AP: "Navajo president endorses Hillary Clinton"

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Forum Name General Discussion: Primaries
Topic subject AP: "Navajo president endorses Hillary Clinton"
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4331654#4331654
4331654, AP: "Navajo president endorses Hillary Clinton"
Posted by bidenista on Fri Feb-01-08 09:19 AM

Navajo president endorses Clinton
FELICIA FONSECA
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
Posted: 1/31/2008

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The leader of the country’s largest Indian reservation threw his support behind New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday, saying she would best protect tribal sovereignty.

“We want so much to have Washington, whoever is the president, whoever is living in the White House, the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Senate, we want them to recognize that, and I believe that Sen. Hillary Clinton has recognized that,” Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr. told The Associated Press ahead of a radio announcement.

Shirley’s decision comes on the heels of an endorsement of Clinton by former Navajo leader Peterson Zah, who also praised Clinton for understanding the key issue of tribal sovereignty. For Shirley, sovereignty is sacred and in the simplest terms, means independence. But it also includes keeping the Navajo culture, ceremonies, language and way of life alive.
Clinton “assures us that she is going to protect our sovereignty, she is going to stand up for our sovereignty, she is going to recognize it,” Shirley said.

“The government-to-government relationship is going to continue,” he said. “But what Native America likes to see is nation-to-nation, and I think that’s what I see in her presidency.”...

More: http://news.rgj.com//apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080131/NEWS18/80131051