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In addition to the state and local elections on Tuesday the
Navajo Nation was heading to the polls to elect their tribal
representatives. As the largest federally
recognized tribe in the United States, the Navajo maintain their own government
which includes council representative, school
board members, and a president. It
is the presidential position which has been in the news over the past couple of
weeks.
Last week, the high court of the Navajo Nation ordered the
ballots for president be reprinted and the candidate Chris Deschene be
removed. This has been on ongoing legal
battle to determine Navajo presidential eligibility. According to the Navajo Constitution, those
seeking the office of president must be fluent in their native language. While some have testified to Deschene’s
ability to understand the language, he is not fluent.
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To the traditional Navajo, the ability of the president to
fluently speak their native language is critical to continuing on the rich and
deep culture of the Navajo Nation. To
others, the requirement is outdates and needs to be reconsidered given the lack
of emphasis on speaking Navajo in the education system for those who are now in
their 30s and 40s. Below is an article explaining
the issue
in greater detail…
Do you agree or disagree with the requirement to be fluent
in Navajo in order to be president?
Why? What role does language play
in our culture and is that role important?
I agree with the requirement to speak the Navajo language to become their leader. Having a leader not speak his people's language would feel alienating, an that would be absurd if Obama didn't speak or understand English. Language is a crucial part of a culture because it is how a people communicate and helps define a group of people. Having someone that would represent a culture that wasn't fully part of it would be awkward.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the requirement to be fluent in Navajo in order to be president. This is because if you get someone in presidency that isn't fluent, then he could take things the wrong way or not know what they mean. Language plays a huge role in our culture, we need to speak to one another, but today there is a lot of texting and this is how we communicate a lot of the time.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with the requirement to be fluent in the Navajo language because they probably want a leader that knows the people's language. If they didn't understand the language that might be awkward for the local people. It would be like our president speaking Spanish, we wouldn't like that at all. Language is a huge part of our culture, we have to speak the same one to talk to each other. If we didn't speak the same language, we couldn't communicate with each other at all.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with the requirement to fluently speak Navajo in order to be president; it's not unreasonable or anything. Speaking in a different language would take away the culture, which is crucial to a tribe. Language helps define who a person is, where they belong to, which is very, very important.
ReplyDeleteI do agree because if you don't speak fluently in you language than that means you are learning a different language and that you are not educated in that language. The language you speak shows your ethnicity and usually where you come from weather it is an accent or just your language.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the requirement to fluently speak Navajo to be president. It is important to have a leader that speaks their language because he needs to be able to communicate with them. Him being not fluent can make it hard to understand the needs of the people. He also might say something and could come out the wrong way. There langue is part of their culture. It would be like taking apart some of there culture and tradition.
ReplyDeleteI do strongly agree that the president must be able to speak Navajo. Not only will it help him communicate but will help him relate to the people more. Language hold many cultural traditions and customs held in the saying of word or use of words.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the president should be able to speak Navajo, but they don't have to be extremely fluent. I also agree with what Sarah White said: "it will let them really experience the of Navajo life."
ReplyDeleteLanguage is very important. If it was taken away, we would lose so much like a lot of other Native American tribes have. Language holds our cultures and traditions.
I agree 100%. I think that having their president not speak their fluent language would be like having the United States president not be able to speak English. The role language plays is the fact that we have to communicate with each other. If we didn't have an established languages no one would know who to talk to and nothing would be completed. I thought that it was horrible how people tried to force Navajo out of people that didn't do anything. Language is what makes a tribe a tribe, a country a country. Sure there is laws but they wouldn't be able to establish them if they couldn't speak the same language.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with the requirement to be fluent in Navajo in order to be president. I think that the Navajo language is a huge part of being the president of that tribe, and that the president has to be able to speak fluently in the language to be able to do a good job of running the tribe. I think that our language plays a crucial role in our culture because that helps us express ourselves and our emotions. I think that language is the first way to understand others. I think that the president of the Navajo tribe should have to be able to speak fluently in their language to become the president.
