Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. hopes 2006 will be another big year for the Navajo Nation.

In an interview with The Farmington Daily Times, Shirley said he hopes to see the tribe break ground on the first casino by the end of next year. He said sites in Shiprock, New Mexico, and in Nahatadziil, Arizona, are prime locations.

Shirley said the biggest issue facing the tribe is government reform. He said people need to talk about changing the structure of the government to make it more fair.

Shirley hopes the Navajo Nation Council will sponsor a bill to share DWI information with the state of New Mexico. He said he will start an anti-methamphetamine task force, similar to the one he started against drunk driving.

Shirley testified in the recent trial over snowmaking in San Francisco Peaks. The Navajo Nation, along with several othertribes, filed suit against the U.S. Forest Service to block the use of wastewater in the peaks.

"We don't agree with the Forest Service decision," he told the paper. "They've got no business desecrating sacred sites."

Get the Story:
N.N. President eyes '06 prospects (The Farmington Daily Times 12/12)

Relevant Links:
Navajo Nation - http://www.navajo.org

Related Stories:
Interview with Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. (08/08)