Dear Editor,
To the Citizens of Gallup and McKinley County:
Community members of the Eastern Navajo Nation agency and neighboring towns were reaching out to Kialo Winters for information regarding Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s stand against the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. Kialo Winters has initiated a solidarity supply drive with community schools, neighboring communities, and private groups to reach out to the protest camps in North Dakota who are protesting vigorously in order to protect the Missouri River watershed.
Kialo Winters, along with his wife Terri, and 17-year-old daughter June, traveled to North Dakota to help Standing Rock Sioux protesters by delivering school books, supplies, and children’s winter clothing to Mní Wičhóni Nakíčižiŋ Owáyawa or Defenders of the Water School. The effort to stop the pipeline through activism, protesting, writing letters, etc. is critical in stopping the impending threat to not only the Sioux’s water supply, and sovereignty, but to the Missouri River watershed and livelihood of all Americans in the Midwest.
Kialo Winters stated, “My daughter June, a high school senior, was adamant to contribute to the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. So, through our network of friends, we found out about the establishment of a school in Red Warrior Camp. Information from friends at the camp stated, ‘...30 kids are attending school and a lawyer [is] helping with the legal homeschooling framework…’ the homeschool project began over Labor Day with 30 school students.”
With this information, Winters and community supporters gained support from Na’ Neelzhiin Ji Olta’ School, Pueblo Pintado School, Tsé Yí Gai High School, Ojo Encino Chapter House, TóHajiilee Community School, and area groups and organizations received supplies from community members. Since then, there has been an overwhelming response from community members.
This was no surprise, as the Eastern Navajo Agency and the surrounding chapters are very generous in spite of their own struggles.
Kialo Winters and the team who are contributing to this effort include Cheyenne Antonio, Loren Anthony, Andriane Chalepa, Byron Shorty, Hollie Mackey, Matthew Thompson, Erica Pretty Eagle Moore, Graham Beyale, Brian Staples, Keri Jojola, Kenneth Toledo, Shirley Antonio, Dayna Desiderio, Matthew Thompson, Paula Largo, Alberta Ballard, Wally Toledo, Mario Atencio, Cheryl Guerito, Chastity Gordo, Samuel Sage, Dawn Tso, Deborah Tsosie, and Tera Frank.
The Gulf and Valdez disasters are examples of greed and imperfect men’s plans, this pipeline cannot be allowed to happen. Tribal Burial grounds have already been disrespected and disturbed by this unnecessary project. Oil prices are down but selfishness and greed are up. If the project goes belly up, does the government bail out the corporation who destroys a burial ground and threatens a Sovereign Nation’s water supply and its surrounding communities?
Kialo Winters (Navajo) is Tangle Clan, Towering House, Red Running Into Water, and One Walks Around You. He is from Na’ Neelzhiin - Torreon community on the Eastern Navajo Nation reservation. Winters works for Jerome and Sevaleah Tsosie at Native Innovation, Inc. This summer Winters became a recipient of a startup grant provided by the Native Entrepreneur in Residence Program, which offers capital and mentorship to entrepreneurs in New Mexico and Oklahoma through New Mexico Community Capital based in Albuquerque.
As a former schoolteacher for 14 years, former community volunteer firefighter as an EMT-Basic, Winters, with NEIR, has started a pre-venture business design to establish an off-grid leadership center with the Navajo education learning model as a guide for delivering the curriculum. His team includes Matthew Thompson (Navajo), Terri Winters (Navajo), and Nancy Upthegrove-Jaramillo (Seneca).
By Ray Begaye
Former N.M. State House Representative 1999-2012
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