ReplyDeleteI agree that you should be fluent in Navajo in order to be president. I feel like when you speak the language, you connect more with the people. For example, all of our presidents have been fluent in English (as far as I know) in our country. If someone who didn't know the language very well and was running for office, I don't think we would feel as pleased to elect him/her. So for the Natives, since it's stated in their original laws, it should be required to know the Navajo language to be president. Language plays a big role in our culture and it's very important because we get to express our feelings, and communicate with people using our language everyday.
ReplyDeleteI agree that you should be fluent in navajo because it would make you more connected with your people. Also I think that he should have at least taken a class and not just blown it off and not even try. Another thing is that you could get understanding of the people and you would be able to understand there ideas. I think language take a huge role in culture because it is like and tradition at it is getting passed down generation to generation. Also that it it is kinda like who you are and your label.
ReplyDeleteWhen we elect officials to represent and lead a larger group of people, it is only natural to think they would be a model of the people they represent. So it makes sense that the president of the Navajo people should speak the native language. I agree wholeheartedly with that idea. Deschene, however, though not at all fluent, can comprehend the language. And while he may not speak the language, he does represent a lot of Navajo ideas; such as branching out to get an education, learning another language, and coming back to reservation to serve his people. Language isn't just the words we speak but it's also our own humor, expressions, and way of preserving our culture. Without a way to communicate, people would lose that connection to others that enables us to become a more unified group of people.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the leader should fluently speak navajo because they can express their culture with each other and be more connected. It would also be frustrating for the people that they can't directly communicate with their leader. Language is very important in our culture, its how we communicate. We couldn't express all of our feelings with each other and we would loss connection. Language brings people together because it we can talk to one another and be connected.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the leader should be fluent in Navajo because he will be able to be more connected with the people, he will be able to express himself better, and he can communicate better with the people. If he wasn't, it could be offensive to some because he would be alienated from them and he could say something that could be offensive to the Navajo tribe. Language is how we communicate and express ourselves in our community. We express parts of our culture in our language and it also connects us with our culture. Language unifies us as a whole and if we didn't have it, we wouldn't be able to connect.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the leader she be able to speak fluently in Navajo. That way he will be able to be connected to more people and express culture easily. Looking from someone who speaks Navajo's point of view, having a leader who couldn't speak your language would absolutely be difficult. Language is an important part of our culture and it helps us communicate as well as share our culture with others.
ReplyDeleteI agree that to be president you need to speak the people your overruling. If you don't your will most likely get impeached. If President Obama didn't speak English is would be the most awkward thing ever. When you speak the language you are part of the culture and when you are part of the culture you will be more liked by the people.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the idea that you need to speak the language to be the president of the tribe because you should need to be able to speak a native language to lead the tribe. It could be a good tool to get closer to the people. Language is important to culture because it shows an individual and groups by how they speak
ReplyDeleteI agree that the president should be able to speak Navajo fluentaly. Having a leader who did not speak their language is alienating and I think that it could cause problems if we do not repect their harratige. I think that he should have taken a class on Navajo language instead of compleatly blowing it off and not trying. Language lets people communicate. With out communication people become angree and can not help others
ReplyDeleteI agree with it because many of the people believe that it really expresses who you are and enables you to really help the experience of the people while you are president. Also the people feel like it is a part of who they are, or how it separates them from us. If the president could not speak the language the people would feel like he did not really live up to be the President. English plays a big role in our culture. First of all it enables us to speak to each other. Also being one of the hardest to learn it separates us from other cultures and shows who we as "Americans" really are.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the president should be able to speak Navajo. Having a leader who did not speak their language is alienating and I think that it could cause problems if we do not respect their heritage. I think that he should have taken a class on Navajo language instead of completely blowing it off and not trying. If not you are not even trying to be president.
ReplyDeleteI agree because I think that is very important to be fluent in your culture. It would be like the USA electing a president that only speaks Spanish. And only spoke some words in English, and he had to have a translator. Our language defines our country. That role is so important because that can wreck a whole culture, because everyone will have to learn that new language, and that can wreck the language of a culture.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with the rule. Why would you elect a cultural president who isn't fluent in that culture. That would be like electing someone who can't speak English in to office of the President of the USA. Language plays a big role in our culture. We all kind of have our own style and way we speak. This is what defines the language the most in our modern culture I think.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the rule because it is part of their culture, and the people want someone who can speak their cultures language. I think that it is important because they can relate better with someone who speaks the same language as them. Your language is part of who you are and your background so that is why it is very important.
