Hashkééjí Nahat'á Bahane'

Ya’iishjááshchilí (June) 10, 2024

Harvey named Peacemaking Program Coordinator

Dempsey Harvey has been hired as the Peacemaking Program Coordinator as of April 29, 2024. He had served as the acting coordinator since May 2023. He began working with the Peacemaking Program in 2021 as a traditional program specialist at the Chinle Judicial District and became the bi-cultural training manager in 2022.

Among his immediate plans, Harvey is revisiting the plan of operations that was created in 2012 and working to create guidelines of services and work by the Peacemaking Program. The plan of operations has not been amended since it was developed and Harvey wants to update it to reflect changes to the current year and beyond.

Harvey is looking to the future with long term plans by creating 5-year and 10-year plans for the program. His goals are for the Peacemaking Program to become more user friendly and to provide staff development for peacemaking employees for them to perform their jobs.

Harvey has many years of experience in management and leadership. He worked for the Navajo Nation Police Department for 30 years, most of which were in leadership positions.

Harvey was raised by his grandmother, who taught him the Diné language and grassroots Navajo teachings. “I never thought it would be important in doing my job, but it is very important with peacemaking,” he said.

His grandmother had several goals for him, he said. These included being a husband, father, to have a job, and to be a naat’áanii. He has accomplished these goals with his family, employment and being a roadman with the Azee’ Bee Nahagha’ of Diné Nation.

Harvey is from Red Water Ranch, Ariz., in the central part of the Navajo Nation. He is Áshįįhi born for Ta’neeszahnii. His chei is Hónágháahnii and his nali is To’aheedlíínii.

Justices meet with Associate Attorney General

Chief Justice JoAnn Jayne and Associate Justice Eleanor Shirley met with U.S. Department of Justice Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer on May 21, 2024.

During his visit to the Navajo Nation, Mizer toured the building where the Window Rock District Court is currently operating. The Court, which has the highest caseload of the Navajo Nation district courts, does not have its own facility and has been housed in the Administrative Office of the Courts building since 2018. Both Judicial Branch administration and Window Rock court staff operate out of that building.

“We are very much challenged in providing the court hearings in a tight facility like that,” Justice Shirley said.

A modular building for the Window Rock District Court is currently being constructed in Fort Defiance and is expected to be completed later this year.

Following the site visit, Mizer met with the Justices in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court also is located within a modular building. Though there are modular buildings, those buildings are temporary solutions and more permanent facilities are needed for all courts operating out of modular buildings.

Having to deal with facility issues creates challenges for staff while providing services to the Navajo Nation, Justice Shirley said. This was especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic when some buildings were overcrowded, Chief Justice noted.

The Justices informed Mizer that Shiprock Judicial District is also in dire need of a new facility as there are many structural issues with its courthouse, which has been in operation since the 1970s.

“We are in need of having facilities considered in these areas. Even though a new building may be constructed, there’s still operations and maintenance you still have to deal with and those are ongoing expenses we have to deal with,” said Justice Shirley. “We’re certainly looking out for other opportunities for grant applications and other federal grants that may be available for us. We are asking for your help and assistance in keeping this in mind.”

The Justices also expressed concerns with the U.S. DOJ’s Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) grant application process and asked for the Associate Attorney General to review the policy related to the CTAS. With the CTAS, a tribe must submit a single application when seeking funds from any of seven competitive grant programs under the U.S. DOJ. This makes it difficult for the Judicial Branch to secure needed funds through grant applications, the Justices said.

Chief Justice Jayne explained that peacemaking is the traditional form of dispute resolution that is offered through the Navajo Nation Judicial Branch. Justice Shirley said that even prior to the Navajo people being sent to Bosque Redondo, peacemaking was conducted when there were disagreements through talking things out with respected leaders. This is still being carried out today particularly in domestic settings, she said.

“The way we see it is having peacemaking is our way of exercising self-government, of self-governing our own people in the way we resolve disputes. It is our exercise of our sovereignty in delivering and preserving justice to our Navajo people,” Justice Shirley said.

Chief Justice also noted that the Supreme Court and the District Courts incorporate Navajo customs and traditions into their decisions. “That is a big part of what we do as a Nation that is different from other nations,” she said.

A discussion was held on punitive and restorative justice, and the costs of each. One of the main objectives of the Navajo Nation is to work with all departments for the healing of Navajo persons to the greatest extent possible, said Chief Justice. She encouraged a meeting of the minds with federal partners and Navajo Nation government to help accomplish that goal.

Mizer is the third ranking official within the U.S. DOJ. He oversees thirteen (13) U.S. DOJ components including civil litigation and grantmaking components. Mizer was accompanied by Senior Counsel Anna Mohan, Senior Communications Advisor Terrence Clark, and Office of Tribal Justice Director Daron Carreiro.

The Judicial Branch thanks Associate Attorney General Mizer, his staff and the Navajo Nation Washington Office for the visit.

Judicial Branch Holiday

The Judicial Branch of the Navajo Nation will be closed Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in recognition of Juneteenth.

Juneteenth celebrates African American freedom and commemorates the day in 1865 that the people of Galveston, Texas, were informed of the Emancipation Proclamation. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordan Granger read General Order No. 3, saying "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer."

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021.

Memorial Day Photos

The Navajo Nation held a Memorial Day ceremony on May 25, 2024, at the Navajo Nation Veterans Memorial Park. Chief Justice JoAnn Jayne participated in the event with President Buu Nygren and Speaker Crystalyne Curley to honor those who gave their lives in service of their country.

Judicial Branch of the Navajo Nation | P.O. Box 520 | Window Rock, AZ 86515 US