Navajo Elderly Denied Entry to Navajo Council During Protest of New Mining

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

WINDOW ROCK, Arizona -- Navajo elderly were refused entry to the spring session of the Navajo Nation Council today.

During a peaceful protest outside the Navajo Nation Council chambers, Dine' opposed new helium mining on the sacred Beautiful Mountain.

“We stand for protecting our precious Mother Earth; we do not want Mother Earth to be destroyed with more pollution from emissions and the potential of destroying the water supply," Dine' organizers said.

While Navajos are in need of water, the Navajo Nation Council plans the new mining and plans to give a half-million-dollar gift to a private Christian school.

Also today, Dine' lined up outside the tribal finance building in desperate need of funds. The Navajo government received $2.1 billion in federal virus relief funds from American Rescue Plan Act funds, but the Navajo government has failed to distribute those to Dine' in the 110 chapters in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

Thirty percent of Navajos live without running water. Sick and isolated Dine' elderly and family are calling out for help hauling water and getting food.

Now, 1,741 Navajos have died of COVID-19.

During today's protest, Dine' urged real solutions to climate change. They voiced the urgent need for support for sexual assault victims and urged support in the search for missing and murdered Dine'.

Navajo elderly were turned away at the door of the Navajo Nation Council spring session today.

During her live coverage, Dine'/Zuni Pueblo reporter Marley Shebala, was also turned away at the Navajo Council door. Shebala was told she "was not on the list." Shebala has been a reporter in the Navajo capitol for 40 years.

Read the full article at Censored News
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2022/04/navajos-protest-new-mining-and-voice.html

Censored News screenshots from reporter Marley Shebala's live video coverage.