Navajo Council Delegate Leonard Tsosie says referendum on Navajo language fluency presidential candidate requirement would create “disharmony.”

Council continues debating Legislation No. 0289-14: Relating to Law and Order, Naabik’iyati’, and the Navajo Nation Council; Amending Language Fluency Requirements of the Navajo Nation Election Code at 11 N.N.C. §8(A)(4) (Office of President/Vice President), §8(B)(8) 5 (Office of Council Delegate), §8(D)(2)(c) (Land Board) and §8(D)(3)(e) (Farm Board)
(Sponsor: Honorable Lorenzo Curley)

DELEGATE LEONARD TSOSIE
Delegate Nelson Begaye asked if this requirement would be in place for new interim president. Yes. But the current language is much stricter. We want to encourage Navajo language. I believe that every Prsident will learn navajo language because you have to speak Navajo. as i understand it, fluency is the flow of the language that comes out of your mouth. like water, there is slow, intermediate. but supreme court set standard based on individual. we never set standard. my proposed language is like a mini-referendum to decide. if make referendum, we would create disharmony. do we really need to do that?

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