~Est. 1987 • OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE HOPI TRIBE • NEWS SOURCE FOR THE HOPI PEOPLE~

Tribal code

Ask Donna

What actually matters in this document.

Text

Volume 31

Number 12

78˚/45˚

Sunny

WEDNESDAY

JUNE

21, 2023

~Est. 1987 • OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE HOPI TRIBE • NEWS SOURCE FOR THE HOPI PEOPLE~

Hopi Tribal Council Holds June 8, 2023

Afternoon Session at

First Mesa Elementary School

for Action Item #059-2023

Hopi Law Enforcement Services Provides Safe Driving

Tips...read

Tips...

here

Details...PG 6

Supreme Court

Upholds ICWA -

preserves law aimed

to keep NA children

with tribal families...

PG 14

Hopi Womens Health provides

change in mammography service.

Page 7

Hopi Day School June Book Club

report, read more here...

Page 6

COMMUNITY

Pictured at the First Mesa Elementary School in lower Polacca community, Ariz. are members of Hopi Tribal Council in no particular order, members of the audience and local Hopi School Board members who met to discuss Action Item #059-2023 listed on

the June 1, 2023 HTC Agenda. Photo by: R.Laban HT more information on pg. 2 and to be included in July 5, 2023 publication.

June 2023 Honoree Kristy Pahvahtyah

Honored by her students,

Gabby and Lili Borquez

Pueblo Gardens PreK-8...learn more on pg. 3

HOPI TUTUVENI

PO BOX 123

KYKOTSMOVI, AZ 86039

1110-01600-7460

Page 3

Small Animal Control provides information about the

program...pg. 11

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Hopi Tutuveni June 21, 2023

Hopi Tribal Council Holds June 8, 2023 Afternoon Session at

First Mesa Elementary School for Action Item #059-2023

Pictured above: Hopi Tribal Council at forefront with local Hopi School Board

member to the right and audience in background sitting in bleacher section in First

Mesa Elementary School guy in Polacca, Ariz. Photo by: R. Laban Hopi Tutuveni

By: Romalita Laban, Managing Editor Hopi Tutuveni

Polacca, Ariz. - Thursday, June 8, 2023

at approximately 3:07 p.m. MST, Hopi Tribal

Council reconvened its session, which was

recessed at approximately 10:51 a.m. in Hopi

Tribal Council Chambers, earlier in the same

day.

Council was accommodated by First Mesa

Elementary School (FMES), in consideration

of a possible larger audience, than could

normally fit in HTC Chambers and due to the

subject at hand.

Action Item #059-2023 listed as item 10

on the June 1, 2023 Agenda (see pg. 4 of this

publication) was added on the Agenda for further discussion and action by Vice Chairman

Craig Andrews.

Action Item #059-2023as listed reads, “To

approve Resolution which will extend the

Transition Period to the New Hopi School

system at least two (2) additional years

beyond the previous date; affirm that local

school boards shall continue to operate under

their existing governance structures, election

procedures. Tribal Resolutions, and tribally

Controlled School grants; and direct the local

school boards, Hopi Board of Education, and

Hopi Tribal Council to work collaboratively

to support local control of schools - Vice

Chairman Craig Andrews - **Time Certain

and venue to be determined

Before continuing, Chairman Nuvangyaoma asked Hopi Tribal Secretary Judith

Youvella to read the Action Item into record.

Copies of the document were not provided

to the audience members therefore attendees

had to listen intently to what Secretary was

reading.

Once the Action Item was read, Chairman

then continued by mentioning some “housekeeping” reminders for all to “mute your

phones” and asked Secretary about a timer being ready and available, then thanked FMES

for hosting the venue.

Pictured above: Local Hopi School Board members (l-r): Doris Honanie

MDS School Board member, Martha Mase HDS School Board member,

Madonna Dawasevaya FMES School Board member, SMDS School Board

member, D. Dawasevaya KCES School Board member at FMES Gym

Polacca, Ariz. Photo by: R. Laban Hopi Tutuveni

There was no mention about whether a

ZOOM connection was being provided for

those HTC Representatives not physically in

attendance.

Nor were there any further instructions

about how the session was to be conducted,

for the general audience in attendance. The recently approved HTC Rules of Order were not

referenced or provided to the audience, before

Chairman continued by allowing comments

from the School Board members/Authors of

the Action Item.

Presenters seemed a little caught of guard

about how to start.

Todd Honyaoma, Sr. President for Hotevilla Bacavi Community School (HBCS) Board

began by asking whether Council wanted

them to introduce themselves first to which

Council was open to.

Present at the podium and representing the

local Hopi schools were: Todd Honyaoma,

President HBCS, Madonna Dawasevaya

President FMES, Alma Sinquah CSA FMES,

Martha Mase President Hopi Day School

(HDS), Doris Honanie President Moencopi

Day School (MDS), and Donald Dawasevaya

Board Member Canyon Elementary School.

Once introductions were completed

they began by providing some background

information about why the Action Item was

submitted.

Honyaoma began by providing comments

in Hopi about the process schools have had

to undertake in addition to being asked to

provide input and documents for the newly developing Hopi School System (HSS)

throughout the past and current school years.

He spent approximately 15 minutes of his

time by mentioning the rush of having to conduct testing, the enormous tasks school staff

have, the survey from 2018, and the lack of

notification about the transition, policies, and

concerns from stakeholders before turning the

mic over to Martha Mase President HDS

Mase presented comments and concerns

about Personnel issues not being addressed,

Pictured above (l-r): Hopi Tribal Council Representatives - Herman G. Honanie Kyakotsmovi,

Mervin Yoyetewa Mishongnovi, Marilyn Tewa Mishongnovi, Arthur Batala Mishongnovi, Rosa Honanie Sipaulovi, Danny Honanie Kyakotsmovi, Albert T. Sinquah First Mesa Consolidated Villages,

Secretary staff, Chairman Timothy L. Nuvangyaoma and Vice Chairman Craig Andrews at FMES in

Polacca, Ariz. Photo by: R. Laban Hopi Tutuveni

at this point to the schools, by the Hopi Board

of Education. Topics included the salary scale

and staff being unsure if they would have a

job in the HSS once completed. She also mentioned concerns about not having equal representation on the HBE for all communities

and the need for the HBE to have a positive,

collaborative, and transparent relationship

with the schools.

Madonna Dawasevaya then addressed

concerns regarding the lack of stakeholder

input and that the July 1st start date for the

new system only recently had been set. She

also mentioned concerns and questions about

how a position was being funded by the HBE,

for a consultant and the lack of Legal Counsel

being retained for the HSS.

Dawasevaya then presented the portion

assigned to the KCES Community School

Administrator who did not arrive at that point.

The portion presented was that there was

“no clear transition of authority” which she

described as being “ill-defined” by the HBE.

She went on to mention that no word about

whether the HBE’s application for the new

HSS, to the Bureau of Indian Education, had

been approved or not.

