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Published On: Fri, Jan 4th, 2013

Navajo Nation Supreme Court removes Elected Officials

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WINDOW ROCK – A rare moment for the Nation’s highest court came late Friday as they removed three elected officials, one back in Dec. This comes as the Navajo Nation is restructuring its government methodologies- including its uncertain fiscal future.

According to the Navajo Nation Department of Education, the Navajo Supreme court made a decision on January 4, 2013, to removed Claira Bia-Kirk, Cecelia Wauneka, and Dr. Leo Johnson as elected school board members.

Kirk and Wauneka were school board members from the Hunters Point Boarding School, Inc. they are banned from holding any elected or appointed tribal position for 8 years.

Dr. Johnson was a school board member from Shiprock and is the current Executive Director of the Chooshgai Community School, Inc.

It stated, “The Navajo Nation Board of Education hereby recommends and empowers the Superintendent of Schools to take any actions deemed as necessary and proper to carry out the purposes of this resolution.”

The Navajo Nation also added, Cecelia Wauneka is the wife of the current Navajo Elections Administration Director Edison Wauneka.

On June 13, 2012, The Hunters Point Boarding School, Inc. was taken over by the Navajo Nation Department of Dine’ Education because of the ‘serious and severe governance problems at the HPBSI, including the quorum issue.’ said the departments document.

For Johnson, the removal came on December 18, 2012 he was the former Executive Director of SASI in Shiprock.

As the current administration looks to reforming the government, the Navajo Nation education system remains uncertain and lawmakers have not set the road map of what the new outlook will be, but community members are not confident this can be addressed or fix in the upcoming 2014 elections.

Story updated Jan 6.

Navajo Nation Supreme Court removes Elected Officials