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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 sort of agree and sort of disagree with this requirement to be fluent in Navajo in order to be president. On one hand, having a president who doesn't speak your native languages seems ridiculous. The president must be able to communicate to the whole of his/her people. And, a language is pretty much a direct lifeline to the culture itself. Without it's language, a culture becomes harder and harder to keep alive. For example, if everyone in the US stopped speaking English and started speaking 100 different languages, how likely would you be to still celebrate American holidays, like the Fourth of July? That is why the president should know at least a little Navajo, to keep the culture alive. But, on the other hand, the language is really hard to learn, and it is very difficult to become fluent in. I thing that the Navajo should change the rules so that the president should know at least a decent amount of the language, but not be completely fluent in it. Without Navajo, the culture fades, but with too much of it, no one will be able to run for president.
ReplyDeleteI think that you should really have to be fluent in the language that you govern. Imagine if President Obama or Governor Otter couldn't speak English that we'll! There would be no good communication and the nation would fall apart. Language also has the ability to help people communicate with each other. There would also be extreme miscommunication, like if Señora A. couldn't speak English? How would we learn Spanish?
ReplyDeleteI agree and disagree. I agree because the president needs to be well rounded and able to speak to the people. But at the same time if we make an exception for this language then other languages will say they deserve an exception. Then we will have a requirement that the president will have to speak 100 different languages. A language is like a wall outlet, people are the plugs. When we plug in, we have a spark. So language is the connector to culture and people.
ReplyDeleteNo because there the tribes will eventualy will really soon die out. I think language playes a huge role in mainly what we say and how we say it to other people. We live in American the language is english so I think That we should only know that and some of spanish. Language can change a persons life by learning a coupe of words that can make a person feel bad . Words can be ment for certain reasons and they can be good or bad reasons. The role of language plays a large role in dayly life.
ReplyDeleteI sort of agree with the requirement to be fluent in Navajo in order to be president because in order to be president that person should be able to speak in their people's language. I think language has a role in our culture because people of that specific culture should have a way of communicating with others of their culture, I thinks its important b/c having ur own language to speak in is like communicating in codes, not only is it cool its a way for ppl to be able to say things without others who don't speak their language to know.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is obviously important to know how to speak your tribes native language, but on the other hand, we know that Navajo is eventually going to die out. After our study on the death of a language, I know that there are many languages that will die out reasonably soon. But if you're not fluent in the native language-how are you supposed to be a good president? I think that it is mandatory for the leader to be able to speak the native language, and no matter how many degrees or political practice he has, it is almost rude to run for president while not being able to speak Navajo. There were people who were punished as young children for not being able to speak Navajo, and I think that no matter how he views it, it is so disrespectful for him to even run. But if the language is going to be gone soon, then why would it matter? I think it would matter because it is about the tribe right now, not 100 years from now, and that is why I think that it is very important for them to be able to speak Navajo, and so I agree with the tribe's decision to remove him from the election.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the requirement to be fluent in Navajo in order to be their president. I agree because if the president doesn't speak Navajo that is a sign that they don't really care about their culture. It also may create an idea to the people that he is representing that they can branch away from their culture. Eventually if they continue to branch away from their culture they may eventually lose it. The language is sometimes the root of the culture. So, if you lose your language then your culture may be lost too.
ReplyDeleteI am neutral because to a certain extent I agree to both sides of the conflict. Being fluent seems like something you would need to be a leader so you are able to communicate with the people of your tribe. On the contrary I do not think that you should be limited just because you are not fluent, as long as you know the basics you should be allowed to at least run. In the American culture (my culture) or in any culture I think language is important because it is a part of your culture it, in a way, defines who you are. Just like most different cultures have different beliefs and traditions they also have different languages. Language is a part of your identity and I believe it plays a huge part in who you are and what culture you belong to. After all to communicate with the people who have the same beliefs as you you need to have the same language.
ReplyDeleteI think that he should be fluent in the language. Language is who we are. You need to be like the people to lead them. He can't hire a translator to go around so he can have a fluent conversation with those who only speak Navajo. Language is part of the culture and a leader not speaking it is a big change. It is everything. Imagine is Obama didn't speak English or if Governor Otter only spoke Spanish. Not all people would understand them.
ReplyDeleteI think that not electing a new president just because he is not fluent in the language the people speak unreasonable, because he can easily learn the language in a matter of time. I can understand some people saying that he cannot be elected because he doesn't speak the language, and that he can't be president because he doesn't know the language of the country, but I believe that if he learns the language, he will be just as good of a president.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Avery in the sense that there needs to be a balance between speaking your people's language fluently and not knowing it at all. You need to know your people's language because understanding their cultural ideas and communicating with them comes with that. But, then again, if you only choose people who fluently speak your hard-to-know, dying language then you'll be left with very limited options as to who can and cannot run for president. Language is extremely important to a culture because it isn't just words; it's shared ideas and concepts of that culture. That is why no one can say "pass the salt" or "i love you" in Hebrew. Because even if there is a word for each of those words, when you string them together, they wouldn't make any sense because those concepts aren't present. The culture reside in and deeply nests in your language.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is important that the elected official for the Navajo Nation speaks fluently in their language if that is something that is important to the people living in that community. To me, it seems that language is a very important aspect of life for the Navajo people. It would be a shame if the person elected didn't follow by the things that are important to the people. As read in a previous article, if a particular language dies, then a large chunk of the culture dies along with it. Communicating certain ideas and concepts can only be done in the Navajo language, so it is important that the language is kept alive. On the other hand, I think that it is very important to know English, because the people will be able to communicate with the majority of the public if they can understand and speak English.