Doris Honanie President MDS presentded

the topic of the Administrative Cost Budget

for the new HSS and that the document had

not been seen nor shared with the local Hopi

schools. She referenced an Action Plan that

included a site budget however that too had

not been provided by the HBE and asked,

“Where is that money coming from?” She

also mentione that local school boards will no

longer have local control and mentioned that

the Hopi Tribe has bad financial records.

Essentially the local Hopi school representatives were requesting that a 2-year delay,

to the start date of July 1, 2023 for the newly

developing Hopi School System, be considered and approved by HTC.

At this point, it was approximately 3:35

p.m. and questions from HTC representatives,

comments from HBE and/or others were still

not heard.

The next five (5) hours included much

back-and-forth from those present including,

but not totally exhaustive; questions from

HTC, responses to those questions, pleas for

collaboration and transparency, finger-pointing, encouragement for stakeholders to be

more involved in their children’s education, a

motion by Vice Chairman to have documents

read into record - which was defeated, HTC

Representatives and HBE President Leroy

Shingoitewa defending the HBE, questions

about background checks and reminders

about the infamous Boone case, the School

representative defending themselves about

“allegations” (as they referred to a written

statement from the HBE) that was read into

record and took approximately 45 minutes

to read, requests from audience members to

speak - which was not granted, comments

from Hopi Tribe’s Legal Counsel Carlene

Tenakhongva, Secretary providing clarification about the timeline in which comments

were received from Tenakhongva and finally

verbal notification about the HBE’s application to the BIE being denied.

The School’s Legal Counsel provided

comments related to the start date of the new

system. She reiterated written comments to

HT General Counsel’s comments, to the effect

that the Hopi Education Code may be amended only by the HTC and that HBE can make

recommendations to the Code. And that the

Schools were requesting an extension so that

collaboration with the HBE and a consensus

could be reached about the issues discussed.

She also requested time to review all documents presented thus far and response time.

Mervin Yoyewytewa Mishongnovi Representative requested time to caucus with HTC,

which was granted for 10 minutes, at approximately 7:54 p.m. Upon return, Vice Chairman

made a motion to approve the Action Item

which was defeated by HTC with a vote of 5

in favor, 13 against and 0 abstentions.

The session ended at 8:19 p.m.

Hopi Tutuveni June 21, 2023

June 2023 Honoree Kristy Pahvahtyah

Honored by her students, Gabby and Lili Borquez

Pueblo Gardens PreK-8

Story by: Patty Talahongva, Journalist - in Partnership with Honored

Tucson, Ariz. – June 1, 2023 Kristy Pahvahtyah remembers well her first day as a teacher at Pueblo Gardens PreK-8 School in Tucson, Ariz. “It was a hot,

sunny day in Tucson. I remember my daughter helped me set up my classroom. We got the keys and opened the door, and it was just empty space. She looked at

me, and said, ‘Mom, you’re going to be a teacher!’”

“That’s when it clicked and I said, ‘Yes, I am!’”

After years of work as a teacher’s aid and as a student teacher, Pahvahtyah was no stranger to the classroom. But still, she recalls being nervous as she waited

for her first students to arrive.

Liliana Borquez, 11, was one of those students. “She was very caring, and I remember it felt like she was nervous and we were all nervous too,” Liliana, who

goes by Lili, remembers. Both teacher and students were coming back into the classroom for the first time after the COVID-19 pandemic. “She was caring because she knew that we spent some of our school year online, so she understood that some of our scores were a little bit down. She would say, ‘It’s ok that your

grade levels are low because you are still adjusting from the pandemic and online school.’”

“What do I want for [my students], not just now but for life? It’s those concepts to have respect, integrity, and be

humble.” – Kristy Pahvahtyah

Pahvahtyah is Hopi and grew up on tribal lands, and in those first days she introduced her students to some of her culture’s core values. “No rules, just expectations around our Hopi values of kyapsi, nami’nangwa, sumi’nangwa. Even though my students don’t speak the language, they understand!” Pahvahtyah says.

Kyapsi means respect for all things, and nami’nangwa means helping others without being asked to or expecting any kind of compensation. Sumi’nangwa

means coming together to contribute something valuable to the community.

Pictured above are signs displayed in Pahvahtyah’s classrrom at Pueblo Gardens PreK-8 School. Photo by: Mamta Popat

“I thought about what made me the person that I am today, and it’s those values. What do I want for them, not just now but for life? It’s those concepts to have

respect, integrity, and be humble,” Pahvahtyah says

“She wouldn’t hide her culture. It was a big part of our classroom,” says Lili. “She had signs with words in her Native language and we would all use the

words.” Lily’s mother, Amanda Borquez, appreciates how Pahvahtyah expresses her culture in the classroom: “It’s a way that it’s not prideful but she has pride.

It’s amazing how she does it.”

Editor’s Note: ‘Pahvahtyah’ is sometimes spelled ‘Pavatea;’ Kristy prefers the ‘Pahvahtyah’ spelling which honors the original Hopi name and language.

Though Kristy Pahvahtyah is still relatively new to the teaching profession, she brings with her the knowledge of her Hopi people, whose ancestry goes back a

millennium, with villages that are among the oldest in the United States.

Pahvahtyah’s tribe is located in what is now known as northeastern Arizona. She was raised at First Mesa, where Walpi, one of the oldest documented communities in the country, is located. She went to Polacca Day School, a name that recalls the days of forced education of the Hopi people whose children were

ripped from their homes, families, clans and tribe and taken to far away boarding schools where they were taught trades and domestic... Continued pg. 11

Hopi Tutuveni June 21, 2023

HOPI TRIBAL COUNCIL

3rd Quarter Session

June 1, 2023

AGENDA

X. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

1. Discussion and possible action - Letter dated by September 19, 2022 RE: Survey conducted by Hopi Elections Office

from Dale Sinquah, Tribal Council Representative, First Mesa

Consolidated Villages – Tabled

3. Action Item #090-2022 - Intergovernmental Agreement

between the State of Arizona and the Hopi Tribe – Author/Donovan Gomez, Transit Administrator, Hopi Senom Transit – Tabled

XI. NEW BUSINESS

1. Action Item #050-2023 – To approve the Hopi System

Upgrade to Cap Max; this upgrades the equipment and licenses

to Cap Max on the Hopi Radio Communications System and

allows radio services to First Responders of the Department

of Public Safety and Emergency services throughput the reservation – Author/Anthony Huma, Director, Hopi Emergency

Medical Services

2. Action Item #051-2023 – Hopi Three Canyon Ranch

(H3CR) Loan Forgiveness: A loan was granted to the H3CR by

the Hopi Tribe in 2005. In 2008 the H3CR loan was forgiven

by the Hopi Tribe’s Land Committee at a duly called committee

meeting. The H3CR had written off the loan on their books;

however, due process was never fully completed at the Hopi

Tribe. The Department of Natural Resources and H3CR are presenting documents (attached) to formally be recognized and read

into record to resolve this 18-year matter – Author/Janice Lewis

& Carrie Joseph, Director, Department of Natural Resources

**Time Certain – Thursday, June 8, 2023 at 9:00 a.m.

3. Action Item #052-2023 – Amend the General Welfare

Assistance Policy to include submission of applications through

an electronic portal – Author/Mark Talayumptewa, Chairman,

Hopi Tribe Pandemic Recovery Committee **Time Certain –

Wednesday, June 7, 2023 at 9:00 a.m.

