When Navajo Ben Shelly started his State of the Nation address, he asked for a moment of silence for the Navajo Code Talkers that passed away this year. And then he started his written speech. A few minutes into Shelly’s speech, Delegate Leonard Tsosie calls Point of Order and says that he can’t hear the president because of the people outside. Tsosie then goes on to say that “those people” outside have had more then enough time, about two hours, to talk. He then asks Speaker Pro Temp Bates to turn off the microphone of those people.

Those people are the Navajo people that traveled by horseback for several days and by vehicle for hundreds of miles from across the Navajo Reservation to their capital to voice their concerns to their Public Servants about the proposed Rangeland Management Act, which they oppose because of provisions regarding horse roundups and grazing permits.
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President Shelly has finished his State of the Nation address and now Delegate DUANE TSINIGINE, who was recently arrested and charged with theft and criminal damage, expressed concern to Shelly about the former Bennett Freeze residents, who are still waiting for housing.

DELEGATE NELSON BEGAY
Navajo Code Talker George James was selected for one of the homes that Shelly reported on and our community of Wheatfields-Tsaile has been having problems with that. Our local government has had to provide funding. The housing material are just sitting there because there are no laborers. We have tried talking with Navajo Veterans Administration Office and they won’t see us. So I ask you, Shelly, to meet with James and other local government officials.

DELEGATE KATHERINE BENALLY
i thot that when you, president shelly, vetoed legislation for the funding of a 5-year capital improvement projects but you approved $19 million for CIP. when we approved CIP,

DELEGATE EDMUND YAZZIE
Stand against uanium. We cannot let any drilling in our area. It will debastating. It is known in the world that we have the largest uranium spill. I ask you to stand against uranium. There is legislation for uranium. This is not a gripe session.

DELEGATE ALTON SHEPHERD
the people are concerned about how the horse roundups were conducted. there are reports of tribal officials confiscating horses that were in corrals and confiscating horses that are not ferral. And the proposed Rangeland Management Act has grazing provisions that assume that elders are incapable of properly managing the grazing permit. The people need a written report from you, Mr. President, about the horse roundups.