ReplyDeleteI think it is very important to have the president of a country speak the native language. I think, for example the Basque country is kind of falling apart b/c my family for example is loosing our culture. my grandma and grandpa both used to speak fluent but my grandma is loosing it, she can only sing songs, and my grandpa isn't loosing it b/c he goes to the Basque block every day to play moose. For my grandpa and grandma it wasn't important to teach there three children how to speak there native language. so the second generation lost it and the children to my ants and mom lost it so when my grandpa dies it will be very hard to keep it alive. so yes i strongly believe that a counties president should speak fluent in there native language!! Language has a huge part in culture, like a example isn't a good one bu an ok one, what do you think of when i say culture. I think skin color, rituals,LANGUAGE!!! so like if you come from a culture and you loose the language you loose a pile of importance in you background
ReplyDeleteI don't think that it is reasonable to have to be fluent in your native language to have a political position. I think that it is good to preserve a language but there might be people that would be best for the job as president of the Navajo Nation might not be fluent in the language. There is the problem that when a family doesn't decide to teach the children their language the disappears very quickly. But families can preserve a language they dont need the head of the government to do that. Language is an important part of culture because it is part of what makes a group of people unique.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't really agree with the requirement to be fluent in Navajo to be president because not that many people speak Navajo. In my opinion, if the people of the Navajo tribe want to understand what the president is saying they should learn how speak English unless they already know how. I think language shapes are culture because it helps dignify it as whatever culture it may be.
ReplyDeleteI think that you should have to speak Navajo because if you are the President of a Indian reservation you should have to know how to speak the language of the people living there and it will help you understand the people living there. I think that language is important because it helps with everyday life and without it all everybody would hear is gibberish. Another reason is that it helps keep their history and culture alive.
ReplyDeleteI think it that speaking your native language fluently as president is important because if you were to give a speech to the public and you needed to ask your vice-president to give your speech for you, that would be very embarrassing for the president. Also, it would be bad to not speak you native language because if you wanted to tell your secretary to donate 1/100 of your funds to building houses for the homeless, and he thought you said 1/10, that would be very bad. Language is also very important because when you speak your native language, you feel more connected to you home country or region.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think that its very important for the pres. to speak the native language because if he tries to say a speech and doesnt speak the native language then how will the native people know what he is saying... they won't. Language plays a very important role in our country because it can help you communicate with your friends and family if they speak a different language.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is very important for the president to speak fluent to speak the languages because it is who we are and if we don't speak that language we will lose our culture. If the president speaks in front of bunch of people and he doesn't speak that language how will the Native Americans know what he is saying and you might want know what he is talking about. The language that is important because if we don't speak that language we won't know who we are because we lost our culture.
ReplyDeleteI do agree and disagree with not letting someone rule your tribe, even if they don't fluently speak your language. I agree because in order for the tribe to stay together and unified, they need to be able to communicate, being fully understood, not just catching some of what they're saying. I also disagree because if he speaks the language, but not fluently, then he should be able to lead. Language is the reason that most thoughts turn into plans, and things get done. People would just being playing charades their whole life. If we don't speak a common language and communicate with one another, nothing would happen in the world. It is important because every single day, we use some form of language.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the president should have to be fluent in the language of his people. It is unreasonable to expect someone to know every word in their language though. People have different vocabulary varieties though. I think that if someone is really into being president, they will work hard at learning the language to meet the requirements. I do not get how someone can not be fluent in their native language if they grew up speaking it. Just like the United States requires the president to be born in the US.I think that they should have let the person run for president, because the people should get to decide their own future. They should all be aware that he is not fluent though. Language is a big part of everyone, but it should be their choice to loose it or not. Languages die out for a reason, and we should not try to go against that.
ReplyDeleteI agree and disagree, I personally think that the supporting evidence on either side of the argument is convincing. It is important that the youth knows about their culture, but we cannot totally isolate them from the modern world. I think the ruler of your country should be able to speak the language, its just common sense. Referring back to the Newsela article,"Our sacred language defines us as individuals and as a Nation'',( the justices said this when they removed Christopher Deschene from the ballot.) this statement is important because language defines who you are and it is unique. But I do agree -to a certain degree- that the leader of a group of people should speak their language. You also must look at the percentage of Navajos that speak Navajo, 30%. Thats less than half, this leads me to believe most Navajoes don't speak Navajo. After looking at this I'm inclined to believe that he - leader- shouldn't have to be fluent, but be able to carry a little conversation - as his grandmother says-. Then we get to a place where I compare this with our government and leaders-U.S.A-. In our government to is our own darn decision to have a leader who speaks English or whatever. This brings me to my final opion, the Navajo people should vote and then decide is Christopher Deschene should be able to run or not.