4. Action Item #053-2023 – Resolution authorizing HUC to

apply for and implement the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG). This

grant would fund a greenhouse gas inventory and other climate

planning activities. Completion of this work is required to be eligible to apply for upcoming EPA Implementation grants, which

have been allocated over $4 billion in funding by Congress and

can be used for a wide range of renewable energy and GHG reduction projects – Author/Carroll Onsae, General Manager,Hopi

Utilities Corporation **Time Certain – Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at

9:00 a.m.

5. Action Item #054-2023 – Resolution authorizing HUC

to apply for and implement the U.S. Economic Development

Administration (EDA) Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Program (PWEAA). This grant would fund

the proposed Side Rock Well Field solar PV and battery storage microgrid project to power off grid wells – Author/ Carroll

Onsae, General Manager, Hopi Utilities Corporation **Time

Certain – Tuesday, June 6, 2023 immediately following Action

Item #053-2023

6. Action Item #055-2023 – Resolution authorizing HUC

to partner with Arizona State University to apply for and implement the Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas

program grant offered by the U.S. Department of Energy. This

proposal seeks to fund a solar PV and battery storage microgrid

at the Turquoise Well Campus to reduce electricity costs and

ensure 24/7 power to the site – Author/ Carroll Onsae, General

Manager, Hopi Utilities Corporation **Time Certain – Tuesday,

June 6, 2023 immediately following Action Item #054-2023

7. Action Item #056-2023 – Resolution authorizing HUC to

apply for and implement the Energy Improvement in Rural or

Remote Areas program grant, offered by the U.S. Department

of Energy. This proposal seeks to fund construction of 5 MW of

solar PV and a new substation to connect to the existing 500kV

transmission line at RU 255, and approximately 12 miles of

21kV distribution infrastructure that would connect the substation to existing distribution lines at Hotevilla. This project would

resolve power outages and improve access to the electric system

that serve Hopi communities – Author/ Carroll Onsae, General

Manager, Hopi Utilities Corporation **Time Certain – Tuesday,

June 6, 2023 immediately following Action Item #055-2023

8. Action Item #057-2023 – Kewenvoyouma Law, PLLC Special Prosecutor Agreement – Author/Mervin Yoyetewa, Chairman, Law & Order Committee

9. Action Item #58-2023 – To update, revise, and publish the

Hopi Code to include Hopi Tribal Council amendments – Author/Mervin Yoyetewa, Chairman, Law & Order Committee

10. Action Item #059-2023 – To approve Resolution which

will extend the Transition Period to the New Hopi School system at least two (2) additional years beyond the previous date;

affirm that local school boards shall continue to operate under

their existing governance structures, election procedures. Tribal

Resolutions, and tribally Controlled School grants; and direct

the local school boards, Hopi Board of Education, and Hopi

Tribal Council to work collaboratively to support local control

of schools - Vice Chairman Craig Andrews - **Time Certain

and venue to be determined

11. Memorandum dated May 3, 2023 from Donovan Gomez,

Re: Presentation of the Hopi Senom Transit 5-year continued pg.5

Hopi Tutuveni June 21, 2023

HOPI TRIBAL COUNCIL

3rd Quarter Session

June 1, 2023

AGENDA, continued...

Tawa’ovi Community Development

Plan by Ken Hosen of KFH Group

Team (TCDT), Re: the TCDT seeks

– Rosa Honani, Council Representaand requests clarification and a decitive, Village of Sipaulovi - **Time

sion on the Report of Investigation

Certain, Monday, June 19, 2023 at

as Requested in Hopi Tribal Council

9:00 a.m.

Resolution H-058-2021 conducted by

12. Memorandum dated May 2,

R. Gehl Tucker – Ruth Kewanimpte2023 from Lamar Keevama, Re: Inwa, Council Representative, Village

eligible Enrollment Applications and

Bacavi

Presentation on the Constitution and

Bylaw’s of the Hopi Tribe on EnrollXII. REPORTS

ment and Hopi Tribal Ordinance No.

33 – Rosa Honani, Council Represen1. Office of the Chairman – Hopi

tative, Village of Sipaulovi - **Time

Executive Order No. 001-2023 – LiftCertain, Monday, June 19, 2023 at

ing of Face Mask Mandate

10:30 a.m.

2. Office of the Vice Chairman

13. Letter dated May 19, 2023 from

3. Office of Tribal Secretary

Albert T. Sinquah, Interim Board

a. Kim Secakuku, Tribal

Chair, Hopi Tribal Housing Authority,

Operations Officer

Re: Tawa’ovi Community Develop4. Office of the Treasurer

ment Team – Rosa Honani, Council

5. Office of the General Counsel

Representative, Village of Sipaulovi

6. Land Commission

14. Letter dated May 23, 2023 from

7. Water/Energy Committee

Edison Tu’tsi, Chairman, Hopi Tribe

8. Transportation Committee

Economic Development Corporation,

9. Law & Order Committee

Re: Auditor requires the Tribal Trea10. Investment Committee

surer sign and return the Debt Confira. Walpi Housing Management

mation Letter - Rosa Honani, Council

Agreement Communications – TARepresentative, Village of Sipaulovi

15. Discussion and Possible Action BLED

11. Health/Education Committee

- Letter dated May 19, 2023 from

12. Hopi Pandemic Recovery ComEdison Tu’tsi, Chairman, Hopi Tribe

Economic Development Corporation, mittee – Report for April 2023

13. Hopi Tribal Economic DevelRe: Interviews of Mr. Nick Brokeopment CHopi Telecommunications,

shoulder, Mr. Sal Diciccio and Mr.

Inc. (HTI) – HTI’s Annual Report

David Newlin - Rosa Honani, Counfor Calendar Year ending 2022 and

cil Representative, Village of Sipauplanned activities for 2023

lovi - **Time Certain, Monday, June

19, 2023 at 1:00 p.m.

XIII. ADJOURNMENT

16. Memorandum dated May 12,

2023 from Andrew Gashwazra, Director, OCPEDLIS, Re: To provide a

*Hopi Tribal Council may go

presentation by Jadin Tech, LLC with into Executive Session on any

a Renewable Energy and Storage

agenda item

Presentation - Rosa Honani, Council

Representative, Village of Sipaulovi

**Time Certain Requests

- **Time Certain requested for July

2023 Council Agenda

17. Correspondence from the

Hopi Tribe Economic Development Corporation

Awarded The Flinn Foundation Creative Communities Grant

For Immediate Release

Submitted by: Hopi Tribe Economic Development Corporation

Flagstaff, Ariz. - June 12, 2023 The Hopi Tribe Economic Development Corporation was

awarded $10,000 grant funding by the Flinn Foundation supporting arts and cultural projects/

programs/activities in small and rural Arizona communities. The grant is administered by the

Arizona Commission on the Arts, whose mission is to have Arizonans have the opportunity to

participate in and experience the arts.

