michael’s Chapter as a volunteer for the Curley Deschene campaign. She said she was there to educate voters about the Apache County ballot that contains eight propositions.

“I’ve always been involved in elections. But my parents, when I was a little girl, it was a very important day, when they went to vote. Kids had to stay home, but all the adults went to the chapter house and voted,” she said.

Fulton said she voted early and was volunteering since the early morning. The booth offered people popcorn, water and other snacks.

“You feed people. When somebody comes to visit you, offer them something, because people live a long ways. Some of them haven’t had a nice meal,” she said.

Patricia, Navajo, said she voted early but went to the St. Michael’s Chapter House to donate some cupcakes and sandwiches to the Edison Waunka campaign. He is a Navajo Nation Council delegate candidate.

She said she will watch the Arizona elections at home and is supporting Crystalyne Curley and Chris Deschene for Navajo Nation president.

“If she becomes president? Maybe things will change. Her and Deschene — things will change,” Patricia said.

Sandra, Navajo, was undecided at the St. Michael’s Chapter House for Navajo Nation but is a democrat. She said she’s most concerned about road infrastructure since she uses a back road in St. Michael’s to work every day.

“That road is just awful. It’s like a dirt road. There’s potholes and everything, and when it’s ice, it’s not safe, too. We’ve been trying to get that road fixed. I don’t know if we should start a petition,” she said.

Sandra said it’s very convenient for the chapter houses to have both the Navajo Nation elections and the state elections in one building.

“I think it’s a lot easier for some of us, ’cause we don’t — that way, you don’t have to travel here and there, or come here and there. Everything’s just right here. in one place,” she said.

Hlyan Lambert, Navajo, voted at Ft. Defiance Chapter House said he voted for Curley

“Navajo traditionals say ‘oh, it’s a men’s job.’ No, the way I was taught that it was a Navajo lady’s job to run everything in the household. This is our household so that’s how I voted,” he said.

Lambert added it’s convenient to have both elections at the chapter house.

“I missed my early voting, but I wasn’t here at the time, so I didn’t catch it. 
But coming in, a lot easier for me,” he said.

Dawn Yazzie, Navajo, said she voted early for the state elections but said she was still deciding on who to vote for in the Navajo Nation presidential election. She said she hopes the winner will focus on prenatal to eight-year-old children.

“We need to start prenatally with families and have them be in it throughout their early life. Provide better services, better healthcare, better childcare, better preschools,” she said.

She said it feels like there’s a bit of anxiety for the local and state elections but it’s exciting.

“I always do appreciate seeing different people and candidates just out. They’re putting in their own time, and our council delegate locally, bringing in wood from his truck. Seeing a leader, being a leader, doing things physically, to be a part of it. I appreciate,” Yazzie said.

Roman Cooke, Navajo, said he’s only voting in the Navajo Nation election and is voting for Curley to see a new change in the leadership.

“She does seem to answer questions more instead of blaming the opposition. I find that more palatable personally,” he said.

It’s his second time voting, where he voted for her in the primary and it’s his first time voting for Navajo Nation president.

He added that although he does care about the Navajo Nation election, he’s partially voting to stay a chapter member as it’s required to vote twice.

“Like, coal tickets, being able to pick up coal. Chapter house provides coal tickets. I can use that to warm my family. If I don’t have that that just makes things so much harder,” Cooke said.

FLANAGAN CASTS HER VOTE

In Minnesota, Anishinaabe Kwe Peggy Flanagan is running for Minnesota’s open U.S. Senator seat. Flanagan, White Earth Nation, cast her vote at 11:30 central standard time in St. Louis Park, Minnesota – a suburb of Minneapolis.

“My hope is that there are young Native people all across Indian Country who see that if Auntie Peggy can do it, they can too,” Flanagan said after voting. “Native women have been leaders since time immemorial and now we’re able to run, and my hope is to win, all across the country.”

Flanagan’s 13-year-old daughter, Siobhan, and husband Tom Weber joined her at the Wat Promwachirayan, Thai Sunday market to cast her ballot.

“For a really long time, we’ve seen that the Native vote can make a difference in electoral outcomes,” Flanagan said. “Thirty years later, we are now running for office and in many cases are frontrunners, and that gives me a tremendous amount of hope for our future.”

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