FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) � It's a question that dominated conversation in the Navajo Nation presidential election: Should the tribe's top leader be fluent in the language?
Voters will settle that question Tuesday in a referendum vote.
kAm%C:32= =2H ?@H C6BF:C6D 42?5:52E6D 7@C EC:32= AC6D:56?E 2?5 G:46 AC6D:56?E E@ F?56CDE2?5 }2G2;@ 2?5 DA62< :E 7=F6?E=J[ 2?5 C625 2?5 HC:E6 t?8=:D9 � 2 BF2=:7:42E:@? E92E 42? 36 6?7@C465 E9C@F89 EC:32= 4@FCED] p? 277:C>2E:G6 G@E6 @? E96 C676C6?5F> H@F=5 =6E :?5:G:5F2= }2G2;@D 564:56 H96E96C 42?5:52E6D DA62< 2?5 F?56CDE2?5 }2G2;@ H6== 6?@F89 E@ 9@=5 @77:46]k^Am
kAm%96 5632E6 8@6D 36J@?5 EC:32= A@=:E:4D 2?5 E@ E96 962CE @7 E96 :56?E:EJ @7 }2G2;@D] %96 =2?8F286 :D 2 567:?:?8 A2CE @7 E96 EC:36VD 4F=EFC6[ D2:5 E@ 36 92?565 5@H? 3J 56:E:6D[ 3FE ?@E 2== }2G2;@D 36=:6G6 :E D9@F=5 5:4E2E6 H9@ 86ED E@ D66< E96 EC:36VD E@A A@DED]k^Am
kAmyF5J s@?2=5D@? D2JD D96VD H:==:?8 E@ =6E 2 }2G2;@ AC6D:56?E =62C? E96 =2?8F286 2=@?8 E96 H2J[ 2D =@?8 2D E92E A6CD@? :D H6== 65F42E65 2?5 42? ?2G:82E6 A@=:E:4D @? 2?5 @77 E96 C6D6CG2E:@?] $96 D2:5 G@E6CD D9@F=5 BF6DE:@? 42?5:52E6D 2E 42>A2:8? C2==:6D E@ 86E 2 ECF6 D6?D6 @7 H96C6 E96J DE2?5]k^Am
kAmQ%96 G@E6CD <?@H H9@ E96J H2?E E@ =625 FD[Q D96 D2:5] Q%96JVC6 ?@E ;FDE 8@:?8 E@ A:4< >J F?4=6 3642FD6 96 82G6 FD a_ 3F4<D] %96JV== D2J[ V=@@< 2E E9:D A6CD@? 96C6[ 96 42? 5@ :E[ 96 92D 2 !9]s]VQk^Am
kAmp D:>A=6 >2;@C:EJ @7 G@E6CD H@F=5 92G6 E@ 2AAC@G6 E96 C676C6?5F> 7@C :E E@ A2DD] %96 C6G:D65 C6BF:C6>6?E H@F=5 36 :? 67764E 7@C E96 a_`g 6=64E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 }2G2;@ }2E:@? r@F?4:= 2AAC@G65 E96 C676C6?5F> 27E6C 677@CED E@ >2<6 492?86D E@ E96 7=F6?4J C6BF:C6>6?E 72:=65 E9C@F89 @E96C =68:D=2E:@?] xE 42>6 2D E96 C6DF=E @7 r9C:D s6D496?6 36:?8 5:DBF2=:7:65 7C@> E96 >@DE C646?E AC6D:56?E:2= C246 3642FD6 96 C67FD65 E@ D9@H 96 4@F=5 DA62< 7=F6?E }2G2;@]k^Am