The award was received by Cindy Smiley, CEO of the Hopi Tribe Economic Development

Corporation (HTEDC). “We are excited to receive this award from Flinn Foundation for supporting arts and cultural projects/programs/activities in small and rural Arizona communities.

The grant funding will go towards the artwork, paintings, and murals going into the new hotel,

Taawaki Inn, [that] will be opening in 2024, located in Clarkdale, AZ.”

This project/program/activity has been supported in part by the Flinn Foundation Creative

Communities Grant for small and rural arts and cultural organizations, administered by the

Arizona Commission on the Arts.

###

Hopi Tutuveni June 21, 2023

HDS Book Club - June 2023

HOPI LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES PRESS RELEASE

Submitted by: Deborah Baker, Parent Liaison, Hopi Day School

Kykotsmovi, Ariz. – June 13, 2023 The book

club for June featured Hopi Day School’s Intervention Specialist, Pernell Begay, as the reader for

June 2023.

Mr. Begay has been working as an academic

interventionist for the past 4 years at Hopi Day

School and helps teachers and students improve in

the areas of reading, writing and math.

He introduced us to the book “Polar Bear, Polar

Bear, What Do You Hear?” by Bill Martin, Jr.

Young children are introduced to the world of

sound in this brightly illustrated book by Eric

Carle. Sounds animals make are introduced and it

is written in a rhythmic chant. It can be a very fun

read for all especially when you encourage children to make the sound of the animals in the book.

Mr. Begay explained the rhythmic chant of the

words and repetition of the text in the book helps

children develop confidence with reading. He

states, “The repetition gets memorized and kids

can “read” the repeated phrases and refrains. This

grows their identity as a reader and familiarizes

them with these words. No, they’re not reading,

they’re recalling what they’ve memorized…but

this is the start of developing their skills as a reader.”

On the second, third or fourth read of the book

(Yes, children will gravitate to a book like this and

will want to “read” it over and over again.) This

is the prime opportunity to encourage the fun and

love of reading. Therefore, our excitement of reading the same book yet another time should reflect

the interest and excitement of the child so as not to

hinder the development of the love of reading. So,

as stated earlier, each time the book is read; concentrate on other aspects of reading such as pronunciation, expressive reading, vocabulary words

or highlighting attention to the illustrations. All this

helps develop fluency and improve comprehension.

This is a companion book to Brown Bear, Brown

Bear, What Do You See, by the same author. In this

book the sense of sight is featured. Other books by

Bill Martin, Jr. follow the same format with rhythm

and repetition. His partnership with illustrator Eric

Carle has made these books very popular.

We had a great time with this book and is a perfect addition to your home library collection.

Join us again on July 3, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. on

KUYI Hopi Radio for the next presentation of the

Hopi Day School Book Club.

###

For Immediate Release

Safe Driving Tips

By: Sergeant Glenn Singer - Hopi Law

Enforcement Services

Kykotsmovi, Ariz. – June 14, 2023 Hopi Law

Enforcement Services has responded to 17 vehicle

accidents since May 1, 2023. For our roads to remain safe, there are essential driving habits we all

need to practice to ensure responsible driving. It

is important to note that human error is the leading

cause of most vehicle accidents, and all drivers can

avoid these accidents through safe driving. Simple

mistakes like lack of focus, speeding and distracted

driving can cause an accident.

Hopi Law Enforcement Services offers the following safe driving tips as a way to keep our roads

safe.

Stay Alert

While on the road this summer, plan enough

time to stop to stretch, get something to eat, return

calls or text messages, and change drivers or rest if

you feel drowsy.

Avoid Risky Behaviors

Do not text while driving or drive distracted.

Obey posted speed limits and always drive sober.

Both alcohol and drugs whether legal or illicit can

cause impairment. It is illegal to drive impaired

by any substance on the Hopi Reservation – no

exceptions. Alcohol and drugs can impair the skills

critical for safe and responsible driving such as

coordination, judgment, perception, and reaction

time.

Fasten your Seat Belt

Seat belts saves lives. When you are involved in

an accident, and your safety belt is on, it restrains

you, helps to prevent you from being ejected out

of your vehicle or hitting surfaces such as the

dashboard. Whenever you get into your vehicle,

make it a habit to fasten your seat belt first. You

are liable for all passengers in your vehicle must

ensure everyone is wearing their seat belt. Wearing

a seat belt is vital to ensuring the safety of your

family and you.

Don’t drive aggressively

Aggressive driving entails switching lanes repeatedly, cutting other drivers off, and not yielding

the right of way. This kind of driving can make

other drivers angry which can lead to a dangerous

incident or cause an accident. Ensure that you remain calm on the road and even move away from

aggressive drivers on the road.

Take note of pedestrians and cyclists

Be alert for pedestrians and cyclists, follow traffic signs and avoid distractions as a way to ensure

you do not collide with pedestrians. Ensure that

you always adhere to speed limits and give way to

pedestrians.

Be careful when driving in school zones

Summer school has started. When driving in

a school zone or bus loading areas, you need to

lower your speed even more. School zones have

lower speed limits because children may not be as

cautious on roadways as adults. When you are in

a school zone, it is your responsibility as a driver

to watch out or slow down for children’s safety.

It is imperative that you avoid distractions when

driving in school zones.

Young drivers’ safety guide

Young drivers lack experience with most obstacles or challenges on the road. By following these

simple safety driving tips, we can all reduce the

risk of an accident and return home safely to our

loved ones.

For more information, contact Hopi Law Enforcement Services at 928-734-7340 or 928-4971493.

###

Hopi Tutuveni June 21, 2023

PUBLIC SERVICE

ANNOUNCEMENT

Hopi Women’s

Health Program

Change in

Mammography Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Submitted by: Kellen Polingyumptewa, Coordinator Hopi Women’s Health Program

Kykotsmovi, Ariz. – June 14, 2023 The Hopi

Women’s Health Program wants to inform the community that our mobile mammography services will

change from SimonMed Imaging to another service

vendor. This change is due to unresolvable programmatic issues. We are working to transition to the

new imaging service. As a result of this change, our

mammography services will be delayed for a couple

of months while we establish a new contract.

Be advised that if you receive direct calls, emails,

or mail from follow-up care from SimonMed Imaging

or billing notices from SimonMed Imaging, please

be aware that the Hopi Women’s Health Program is

designed to manage your follow-up care with your

primary health care provider so contact us regarding

this need.

For those receiving billing notices from SimonMed

Imaging via mail, please provide us a copy in one of

the following ways:

•

Drop-off: HCSS Building, 123 Main St.,

Kykotsmovi, AZ 86039 (across from main tribal

buildings)

•

Fax: (928) 734-1158

•

Scan/Email: kpolingyumptewa@hopi.nsn.us

If you have questions about your services with Hopi

Women’s Health Program or SimonMed, please call

our office at (928) 734-1151 or stop by our office in

Kykotsmovi.

