The Navajo Nation Council voted 59-14 on Friday to override President Joe Shirley Jr.'s veto of a bill to ban same-sex marriage on the reservation.

The council needed 59 votes to override the veto. Delegate Larry Anderson, the original sponsor of the Din Marriage Act of 2005, called the vote a victory for traditional Navajo values.

Shirley had called the measure discriminatory and said it addresses a non-issue on the reservation. Some tribal members formed a group to oppose the ban, saying that gay and lesbian people have always been a part of tribal culture.

With the override, the Navajo Nation becomes the second tribe to outlaw same-sex marriage. The Cherokee Nation council passed its ban last year.

Get the Story:
Council overrides veto (The Gallup Independent 6/4)
Navajo Council overrides marriage veto (The Farmington Daily Times 6/4)
Native Nations Divided On Gay Marriage (AP 6/4)

Relevant Links:
Dine Coalition for Cultural Preservation - http://www.dinecoalition.com
Navajo Nation Council - http://www.navajonationcouncil.org
Navajo Nation - http://www.navajo.org

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