The Economist‘s S.A.P. provides background on a Navajo-proficiency controversy:
DINÉENA bizaad doo shi? Do you speak Navajo? If not, good luck running for the Navajo presidency. Chris Deschene has learned this the hard way. Mr Deschene was in second place in the polls before he was booted from the ballot two weeks ago for refusing to take a Navajo proficiency test. The presidential election, which should have taken place on November 4th, was put on hold until the issue could be resolved. In defending this policy, Ben Shelley, the current Navajo president, waxed deep: “Diné bizaad is sacred. Navajo leaders should have both language and cultural fluency in order to be qualified. Every society has an obligation to hold on to their traditions.”
Navajo is the most widely spoken indigenous language in America, but its speakers are dwindling. Just over half of enrolled tribal members—around 170,000 people—are fluent. It’s little wonder that Navajo leaders are so sensitive about this language requirement. Navajo is one of the rare languages to have survived the onslaught of the English juggernaut that laid waste to North America’s native linguistic diversity. That the nation could even consider a strict language requirement for its president underscores the vigour of the language, but the continued popularity of Mr Deschene hints that many Navajos don’t see language as an indispensable carrier of their culture anymore.
The Dish 