###

HOPI H.E.O.C UPDATES

Hopi Tutuveni June 21, 2023

Hopi Tribe Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 Emergency Response

Submitted by: Joyce Hamilton, Director - DHHS

Kykotsmovi, Ariz. - June 2023 marks one year for the Hopi Tribe Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for occupancy of office

space at the newly developed Turquoise Well Government complex. You may be asking yourself; “Where is the Turquoise Well government complex?” “What is the Turquoise Well Government complex?”

The Turquoise Well Government complex is the newly developed area on Hopi lands for Hopi Tribal offices which is located 15 miles northeast

of the Hopi Cultural Center. The complex was developed in response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency for Tribal programs. DHHS Administration, Public Health Compliance and the Small Animal Control program have been working at the Turquoise Well complex since June 2022.

In January 2023 the staff had to resort to teleworking due to mechanical failure of the generator which provides electrical power for day-to-day

operations. DHHS Administration, Public Health Compliance and the Small Animal Control, are some of the programs affected however the staff of

the programs continue to provide services, such as the recent Food Handler’s class held in the village of Bacavi and the tick prevention event. The

DHHS Department Director can be reached via e-mail at Jhamilton@hopi.nsn.us or (928)207-6481.

Hopi Executive Order No. 002-2022 issued on March 3, 2022 continues to remain in place until such time the Hopi Tribal Leadership determines

to lift the Executive Order. Data from the Hopi Health Care Center and surrounding health care facilities showcase a significant reduction in positive

COVID-19 cases and data continues to be monitored and assessed.

Public Health Authority, Dr. Darren Vicenti, has been working in consultation with Tribal Leadership and local health centers in regards to

COVID-19 cases and has determined that the number of positive cases remain low and will be defining next steps for data sharing.

Various sources of literature predicted that the COVID-19 virus will become endemic over time; what does that mean? An Endemic Disease means

that the virus will continue to be present in a population or region with a relatively low spread OR there may be periods when it doesn’t affect people

at all.

The straightforward message to the community is to seek medical advice from your local medical provider for proper care and guidance to avoid

further spread to family members if you feel symptoms. The recommended public health practice is to continue with proper hand hygiene, staying

home when feeling ill and most importantly get vaccinated.

Hopi Executive Order No. 002-2022 language indicates the following:

1. It is recommended that everyone ages 5-years and older get a complete serious of the COVID-19 vaccine (mandatory for tribal government

employees).

2. Face covering use shall be required inside all public facilities and buildings, and certain common areas. (lifted Hopi Executive Order No. 0012023)

3. The Hopi Law Enforcement Services and health professionals, including community workers will coordinate with village leaders and village

security officers to allow for welfare checks and other health-related contacts.

The Hopi Community Health Services (CHR) program continues to make available COVID-19 home test kits. Personal Protective Equipment

(PPE) such as hand sanitizers, face masks and sanitary wipes are limited and will be issued if supplies are available. Contact the Hopi CHR program

at (928)737-6342 if you have questions.

Hopi Tutuveni June 21, 2023

Tuba City

Regional Health Care Corporation

Celebrates Pride Month

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Submitted by: George Joe Office of Communications - TCRHCC

Tuba City, Ariz. - June 12, 2023 In support of national Pride month, Tuba City

Regional Health Care Corporation has activities planned throughout the month of June

to bring awareness and understanding of LGBTQIA+ community.

Event organizers said the TCRHCC administration invited all staff to participate

and show support for the LBGTQIA+ community.

Now in its third year, organizers of the event have expanded activities so that events

are happening all month.

As part of its health promotion activity, the Community Health Services division

asked each department to organize and host a public health event throughout the year.

Annie Edleman, Public Health Director, selected the month of June and chose to celebrate Pride.

The first event kicked off with a Division luncheon on June 1 and a design contest

on June 4.

“Chenoa Redhouse, Public Health Technician, volunteered to coordinate with Shonie Secody at Hogan Espresso to develop a Pride beverage and raffle a gift card for

participants who send a selfie with the new drink,” said Public Health Director Annie

Edleman. “Stacy Claw, Health Communications Specialist, volunteered to promote

TCRHCC employees to add preferred pronouns to their email signatures in support of

our transgender, non-binary, intersex, and two spirit staff and community members.”

Then on June 27, Gwendelyn Tallman, Project Manager, will coordinate with Health

Promotion Disease Prevention department and Moencopi to make the June 27 Just

Move It a Pride march with TCRHCC pride shirts available for the first 500 participants.

Henry Mann Jr, Public Health Technician, volunteered to create a Pride Playlist with

suggestions from TCRHCC staff to play for the Pride march (and all month long).

The administration is also hosting the following events:

“Get to know the LGBTQIA+ community trivia” - Monday June 5-8

“Happy Pride Parfait Hour” - Thursday June 15

“Refreshing Thursday, - ‘Stay Grounded’ with Pride” - Thursday June 22

“Pride sticker – Available to all participants throughout the month of June

Finally, on June 28, on national Pride Day, all TCRHCC staff are encouraged to

wear Pride clothing gear and submit Pride Trivia bingo, created by Annie Edleman, to

win a prize

For more info, contact the Public Health Department at 928-283-2607.

###

Hopi Tutuveni June 21, 2023

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

The Hopi Tribe P.O. Box 123 Kykotsmovi, AZ 86039

Ph: (928) 734-3281 • Ph: (928) 734-3283

Editorial Board of the Hopi Tutuveni

Wilma Dengavi , Gary LaRance, George Mase

Hopi Tutuveni Staff

Managing Editor - Romalita Laban

RLaban@hopi.nsn.us

ARTICLES:

The Hopi Tutuveni welcomes

original articles reporting on

local, state and national news

items on issues related to Hopi

or of interest to Tutuveni readers.

We are especially interested

in articles reporting on issues

impacting the Hopi community or on events and activities

involving members of the Hopi

Tribe. Articles should not exceed

750 words and should follow

Associated Press (AP) style and

formatting. The Managing Editor

reserves the right to edit articles

for style, length and clarity. If

significant editing is required, the

Managing Editor will communicate with the author prior to

publication.

PRESS RELEASES:

Press releases must be submitted

on official letterhead and include

the name of the organization,

contact person, telephone

number and email address. Press

releases should not exceed 500

words and submissions may be

edited for length and clarity at

the discretion of the Managing

Editor.

LETTERS TO THE

EDITOR:

Letters should not exceed 250

words and must include the

name of the author and complete

contact information (address,

phone number or email address)

CIRCULATION

and the headline and date of

the article on which you are

commenting. Anonymous letters

and letters written under pseudonyms will not be published.

The Tutuveni Editorial Board

reviews all submissions and

reserves the right not to publish

letters it considers to be highly

sensitive or potentially offensive

to readers, or that may be libelous

or slanderous in nature.

OPINION EDITORIALS:

Submissions must be exclusive

to Hopi Tutuveni and should not

exceed 1,000 words. Include with

your submission your name and

complete contact information,

along with a short 2-3-sentence

bio.

SUBMISSION

INSTRUCTIONS:

All press releases, articles, letters

to the editor and Opinion Editorials electronically as a Word

document or as plain text in the

body of an email to the Managing Editor, Romalita Laban. Articles, press releases and editorials

that include photographs must

be in high resolution, 300dpi

or more and must be your own.

