WINDOW ROCK, Ariz.
Needs across Indian Country include jails, schools, infrastructure and water. On the Navajo Nation, those needs surface on a much larger scale than elsewhere, a U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs official says.
“These are the needs we need to address,” Carl Artman, assistant secretary for the BIA told council delegates on the first day of their summer session. “We want to work with you on a resolution to these issues.”
Among the more pressing needs is education, Artman said. The BIA operates 184 elementary and secondary schools on tribal lands; 66 of those are on the Navajo Nation seven of which have met annual yearly progress.
“We’re not failing ourselves,” Artman said Monday. “We’re failing our students.”
The Navajo Nation has been working on its own set of educational standards that would incorporate culture and tradition. Delegate Ervin Keeswood called on Artman to support the tribe’s plans.
“Please have a heart for whatever we will provide to you,” Keeswood said.