ReplyDeleteIf you have a person who is meant to represent your "group" in every affair that happens, you would want that person to be one who spoke your own language. I think that if the Navajo's lost part of their culture due to the fact that they no longer spoke their own language, they would be very sad. Deschene should be able to speak Navajo if he wants to represent the Navajo people. Even if he does represent a better education for the children, they should be able to speak their native tongue. The Navajoes are losing their culture, and a new president to their people who isn't able to speak that language would represent that quite clearly. So yes, I do believe the Navajoes are justified, even though I'm sure Deschene meant the best.
ReplyDeleteI don't disagree with the fact that the president should be able to understand and speak enough Navajo for others to understand, however if a language is basically beaten out of you I think that just the fact that he tried so hard to relearn this incredibly difficult language is enough of a reason to partially exempt him from this rule. He did everything his nation wanted, even if, in doing so, he sacrificed something so incredibly important.Even so, the language is so very important to this culture that something like this is understandably difficult to overlook. In the link hearing that the Navajo don't want to fight for their culture anymore I feel terrible being part of the culture that beat it out of them. Never give up who you are
ReplyDeleteThe person who is running your tribe, should know the most popular languare, or the native language. But that doesn't mean you should depribe yourself of a good leader, just because they don't know your language. Lets be honest if you have a person who speaks spanish, but is a GREAT leader, or you could have a person who speaks english, but is an Ok leader, which would you have? Personaly where America has gone the last couple of years, I would be fine is we had a president that didn't speak english, but if he could help the country it would be worth it. Language is how we communicate, without language, non of use would be using the technology that we have today. If all of our Language dissapeared, and no one knew how to talk, we would be in a lot of trouble.
ReplyDeleteI believe that you shouldn't have to speak Navajo. If everyone says to go to get an education and learn English, Then why come back to your tribe and only speak Navajo to some elder people. the article says that most people and parents arn't even teaching their kids Navajo. Now i'm not saying that culture inst important, but what im saying is that the political officials shouldn't have to speak fluent Navajo. and on top of all of that it is very confusing. and I think that language effects the culture in many ways.
ReplyDeleteI do think the requirement for being fluent in the Navajo language is reasonable. I think that the person running your tribe should be able to speak the language of the people. I feel like things would be a lot less complicated without the translators and stuff in the way and I think the people could have a better connection with the people if they speak the language
ReplyDeleteI don’t agree nor disagree both sides have great reasons why the language matters or doesn’t matter. For example most people don’t want to lose the little culture they have and I respect that, but like one lady said in the article is that if a tribe wants a good president then he better be able to feel and taste the experience of everyday life as a Navajo. A reason why the language doesn’t matter is there are so many great leaders out there, but if you take them and narrow it down you will only have a few that have certain qualities of what you want. Like in this case they are putting down a great leader because of how he isn’t fluent in the Navajo language. I feel like thats a little unreasonable. Yes the people in their tribe should know their language, but does a great leader half too. I think not. Maybe people should know their language and try to learn another language instead of making their leader know the hardest language there is. I know people don’t want to lose their culture and their ways of life, but that doesn't mean they need to take a great person off the ballets.
ReplyDeleteIt is a little harsh, but I think that the president MUST be fluent in Navajo, if they are not it would be like saying that our next president is going to be someone that only knows half of our language, English. It just is not right. Language is something that is very, very important. Without languages there would be no communication. Also language is a major part of who you are. Language is a huge part of our lives and culture, just by hearing the words that come out of their mouth you can learn so much about that person, if we only had one language culture and people being special would plummet terribly.
ReplyDeleteI think that to be the president you need to know the language fluently. It is like if your running for president and you only speak bad English. Your about as good as a toddler in English is a bad combination for a president. You need to really care about the culture and language to be elected. If you respect both of those, then people respect you. Language is a large part of who you truly are. Just because you can kinda understand Navajo doesn't mean you really know the culture and I think that is unfair for the true people.
ReplyDelete