A new Boys & Girls Club has opened on the Navajo Nation under the auspices of the Navajo tribal government.

Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. hailed the opening of the club in Lachee, Arizona, as a step towards sovereignty. He wants the Navajo government to control all the clubs.

But the campaign clashed with that of the nonprofit Boys and Girls Club of Navajo Inc., which operated 14 clubs on the reservation. All the clubs were forced to close down due to a funding dispute with Shirley's office. An effort to provide $1.2 million in emergency funds to the clubs was vetoed by Shirley.

Get the Story:
Shirley opens tribal Boys and Girls Club (The Farmington Daily Times 4/8)

Relevant Links:
Boys and Girls Clubs in Indian Country - http://www.naclubs.org

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