All photographs must include

photo credit and a caption for

each photo listing the names of

all persons included in the photo

and description of what the photo is about. (call 928-734-3283

for deadline schedule).

The Hopi Tutuveni is published twice a month, with a circulation

of 2,500 copies throughout the entire Hopi Reservation. The paper

is delivered on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month to the

following locations: Moenkopi Travel Center, Moenkopi Legacy

Inn, Hotevilla Store, Kykotsmovi Village Store, Tribal Government

Complex, Hopi Cultural Center, Hopi Health Care Center, Polacca

Circle M, Keams Canyon Store.

Hopi Tutuveni June 21, 2023

June 2023 Honoree Kristy Pahvahtyah

Honored by her students, Gabby and Lili Borquez

Pueblo Gardens PreK-8, continued from pg. 3...

science. Once missionaries started building elementary schools

on the reservations, they added the word “day” to the school

names to let the parents know students could return home each

day when the school day was over.

Pahvahtyah was lucky in that by the time she went to high

school, she didn’t have to go to a government-run boarding

school like thousands of other Hopi kids before her. The tribe

had opened its own school, Hopi Junior Senior High School,

which serves the entire reservation, with students bused in from

more than 20 miles away.

Knowing her tribe’s history with education and other chal

Pahvahtyah with student pictued above. Photo by: Mamta Popat

lenges, Pahvahtyah first thought she wanted to be a lawyer and

earned a Gates Scholarship to study pre-law at University of

New Mexico. But fate stepped in and changed her course in life.

When she learned that her mother had been diagnosed with stage

III ovarian cancer, Pahvahtyah, who is an only child, left school

and returned to her home to care for her.

Back in First Mesa, Pahvahtyah took a job as a teacher’s aide

with Polacca Day School, where she herself had attended, and

then Second Mesa Day School. For four years, she excelled in

the classroom as a teacher’s aide.

Then one day, representatives from the University of Arizona’s

Indigenous Teacher Project (ITEP) paid a visit to First Mesa Day

School. ITEP, which was founded in 2016 through a grant from

the US Department of Education, work to increase the number

of Indigenous teachers serving Indigenous students, schools, and

communities. Through the two-year program, cohorts of Indigenous pre-service teachers complete an Elementary Education

degree, with a focus on Indigenous Education, and graduate with

a teaching certificate. “I remember being so intrigued because

it offered a program for teacher’s aides to help pay for college,”

she recalls. She also liked that ITEP stressed the importance of

including and incorporating culture in lessons.

After a long battle with cancer, Pahvahtyah’s mother died in

2016. One week later, Pahvahtyah got her acceptance letter from

ITEP and was on her way to earning her teaching degree. “I

know she would be so proud. She always pushed education. She

believed education was the key to change,” Pahvahtyah says of

her mother. She completed her student teaching requirement at

Pueblo Gardens PreK-8 School, and after she graduated from the

ITEP program with her teaching degree, she was hired full time

at the same school.

In her classroom at Pueblo Gardens, Pahvahtyah supports her

students in both academic and socio-emotional growth. “It’s not

just academics that stand out to me, it’s real-life lessons,” says

Pahvahtyah, who works to provide a justice-centered education

for her students. “As a teacher, how can we build transformative

change not just in our communities but in our societies?” she

asks.

Civil rights lessons in Pahvahtyah’s class include Indigenous

civil rights with a focus on Hispanic civil rights, because her

students are primarily Hispanic. “[The students] see patterns in

their social environment,” Pahvahtyah says. “They feel emotions

as they break the lesson apart, understanding they are going to

feel angry, question the system, and may feel bad;” while at the

same time, she says, feeling pride in their identity.

“Kristy helps student understand that our

cultures and backgrounds will always be a

part of us, and that it can be a strength to grow

on.” – Dr. Michael Konrad, Principal at Pueblo

Gardens

Each morning, Pahvahtyah holds class meetings in which she

asks the students what they did over the weekend or what has

been in the news. She then asks them to share something personal, guided by a prompts like, “What is one concept of yourself

that you really value?” Each student’s reflection is respected by

the classmates, whether or not they agree.

She gives the example of teaching about Cesar Chavez and the

economical impacts of big farming. She stuck to the curriculum

standards but integrated lessons about Chavez and his struggle

to help the farmers get better wages. That lesson led to her talk

about Hopi dry farming and the blue corn her people raise. “I

brought my kids some piki and typed up a whole lesson,” which

included both science and vocabulary, Pahvahtyah says.

Piki is made from blue cornmeal, water and ash from the salt

bush. The mixture looks like a pancake batter and it is spread by

hand over a stone heated by a fire. Each layer is paper thin and

is rolled up similar to a burrito. “The piki was really good!” says

Gabby Borquez, Lili’s younger sister who is in Pavahtyah’s class

this year. “It had a smoky flavor from cooking it on a hot stone.

It was kinda like a tortilla chip but a little flimsier.”

Continued pg. 13

Hopi Tribal Council

Timothy L. Nuvangyaoma,

Chairman

Craig Andrews

Vice Chairman

Judith Youvella

Tribal Secretary

Nada Talayumptewa,

Tribal Treasurer

Alfonso Sakeva,

Sergeant-At-Arms

Village of Upper

Moenkopi

William Charley

Danny Humetewa Sr.

Leroy Sumatzkuku

Michael Elmer

Village of Bakabi

Marilyn Fredericks

Ruth Kewanimptewa

Dwayne Secakuku

Village of Kyakotsmovi

David Talayumptewa

Gary P. Kelhoyouma

Danny Honanie

Herman G. Honanie

Village of Sipaulavi

Rosa Honanie

Anita Bahnimptewa

Raymond Namoki

Village of Mishongnovi

Arthur Batala

Ronald Humeyestewa

Marilyn Tewa

Mervin Yoyetewa

First Mesa Consolidated

Villages

Albert T. Sinquah

Dale Sinquah

Wallace Youvella, Jr.

Vacant

Hopi Small Animal Control

Who Are We?

Submitted by: Charles Mahkewa, Lead Animal Control Officer

- Department of Health and Human

Services

Kykotsmovi, Ariz. – June 13, 2023

Hopi Small Animal Control Program

(HSACP) is a Hopi Tribal Program that

was established in 2016 by Tribal Council. HSACP has been working to establish

the program along with a Kennel facility

and a home office since its approval.

The entire country dealt with the Covid

Pandemic from 2020 to present, which

set the program back from much needed

development.

As of today, HSACP is staffed by one,

(1) Lead Animal Control Officer, Charles

Mahkewa. A recent hire of a Deputy Animal Control Officer is in progress, which

will complete the staffing of HSACP.

Although the program will be staffed

with two full-time staff, the demand

of controlling and supporting the Hopi

community with response and support is

overwhelming.

