Navajo Nation Council members seek to bridge ... · Navajo Nation Council members seek to bridge...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 27, 2017

NavajoNationCouncilmembersseektobridge

telecommunicationgapsforpublicsafetyontheNavajoNation

Photo:CouncilDelegateKeeAllenBegay,Jr.speakingattheFirstNetleadershipmeetingatTwinArrowsNavajoCasinoResortonJuly25,2017.

LEUPP,Ariz.–23rdNavajoNationCouncilmembersmetwiththeFirstResponderNetworkAuthority,orFirstNet,onTuesdaytodiscusstheexpansionandimprovementoftelecommunicationnetworksontheNavajoNation,specificallyrelatingtopublicsafety.

FirstNetwasestablishedin2012bytheU.S.Congressinresponsetothe9/11terroristattacks,inwhichthesystemwasdesignedtodeliveranationwidebroadbandnetworkdedicatedtopublicsafety,tostrengthenpublicsafetyusers’communicationscapabilitiesenablingthemtorespondmorequicklyandeffectivelytoaccidents,disasters,andemergencies.

LawandOrderCommitteememberCouncilDelegateKeeAllenBegay,Jr.(LowMountain,ManyFarms,Nazlini,Tachee/BlueGap,Tselani/Cottonwood)andtheOfficeoftheSpeakercoordinated

MEDIA CONTACTS Jared Touchin (928) 221-9253

Jolene Holgate (928) 380-4174 Crystalyne Curley (928) 286-7918 nnlb.communications@gmail.com

theleadershipmeeting,andsaidthepurposeofthediscussionistoseekcooperationandcollaborationbetweentheNavajoNationandsurroundingcommunities,counties,andneighboringtribes.

“Understandingthatthestate’sgovernorsarethefinalauthorityinconsideringtooptintotheFirstNetsystem,IimplorethegovernorstoprioritizetheNavajoNationandsurroundingruralcommunities,”saidDelegateBegay.“IalsowanttoencouragemycolleaguestobefullyawareofwhatFirstNetcandofortheNavajoNation,it’ssoimportantthatwetakeadvantageofthisprogram.”

DelegateBegayaddedthatitwasimportantforallentitiestocontinuemaintainingpartnershipstocoordinateaneffectivepublicsafetytelecommunicationsystem.Healsothankedthecountyofficialsandlawenforcement,citymayors,andotherneighboringtribesforattendingtheleadershipmeeting.

FirstNetisledbyaboardcomposedofindividualsfromthepublicsafetycommunity,federal,state,andlocalgovernments,aswellastechnology,finance,andwirelesssectors.FirstNethasastaffofabout200employeeswithexpertiseinpublicsafety,telecommunications,customerservice,technology,procurement,andotherareasneededtodevelopthenetwork.

InanaddressattheFirstNetleadershipmeeting,Speakerofthe23rdNavajoNationCouncilLoRenzoBates(Nenahnezad,Newcomb,SanJuan,T’iisTsohSikaad,Tse’Daa’Kaan,UpperFruitland)expressedappreciationtoFirstNetforprovidingvitalinformationregardingthetelecommunicationsnetworkandhowitcansupplementtheNation’spublicsafetyinitiative.

“TheNavajoNationiseagertoworkwithandunderstandthestates’proposalanddeploymentoftheirFirstNetintegrationplans.ItisveryimportantthetribesareconsultedasprogressismaderegardingtelecommunicationsexpansioninIndianCountry,especiallytheNavajoNationwhichliesinthreestates,”saidSpeakerBates.

HeaddedthattheCouncilsupportedtheuseofdeployabletechnologiessuchasmobilecommunicationsystemsthatcanbetemporarilyinstalledinareaswhereemergenciesmayoccur,whichallowtheuseofexistingsatellite,microwave,andradiosystemstocommunicateemergenciestoruralcommunitieswithlimitedtelecommunicationcapabilities.

CouncilDelegateAmberKanazbahCrotty(Beclabito,Cove,Gadi’i’áhi/To’Koi,RedValley,ToohHaltsooi,Toadlena/TwoGreyHills,Tséałnáoz’t’I’í),chairfortheSexualAssaultPreventionSubcommittee,reiteratedtheneedfortheNavajoNationtoimplementitsownuniqueAMBERAlertsystem,andsaidFirstNetisavitalcomponenttoitsdevelopment.

“EveryNavajocitizenshouldhaveaccesstoemergencycommunication.Livinginaruralareahasmanypositiveaspects,butweareconstantlychallengedwithemergencycommunicationsandnotificationslikesevereweatherandAMBERAlerts.Weneedtocontinuetohavefrankconservationswithelectedofficialsfromthethreestatesandserviceproviders.Thiswillsavelivesandpreventfuturetragedies,”saidDelegateCrotty.

CouncildelegatesinattendanceattheleadershipmeetingincludedEdmundYazzie,RaymondSmith,Jr.,OttoTso,HermanDaniels,Jr.,DwightWitherspoon,andJonathanPerry.

Inadditiontotheleadershipmeeting,DelegateBegaywhoalsoservesaschairfortheTribal-InteriorBudgetCouncil’sSubcommitteeonPublicSafetyandJusticeprovidedanoverviewofthesubcommitteesactivitiesandupdatesregardingtheFY2018U.S.DepartmentofJusticeandBureauofIndianAffairspublicsafetybudgetproposals.

“Thecurrentprocessfortribestogainaccesstopublicsafetyfundingisdoneonacompetitivebasis,however,tribesshouldnothavetocompeteforfederalfunding.Wehavetoadvocateandpushforawaytodecreasethebureaucraticprocessesandstreamlinefundingdirectlytotribes,”saidDelegateBegay.

TheTIBCalsohelditscouncilmeetingattheTwinArrowsNavajoCasinoResortfromJuly24-27.ThecouncilprovidesaforumandprocessfortribalgovernmentsandfederalofficialstoworktogetherindevelopingannualbudgetrequestsforNativeAmericanprogramswithintheU.S.DepartmentoftheInterior,andeducatesandadvisestribesregardingthefederalbudgetprocess.

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