kAm$@>6 }2G2;@D C2==:65 2C@F?5 9:>[ BF6DE:@?:?8 E96 567:?:E:@? @7 Q7=F6?4JQ 2?5 D2J:?8 2 H6==\65F42E65 }2G2;@ H9@ :?E6?565 E@ =62C? E96 =2?8F286 D9@F=5?VE 36 CF=65 @FE 7@C E96 AC6D:56?4J] qFE @E96CD D2:5 s6D496?6 =:65 H96? 96 2EE6DE65 E@ 36:?8 7=F6?E :? E96 =2?8F286 2?5 56D6CG65 E@ 36 <?@4<65 @FE @7 E96 C246] %96 EC:36VD 9:89 4@FCE CF=65 E92E 7=F6?4J :? }2G2;@ :D 2 C62D@?23=6 C6BF:C6>6?E 7@C E96 AC6D:56?4J]k^Am
kAm|@C6 A6@A=6 DA62< }2G2;@ E92? 2?J @E96C D:?8=6 p>6C:42? x?5:2? =2?8F286[ 23@FE `f_[___ @FE @7 b__[___ EC:32= >6>36CD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 &]$] r6?DFD qFC62F] %:772?J |2?J8@2ED 5@6D?VE H2?E E@ 36 4@F?E65 2>@?8 E96 ?@?\DA62<:?8 DE2E:DE:4 2?5 DEC:G6D E@ =62C? E96 =2?8F286[ 8@:?8 D@ 72C 2D E@ D66< @FE 2 A2CE?6C H9@ <?@HD :E]k^Am
kAmQq6:?8 D@>6@?6 H9@ 5@6D?VE DA62< 7=F6?E=J 2?5 ECJ:?8 E@ =62C? >J =2?8F286 2?5 4F=EFC6 2?5 6G6CJE9:?8[ x 5@?VE H2?E E@ 92G6 @FC }2G2;@ }2E:@? AC6D:56?E =24<:?8 H92E x =24<[Q D96 D2:5] QxEVD 2 =:EE=6 D42CJ <?@H:?8 :E 4@F=5 5:6 @FE AC6EEJ D@@? 2?5 x H@F=5 36 ;FDE 2?@E96C H2D9 @FE]Qk^Am
kAm%C:32= !C6D:56?E #FDD6== q682J6 D2:5 E96 }2G2;@ A6@A=6 D9@F=5 :?D:DE E92E E96 E@A EH@ =6256CD DA62< }2G2;@[ 2 =2?8F286 E92E E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E EC:65 E@ 6C25:42E6 3FE 2=D@ D@F89E @FE 7@C 2 4@56 E92E 96=A65 H:? (@C=5 (2C xx]k^Am
kAmQ%96 C676C6?5F> :D A2CE @7 E9:D H9@=6 3C2:?H2D9:?8 286?52 E@ D2J E92E H6 D9@F=5 =2J 5@H? @FC =2?8F286 2?5 2DD:>:=2E6 :?E@ E96 p>6C:42? D@4:6EJ[Q q682J6 D2:5]k^Am
kAmr9C:DE:?2 !=2E6C@ D66D =62C?:?8 E96 }2G2;@ =2?8F286 2D 2 A6CD@?2= 564:D:@? 2?5 @?6 >256 H:E9:? 72>:=:6D[ ?@E @?6 EC:32= 8@G6C?>6?E D9@F=5 >2?52E6] }@E <?@H:?8 E96 =2?8F286 7=F6?E=J D9@F=5?VE 36 2 3=24< >2C< 282:?DE 42?5:52E6D[ D96 D2:5[ 2?5 DF886DE65 E96 AC6D:56?E 4@F=5 92G6 2? :?E6CAC6E6C E@ DA62< H:E9 EC:32= >6>36CD H9@ 5@?VE F?56CDE2?5 t?8=:D9]k^Am
kAmp3@G6 2==[ D96 6?4@FC2865 }2G2;@D E@ G@E6 %F6D52J]k^Am
kAmQ%9:?< 23@FE :E 7:CDE 367@C6 J@F >2<6 E92E 564:D:@?[ E9:?< 23@FE E96 4@?D6BF6?46D[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am