Currently, due to the fact that HSACP

does not have an office and a facility,

services are very limited. Removal of

unwanted dogs, sick dogs, tick infested

dogs and cats are not possible at this

time. HSACP is encouraging the public

to take full responsibility for their own

pets when it comes to removal of these

animals. Aggressive dogs that are biting

people are being investigated following

the process within Hopi Tribal Ordinance

#61, which is the Small Animal Control

Ordinance. Hopi Small Animal Control

is a Civil Enforcement Program and will

only have jurisdiction over civil matters,

dealing with pets. If there is a circumstance that a criminal act has occurred,

Hopi Law Enforcement Services will

have full jurisdiction and authority over

those matters.

If you or a family member has been

bitten by a dog, you are encouraged to

seek immediate medical attention. Upon

medical care Hopi Health Care Center

will generate a referral to Hopi SACP for

investigation. Unfortunately, a majority

of the dogs within the Hopi communities

are not properly vaccinated. Any bite

should be taken seriously as we do not

know what the dogs or cats may be carrying, such as rabies. A dog or cat could

appear healthy, on the other hand it may

be carrying a disease or virus that may

be damaging to one’s health. The most

important vaccination all dogs and cats

should have is the rabies vaccine. If your

pets do not have the rabies vaccination

and is a carrier of the virus, their bite is

100% fatal. There have been recent rabies

outbreaks on the Hualapai Indian Reservation to the west of Flagstaff and on

the White Mountain Apache Reservation,

which is south of Hopi. With these rabies

outbreaks near Hopi, we can potentially

be the next community with a rabies virus

outbreak; we are not immune to this bad

virus.

HSACP strongly encourages the Hopi/

Tewa people to get your dogs and cats

vaccinated for rabies, parvo, and distemper and to have them treated for ticks and

fleas. Ticks are especially bad this year

due to the wet winter and spring we’ve

had. We welcome the moisture to our arid

lands but it does multiply the bugs and

critters, which impact our animals and

human population.

The Hopi Public Health Compliance

Office (HPHCO) has been in the community conducting tick and flea medication

applications. HPHCO will be in the Hopi

communities in June with Hopi Indian

Health Services (IHS) providing rabies

vaccinations. These services are free of

charge; please take full advantage of

these events. A spay and neuter clinic is

being coordinated and when dates and

locations are confirmed, the public will

be notified.

HSACP strongly encourages pet

owners to be proactive with their pets.

As a dog or cat owner, we may need to

reach into our wallets and pay for these

services to ensure our pets receive the

much needed vaccinations to protect your

pet and the community. These pets are

often referred to as “part of the family”

and we need to care for them as such and

not compromise their health and wellbeing, by waiting for a free service. Our pet

friends deserve to be healthy and happy.

HSACP can be contacted at (928) 4971532 or at ChMahkewa@hopi.nsn.us.

###

Hopi Tutuveni June 7, 2023

Hopilavit - Everyday words

S M I S M

T U M A L

J U T P A

S P J P C

D I L T O

F T V M A

I A A A P

Y N S W V

O A P O V

H K O A I

O T A K A

T S U Q P

I Y T A B

I K A V O

Y T A L A

O Q E H I

P I

I Q A

Y A W

Y A B

A Q N

U A P

N W O

D I

Y S G

T T F

U O A

K H J

O G O

P K A

N I W

A Q O

I K I

H I K

S I N

S T

I U

V T

A U

Q Q

O A

P Y

Q I

O W

T A

R Y

H U

A M

J A

N A

O Y

P K

HOPI WORDS

Kyesmismuyaw - December

Wiiki’yma - Guide (Singular)

Tuwi’yta - Able (skillful)

Pö’i’yta - Debt (Have)

Sivaqöpqö - Heater

Yuki’at - Accomplishment

Öqala - Determined

Hopiiqatsi - Hopi Way of Life

Tukopna - Accuse

Alögö - Different

Nù’okwa - Kind Hearted

Hintsakpi - Activity

Hötsiwa - Doorway

Ngahu - Medicine

Pu’ason - Afterward

Hiihiko - Drink

Muytala - Moon Light

Qe’ti - Back out of

Nan’ip - Each (of two)

Tömö - Season (Winter)

Novaki - Bakery

Tutuqayiw - Education

Nuvati - Snowed

Tuptsiwni - Belief

Töövu - Ember

Nawini - Suggestion

Kwusiva - Bring

Tumal’aya - Employee

Tsangaw - Thank Goodness

Pàato - Burst

Tunatya - Endeavor

Kyaamuya - Winter (Solstice)

Pitanakts - Cap/Hat

Naatsiki - Factionalize

Hihìiyà - Wow!

Sikiki - Car (Auto)

Qöpqö - Fire place

Kansulmongwi - Chairman

Saavu - Fire wood

Namora - Choice

Tuuqayta - Fluent

Iyoho’ti - Cold (Weather)

Qalaptu - Get Over (Recover)

TICK-TACK-TOE

Hopi Tutuveni June 7, 2023

June 2023 Honoree Kristy Pahvahtyah

Honored by her students, Gabby and Lili Borquez

Pueblo Gardens PreK-8, continued from pg. 11...

“They really liked it!” Pahvahtyah says with delight. “I was so

surprised because they haven’t grown up on that food; [Hopi] food is

very bland, I didn’t think they would really care for it but they loved

it! Some had two rolls, some asked if they could take some home for

their parents to try. It was really neat.” The lesson also included a

video on the process of planting, tending, harvesting, then grinding

the corn before the actual cooking takes place.

“The process begins way before you actually have your food. That’s

that she was so proud of her culture translates to the kids as ‘Hey, I

can be proud of my culture.’”

There was a big turnout for that event, and it was so popular that

Konrad asked Pahvahtyah to do a similar project with staff members

at the start of the next school year as a way to learn about students

and for the staff to get to know each other better. “I definitely see in

her the capacity for leadership. I feel blessed to have her serving our

community,” says Konrad.

Pahvahtyah finds ways to integrate culture and pride into all aspects

of learning, including a geography lesson that led to some interesting discoveries for the students. “We had to search up where our last

name was from,” says Lili. She was surprised to learn the origin of her

last name, Borquez. “It’s mainly in Chile and Spain. I didn’t know my

last name went to Chile and Spain!”

Pahvahtya with students pictured above. Photos by: Mamta Popat

what we [Hopi] tell our own kids: we don’t waste the food because

people worked hard to make it,” says Pahvahtyah. “That helped the

students appreciate it.”

Dr. Michael Konrad, the principal at Pueblo Gardens, grew up in

Arizona but admits he didn’t know much about the Hopi people until

he watched Pahvahtyah teach.

“What I found interesting is how one’s own culture can be honored

and can be made a part of one’s role as an educator,” says Konrad.

“Kristy helps students understand that our cultures and backgrounds

will always be a part of us; and it can be a strength to grow on that

can shape who they are and how they see the world and how they can

shape whatever community they are a part of.”

One example of that is how Pahvahtyah changed a simple poetry assignment. “We’re revising the concept of poetry and figurative

language,” she said. She had the students create poems starting with

the prompt “I Am From,” that showed their unique identities. Parents

were invited to the Poetry Slam to hear what the students wrote.

