Episode 26: Carl Slater on Navajo Sovereignty and Self Determination

Wósdéé Podcast

In this episode, I talk to Carl Slater who is a Navajo Nation council delegate. We start our discussion looking at sovereignty and what it means to him. We imagine a form of sovereignty that is embedded in Navajo values and philosophy. We explore ideas of sovereignty based on his experience as a Navajo delegate. From there we discuss discourses online that read like colonial tropes of Indigenous peoples such as ‘Indigenous people can’t govern themselves’ and what that means for the political reality for Indigenous peoples and their self-determination. We discuss the relationship between the Navajo government and mutual aid organizations to understand how discourses are produced during the pandemic.

Our conversation moves towards looking at the root historical cause of health disparities in the Navajo Nation, colonialism. Carl speaks to the limitations of the relationship with the Federal government. We end our discussion looking at how the CARES act could be used as a strong expression of sovereignty.

Despite the colonial history, tribal sovereignty is an expression of Indigenous agency that should be not be downplayed. All in all, tribal sovereignty and indigenous self-determination are messy and necessary. No one said that decolonization was going to be easy or straightforward. Thank you for listening this is the Wósdéé podcast.

Opening theme by @Purplecatsinslacks