Tsosie says government must change from within

WINDOW ROCK

Applicant for president Leslie Tsosie reported improve in the Navajo Nation govt has to come from the “inside out,” with a return to traditional values and management and managing all Diné with respect.

“I imagine everyone would like to do a little something to convey our Nation again with each other again,” explained Tsosie. “I feel we need to have to glance at our individual leadership very first and take care of that right before we can repair something else.”

If elected president, Tsosie stated her focus will be to serve the men and women by encouraging to convey prosperity and wellness to all citizens of the Country.

“I want to see all Diné are living a good, at ease daily life,” said Tsosie, who is from Standing Rock, New Mexico.

Tsosie reported she will be a superior leader simply because she is agency, sincere, has a “big heart,” and will get the job done tough for the men and women.

She stated almost everything she has established her brain to get finished in her daily life she has achieved.

In addition, Tsosie has a diverse track record and skill set to present together with working experience in organizational management, tribal community arranging and improvement, instruction programming, environmental means organizing, general public relations and communication outreach.

With her management expertise, Tsosie suggests she is familiar with how to bring folks jointly to resolve issues.

“I feel that people like that I hear,” she reported. “There’s no way I alone can do anything at all without having everybody’s aid.”

Between her expert positions, Tsosie has labored as an academic advisor and investigate assistant at Navajo Technological University and a program assistant for the Indigenous Wellbeing/Wellness Start Software and the Phoenix Indian Center.

Wind, photo voltaic electric power

Amongst her priorities, Tsosie would like the Nation to spend extra in all-natural renewable vitality sources such as wind and photo voltaic, to assist diversify revenues and broaden significantly-necessary electric power and electrical services to the Navajo people.

She also wants to cut down the crippling paperwork and laws when it comes to land-use management on the Country.

She stated she will do the job with the recent U.S. Office of the Interior to discover a way to return U.S. governing administration rely on land back again to the Navajo individuals unencumbered.

Tsosie intends to bolster education and learning methods and expand programs and solutions for youth, numerous of whom have dropped faith in the Navajo Nation governing administration.

“I believe in the long term technology,” said Tsosie. “We have to have to trust them and hear to them. Energy has to be manufactured to realize younger people and have compassion for them.”

But, very first and foremost, as president Tsosie would commence improving shopper provider for Diné citizens by Navajo federal government departments and workplaces, like via better communication and facts-sharing.

“I’ve worked in buyer company,” explained Tsosie. “We simply cannot be dealing with our men and women like ‘nobody.’”

“There’s no professionalism at all to even support the persons,” she claimed. “We are shoppers of our possess land – they really should address us much better.”

She reported how the American Rescue Approach Act COVID-19 restoration cash have been dealt with is a very good instance of how the folks are not furnished the info they need or dealt with with the regard they are entitled to.

“It’s nonetheless a large hardship for these men and women who have not acquired their funds,” she claimed. “They really don’t comprehend why. They never get answers.”

Honest selecting techniques

Tsosie wishes to grow accessibility to work possibilities for experienced applicants and do the job on making absolutely sure fairness in using the services of techniques and insurance policies are adopted.

She said she knows several persons who did what they ended up advised to do, like heading to get an training off-reservation, but when they try to arrive property with their qualifications and utilize for positions they are rejected, which is devastating.

“That’s what our Chief Manuelito claimed,” she said, “‘Go get your education and learning, arrive house, enable your men and women.’”

In spite of the oppression pressured on the Navajo people today by the U.S. govt, Main Manuelito (1818-1893) was an advocate for Western education and learning for Navajo small children and famously mentioned, “My grandchild, instruction is the ladder. Inform our persons to acquire it.”

An academician herself, Tsosie acquired a bachelor’s diploma in Diné tradition, language and leadership and a master’s from Navajo Specialized College.

She also has a master’s in political management from George Washington College and is presently pursuing a doctorate in instruction at Grand Canyon College.

“I’ve always been a scholar,” explained Tsosie. “I’ve also carried out a lot of volunteer work and internships.”

Among the her internships, Tsosie has labored for the Navajo Country Washington Office so that she could discover politics and how issues function in the nation’s funds.

Tsosie explained a lot of Diné like herself check out to “do the proper point,” to get their training and master the means of the Bilagáana world, but are eventually compelled to get work in border towns and cities off the reservation to make finishes satisfy simply because of the deficiency of prospect on the Navajo Country.

She reported she is familiar with of so many educated people who are informed by the Section of Personnel Management that they never “fit the negligible requirements” and are not furnished any more way or profession help.

“What do they do with all of these apps?” she requested. “I see all my kids, all my peers, all my colleagues – they are in a scenario the place they have the qualifications but simply cannot get the work opportunities they labored hard for.”

‘Dream occur true’

Hardships these times, primarily just after the pandemic, she would like to prioritize psychological and behavioral health and fitness services on the Navajo Country.

In her volunteer function, she has served numerous Indigenous local community company facilities in the Southwest as mental health mentor with a aim on common Indigenous American healing modalities.

She has arranged fundraising and situations for the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute and supports the Nationwide Indigenous Women’s Resource Centre in language and lifestyle preservation and food stuff distribution.

Tsosie is also a member of the American Indian Small business League, the American Indian Larger Education and learning Consortium, and is a Native American Woman’s Embry scholar, Western Background Affiliation researcher, and an American Indian Graduate Middle educational coach.

In addition to her educational achievements and volunteer service, Tsosie is also a accredited cosmetologist for far more than 30 many years.

“I’m definitely content I have this opportunity to run for Navajo Country president,” explained Tsosie. “It is a dream appear correct. I’m definitely grateful that my constituents and my co-candidates are welcoming to me.”

---

Linked