Tribe wants six Navajo-majority House districts in New Mexico

Tribe wants six Navajo-majority House districts in New Mexico

Jan. 8, 2001

By Richard Behnke
Associated Press Writer

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A Navajo Nation consultant, contending legislative districts have been historically gerrymandered to dilute the Navajo vote, pushed for a revised plan Monday that would help correct such inequities.

And a top Navajo official said the tribe would accept other statewide legislative redistricting plans that adopt the Navajos’ fair-shake proposal for six Navajo-majority districts in northwestern New Mexico.

The tribe had given state lawmakers its initial plan for redistricting the New Mexico House of Representatives prior to the 2001 legislative session. It would give the tribe six Navajo-majority House districts.

"To my understanding, they graciously reviewed that, put it aside and drew up their own," said Edward T. Begay, speaker of the Navajo Nation Council.

Republican Gov. Gary Johnson vetoed the Democrat-controlled Legislature’s plan and a trial to determine state House district boundaries began last week before state District Judge Frank Allen Jr.

On Monday, Begay outlined the tribe’s hopes for additional funding, better educational opportunities and more political participation from what he said would be the second revision of the original proposal.

Pat Rogers, attorney for a group intervening in the case, asked Begay whether the Navajo Nation would accept any other plans being proposed "if we could take your plan and fit it (in)."

"As long as they’re compatible overall and also with the Voting Rights Act," Begay said.

Richard Engstrom, research professor of political science at the University of New Orleans, testified on behalf of the Navajo proposal, which he said he drew up based on Census figures and voter information.

Legislative elections in Navajo country "do tend to be racially polarized in terms of voter response to the candidates offered." The racial component shows up particularly in primary elections, when all candidates are of the same party, he said.

Many Navajo country legislative districts, he said, appear to have been deliberately "packed," or overstuffed with Navajo voters, while others were "cracked," or broken apart. Packing occurs when a district is already predominantly Navajo and "wasted" Navajo votes are added. "Cracking" occurs when a solid bloc of voters is broken apart.

"I don’t believe the goal was to promote better representation for Native Americans," Engstrom said.

Engstrom said of four of six plans offered provide only five Navajo-majority districts.