GOT A GRAM, GRANDMOTHER?

Police Arrest Three Generations Of Methamphetamine Dealers In Dilkon

DILKON, Ariz.- Navajo Nation police officers executed a federal
arrest warrant Tuesday and took a Navajo grandmother, her daughter
and granddaughter into custody for dealing methamphetamine in this
small, remote community.

Police arrested [Name redacted], 81, reputed to be a Navajo
traditional diagnostician known as a hand trembler, her daughter
[Name redacted], 63, and her granddaughter, [Name redacted], 39, at
their home one mile from the Basha's shopping center here. Also at
home at the time was the one-year-old infant daughter of [Name
redacted]. Her five-year-old son was at his Navajo Headstart program.

The three were transported to Flagstaff for their initial court
appearance. Navajo police said the family had been dealing for the
past three years, and residents had recently complained about their
activities again.

During a recent search of the family residence, methamphetamine and
marijuana were found. At that time, [Name redacted] reportedly
acknowledged dealing for about a year.

Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr., expressed surprise, shock
and sadness at news of the arrest.

"As Navajos, we look up to our elders for all of our teachings, and
it's wrong for her to be doing this," he said. "Our elders have
always given us good teachings so that we can maintain what we have
and what we're losing. Who knows how many families these people have harmed?"

Patrick Sandoval, chief of staff in the Office of the President and
Vice President, said these arrests will reflect badly on the Navajo
Nation but that the Navajo Division of Public Safety is serious about
investigating and arresting anyone selling "this poison to our children."

"It knocks the wind out of people to realize this is occurring," Mr.
Sandoval said. "We look to grandmas for advice, teachings, not to
come to them for dealing drugs."

"This is a very bad example, and this shows what meth can do," he
added. "As Navajo people, we look up to the elders for leadership,
for guidance. They're patriarchs. The mere fact that this is not the
first time she's been caught doing this and her disrespect for the
law, her involvement in the distribution, and the kids that she's
hurting shows she doesn't care about that."

The home where the women were arrested is situated in such a way as
to provide an excellent view of the highway and people approaching.

"You can see people come from a long way," said Senior Criminal
Investigator Walter Bighorse, who supervised the arrest. "It doesn't
help to have vehicles that are all white," he said in reference to
Navajo tribal vehicles.

He said the Criminal Investigation Section of the Navajo Division of
Public Safety continue to have a need for long-range surveillance
equipment in order to collect evidence and arrest other known dealers.

Police say it appears as if older people, aged 25 years and up, are
the predominant meth users in the Dilkon area. But children as young
as eight years old reportedly have used it.

"I want these people out here to know that the Navajo Nation police
did this," Officer Bighorse said. "We are serious about attacking
those dealing controlled substances."