One of her students who is Hispanic and Yaqui talked about his dual

identities. Another student wrote about his Tohono O’odham heritage. Yet another student wrote, “I am my Nana’s house,” because he

spends so much time there.

“The way that she was so proud of her culture translates

to the kids as ‘Hey, I can be proud of my culture.’” – Amanda Borquez, mother of students Lili and Gabby Borquez

Borquez is White and her husband is Mexican-American, and she

says Pahvahtyah encouraged Gabby to celebrate both sides. “All these

beautiful cultures that they talked about – she’s setting them up for the

future to be tolerant,” says Borquez. “You’re not supposed to judge a

person by what they look like. That’s what she teaches. I just love her

lessons.”

Pahvahtyah herself participated in the Poetry Slam by reading a

poem about the Hopi ceremonies she participated in as a girl. She also

showed photos of her home and culture.

“I cried and my kids were embarrassed!” says Borquez. “The way

Pavahvahtyah with student pictured above. Photo by: Mamta Popat

In addition to being such a powerful influence in the lives of both

Lili and Gabby, Borquez says Pahvahtyah is already helping her son,

Christian, even though he’s only in second grade. Christian excels

in math and needed to be challenged so his teacher and Pahvahtyah

worked out a plan for him to go to Pahvahtyah’s class once a week to

learn math. That meant taking on additional duties for Pahvahtyah and

keeping his mother updated.

“Ms. Pahvahtyah helped build his confidence. She pushed him to

learn more concepts and that opened up a whole new level for him,”

Borquez says. “Ms. Pahvahtyah allows her students to make choices,

she sets expectations, and follows through with consequences. As a

parent, I think it established them to really know what it’s like to be

an adult. We make choices, we do things day to day and there’s consequences. She really gives the students the tools to succeed and make

the choices.”

It all comes back to the Hopi philosophy of Sumi’nangwa and the

wisdom of a thousand ancestors who have taught Pahvahtyah the values that guide her as a teacher. “In any general teacher prep program

they say to build from your prior knowledge,” says Pahvahtyah. For

her, that knowledge is rooted in her Hopi culture.

“She’s teaching them to be good humans. Our world needs better

humans and she is definitely helping with that for sure,” says Borquez.

“I’m 35 years old and she makes me want to be better!”

Hopi Tutuveni June 21, 2023

Supreme Court preserves law that aims to keep Native American children with tribal families

By: Mark Sherman AP

Washington, DC – June 15, 2023 — The Supreme Court on Thursday preserved the system that gives preference to Native American families in foster

care and adoption proceedings of Native children, rejecting a broad attack

from some Republican-led states and white families who argued it is based on

race.

The court left in place the 1978 Indian Child Welfare Act, which was enacted to address concerns that Native children were being separated from their

families and, too frequently, placed in non-Native homes.

Tribal leaders have backed the law as a means of preserving their families,

traditions and cultures and had warned that a broad ruling against the tribes

could have undermined their ability to govern themselves.

The “issues are complicated” Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for a seven-justice majority that included the court’s three liberals and four of its six

conservatives, but the “bottom line is that we reject all of petitioners’ challenges to the statute.”

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented, each writing that

Congress lacks the authority to interfere with foster care placements and adoptions, typically the province of the states. The decision, Alito wrote, “disserves

the rights and interests of these children.”

But Justice Neil Gorsuch, a Colorado native who has emerged as a champion of Native rights since joining the court in 2017, wrote in a separate opinion

that the decision “safeguards the ability of tribal members to raise their children free from interference by state authorities and other outside parties.”

The leaders of tribes involved in the case called the outcome a major victory

for tribes and Native children.

“We hope this decision will lay to rest the political attacks aimed at diminishing tribal sovereignty and creating instability throughout Indian law that

have persisted for too long,” said a joint statement from Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr., Morongo Band of Mission Indians Chairman

Charles Martin, Oneida Nation Chairman Tehassi Hill and Quinault Indian

Nation President Guy Capoeman.

President Joe Biden, whose administration defended the law at the high

court, noted that he supported the law 45 years ago when was a Democratic

senator from Delaware.

“Our Nation’s painful history looms large over today’s decision. In the notso-distant past, Native children were stolen from the arms of the people who

loved them,” Biden said in a statement.

Congress passed the law in response to the alarming rate at which Native

American and Alaska Native children were taken from their homes by public

and private agencies.

The law requires states to notify tribes and seek placement with the child’s

extended family, members of the child’s tribe or other Native American families.

Three white families, the state of Texas and a small number of other states

claimed the law is unconstitutional under the equal protection clause because it

was based on race. They also contended it puts the interests of tribes ahead of

children and improperly allows the federal government too much power over

adoptions and foster placements, areas that typically are under state control.

The lead plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case — Chad and Jennifer Brackeen of Fort Worth, Texas — adopted a Native American child after a prolonged

legal fight with the Navajo Nation, one of the two largest Native American

tribes, based in the Southwest. The Brackeens are trying to adopt the boy’s

5-year-old half-sister, known in court papers as Y.R.J., who has lived with

them since infancy. The Navajo Nation has opposed that adoption.

At last fall’s arguments, several conservative justices expressed concern

about at least one aspect of the law that gives preference to Native parents,

even if they are of a different tribe than the child they are seeking to adopt or

foster.

Among them was Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was in the majority Thursday in favor of the tribes. But Kavanaugh injected a cautionary note in a separate opinion focused on the preferences for Native foster and adoptive parents.

“In my view, the equal protection issue is serious,” Kavanaugh wrote,

commenting that the race of prospective parents and children could be used

to reject a foster placement or adoption, “even if the placement is otherwise

determined to be in the child’s best interests.”

The Supreme Court dealt with that issue by determining that neither Texas

nor the parents had legal standing to make that argument in this case.

The Brackeens and others can make those arguments in state court proceedings, the justices said.

Matthew McGill, who represented the Brackeens at the Supreme Court, said

he would press a racial discrimination claim in state court.

“Our main concern is what today’s decision means for the little girl, Y.R.J.

— now five years old — who has been a part of the Brackeen family for

nearly her whole life. The Court did not address our core claim that ICWA

impermissibly discriminates against Native American children and families

that wish to adopt them, saying it must be brought in state court,” McGill said

in a statement.

All the children who have been involved in the current case at one point

are enrolled or could be enrolled as Navajo, Cherokee, White Earth Band of

Ojibwe and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. Some of the adoptions have been finalized

while some are still being challenged.

More than three-quarters of the 574 federally recognized tribes in the country and nearly two dozen state attorneys general across the political spectrum

had called on the high court to uphold the law.

The Supreme Court had twice taken up cases on the Indian Child Welfare

Act before, in 1989 and in 2013, that have stirred intense emotion.

Before the Indian Child Welfare Act was enacted, between 25% and 35% of

Native American children were being taken from their homes and placed with

adoptive families, in foster care or in institutions. Most were placed with white

families or in boarding schools in attempts to assimilate them

###

Hopi Tutuveni June 21, 2023

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Hopi Tutuveni June 21, 2023

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.