ReplyDeleteI think to be president of the Navajo you should be required to speak the language. I think that because it is important to their tribes culture and history of the tribe. If we elected a president in the U.S. I would want them to speak English and not Spanish or something. Language plays a big roll in our culture because we use it everyday and need it to communicate and learn and teach. It is important because we couldn't do lots of things without it.
ReplyDeleteI think that any president should speak the native language for the country. You should speak the native language because it is apart of the country. language is important in our culture because we have spoken it since people came from Europe, and if we all spoke a different language the nobody would understand each other. That is why it is important to speak the native language.
ReplyDeleteI think the president should speak navajo because it represents the country. Language is important because it ALLOWS individuals to speak their mind, and the masses unite as one.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the requirement that the president should be fluent in the Navajo language, because in my opinion, the president should know their culture and part of their culture is their language. The language we speak is very important because it's what makes us different and unique. We can't communicate with one another without it, so yes it's very important!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the requirement because if you are the president you need to know how to speak to your people. Language allows us to be different and many ways. It allows us to share thoughts, feelings, and emotions with other people.
ReplyDeleteI agree because not speaking your native language that is still used is unprofessional and in this case not allowed. There can be more languages in a country, you should always speak the native language. The role that language in our country is that most people speak English, not all people do though. We couldn't have a Japanese president, not enough people speak it.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that the leader of a country should know the language of the people there. Although, how do you tell if someone is fluent in a language. I think that the most important part is not being fluent in the language but rather being able to communicate and work with the people that you are leading, whether that means being "fluent" or not. I think that language plays a huge role in language. It is one of the ways that we communicate and talk about ideas, and as people being a part of one cultural group, these talents are necessary. The role in language is not the only way that people can communicate though. For example, many tribes communicate through dance or other body movements.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with having to know how to speak Navajo because while people were encouraged to go to school, they were discouraged to speak their language by their teachers and peers. In our society, language is culture and if you kill the language you kill the culture. So in that aspect I can see people being mad that their president doesn't speak Navajo but he may also do great things for the nation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the having to speak the language because its their national language. They do encourage the people to go to school to learn but the schools don't teach Navajo. But that doesn't mean that the guy should give up. He should take time to learn the language. If enough people talk in Navajo around him he will pick up the language pretty fast. If he learns the language he can follow the rules and be elected president. Language is culture in general but only if you have a national language. America doesn't have a national language so it doesn't mean anything to us. It just happens to be the language everybody speaks. A president has to be a inspiration of the people. But it doesn't say that the president of the U.S.A has to speak English he or she could speak spanish if he or she wanted to.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the requirement to know how to speak Navajo because language is who we are and that maybe the language is very important to them. They want someone who understands them and is like them, not just somewhat speak Navajo. In our society, language helps us communicate with one another and allows us to convey our feelings and thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI disagree because he could now speak another language, English, so now he could negotiate with other leaders or trade without a interpreter. He needs to brush up on his own Navajo because if he doesn't he won't be able to talk with his own people.How would we be able to do anything without language? We would all talk gibberish or not at all.
ReplyDeleteI agree because When you are a ruler or leader or something you have to knwo what their kanguage i and how they spek it. If he gets questions in Navajo then he wont be able to speak to them or give them an answer. You need to be smart when you are a leader because if something comes up you need to know what to do and you need to knwo how to do that. i thinkk that language is a special role in our culture because if we didn't have language than we would't be able to communicate with each others and we would be considered zombies. :) I don't think that language is not part of cluture because culture is our eliefs and a bunch of other things similar to that and we couldn't even be able to talk to each other about what we believe in and why we believe in that. We couldn't be able to grow and have different parts of the world that speaks all kinds of different languages.
ReplyDeleteI disagree and agree to some of the things this article says. I do think that it is important to speak the Navajo language as a president because it was in the rules. I don't really know why Chris Deschene is trying if the rules specifically say you have to speak fluent Navajo. Also I think if Chris is qualified and he is very good they should vote him in. Language plays a major role in culture because it kind of brands you. I know there are many people who speak different languages but you will be able to tell which is their main language. That role is major important because its how we communicate to each other.
ReplyDeleteI do agree in a way. I think it would be better to speak the language of the place you are running for but I don't think if you don't know the language you should be kicked out of the elections. If Chris knew the ruled it his own fault for not getting in. People have mixed feelings about language they say it doesn't matter if we keep our native language we can speak what ever language is mostly used. Other people say you have to know the native language but you don't have to speak it all the time.
ReplyDeleteI think the president should have to speak his native language. It is kind of an awkward communication barrier when that happens. I think it helps the people feel like their 1 nation of one main language. And plus- if your president doesnt speak navajo,then why should you? Those could be some of the thoughts coming from someone. And that is not good at all.
ReplyDeleteI would go both ways because he should speak his native language because its his culture and defines who he is, in a way. But also if he's smart and caring to everyone then yes I think he should be president. Language is an important role in our culture because it shows are past and its how we communicate with others.
ReplyDelete