Special Report - Shiprock Navajo Fair: Where does the money go?

A reported $4 million to $5 million was generated last month at the Shiprock Navajo Fair, yet no oversight exists to track the money, no one seems to be sure where it all goes and there are legal questions about the credibility of the fair board as a tax-exempt organization, a Daily Times investigation found.

[Wow]

Wow. What everyone suspected and talks about, put into words.

Great job Daily times.

Now it is time we sound the call for change, as in regulation of this board. I hope the atty general or council in Window Rock will see the need for new accountability law to be implemented. Like, now!

[rodney]

I used to attend the fair back in the 70's and 80's and very little has changed. It is still the dusty, dirty, un organized and overpriced event in the local area. I will not attend this fair for these reasons.

THere are a lot of good events during the fair like the rodeo, pow-wow, 4-H parade adn a variety of cultural events within the fair but on the whole, the fair needs to improve. It is an insult to the attenders of the fair that this event does not improve. And now to find out that they were charging oru code-talkers this exorbitant fee to be inthe parade was just another insult.

With all the fees they charge and no improvements to be seen at the fair, I am convinced that the board is just anotehr group of incompetent thieves, thugs and hoodlums who should step down and let someone who has a vision for improving the fair step up and take a swing at it!

I am not sure why anybody still attends these fairs. I guess we like the abuse adn will settle for anything!

[IRS Audit]

Why is the Shiprock Navajo Fair Inc. under the state of NM PRC? It should be under the Navajo Nation. Does this mean the state of NM has jurisdiction over this matter as well?(Gov. Richardson, there are $millions$ being made under the state of NM & your administration!!) The state of NM should bar & disband SNFI's tax-exempt status forever. It's a Navajo tribal matter. Its just plain wrong. An IRS audit should be called on the Shiprock Navajo Fair Inc.(SNFI) and its officers and members. All need to be held and made accountable. Also, why do we have the Navajo Nation Sovereignty Day when SNFI shows no respect for such a day? Obviously, even the IRS rules & regulations are being broken by SNFI for its tax-exempt status (AS BEING UNDER THE GOVERNMENT & RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION). Give me a break!!

[Otis]

Danged board. Acting like blue eyes.

[real eyes]

...Just the local Indians getting away with whatever they can get away with and taking a huge advantage of the local Indian population;

tothe DT: Keep on them! I would like to see any outcome of this story.

To the Board: speak up and tell your story. You are looking awfully guilty here.

To the tribe: Dont we have a White Collar crime unit to investigate this Board and see if they are breaking any laws? Nobody seems to know and Somebody needs to speak up!

[Irate]

What has the fair done to account for its dollars?" asked Leonard Anthony, Shiprock delegate to the Navajo Tribal Council. "The fair board has not even attempted to report to the chapter or the community." This is the sound of a typical and incompetent politician, who has been elected as a so-called Navajo Lawmaker. Leonard Anthony is not being responsible nor is he coherent about his fiduciary responsibility. If he was concerned, why could he not take this issue before the Navajo Government and IRS and even the state and demand a full accounting or audit of the Organization.

[joe dirt]

man, after 98 years "IT'S ABOUT TIME"i am giving 100% to The Daily Time for speaking up for where does the money goes. nothing change expect the admission price is rising,still the same dusty,drunks people, they need to put that money to used need a pavement on that fair ground rebuild the old building.its like shiprock fled market $7 or $8 for a space and do you know what they charge .50 cent to use the portable (outhouse). that sucks!!!!!!!!!!

[IRS]

its about time ... and i hope this error by the fair board is kept in the headlines until the fair comes around again ...

[Breakeven]

$1 million or $4 to $5 million, at least the Shiprock Navajo Fair must be breaking even and/or making money and not having to collect losses from taxpayers - Tres Rios should have taken lessons from the Shiprock Navajo Fair Board and not the spendthrift Rob Mayes.
Instead Bill Standley and others are having to come to the empty coffers of taxpayers to pay the $325,000 in losses; most of this being spent on extravagance - waste and abuse.

[Oil poor]

Taxpayers of San Juan County and the State of New Mexico should demand an immediate stop to any and all funding of any project or service on the Navajo Nation. The fair is just one example of the total corruption that drives that Third World excuse of a government.

[AmIcrazy]

Wow wrote:

Wow. What everyone suspected and talks about, put into words.
Great job Daily times.
Now it is time we sound the call for change, as in regulation of this board. I hope the atty general or council in Window Rock will see the need for new accountability law to be implemented. Like, now!

Tres Rios lost $325,000+ of taxpayer money, is this the Change you are sounding off for ?

Is this the 'new accountability law' you dream of ?

Well, Tres Rios has heard from the taxpayers and has their new call for change -'if National High School Rodeo Association agreed to help local communities cut some of the incurred losses rather than continue to expect continued facility upgrades and investments'.

Miss-management of the National High School Rodeo by Bill Standley and others (Tres Rios) has cost the taxpaying community millions while the management by the Shiprock Navajo Fair Board has apparently made millions.

My vote goes to the Shiprock Navajo Fair Board !

[Sound Thoughts]

Daily Time late by years, reporting this annual
fraud.

[AmIcrazy]

Oil poor wrote:

Taxpayers of San Juan County and the State of New Mexico should demand an immediate stop to any and all funding of any project or service on the Navajo Nation. The fair is just one example of the total corruption that drives that Third World excuse of a government.

This what you call the 'Third World excuse of a government' is about all that is supporting what's left of San Juan County's economy !

Are you asking for Total Economic Collapse ? If so you will find a lot of friends in the Socialist Democratic Party !

[Yazzie]

Let's state the facts; where is traffic control; where is security, port a pottie costs are minimal; what modular set up?; trash everywhere and weeks after the fair; the vendors set up and take down their own set ups; the big tents are owned by independent companies and would be fools to allow those yahoos to set up or take down; revenues include t shirts, admissions fees, parking fees, booth fees, on and on....someone is profitting. it's all a bunch of crap and bologna. Audit these fools....do a forensic audit and lets find out what is going on?

[Yazzie]

this is what you get when you put a bunch of people with no business experience in positions where lots of money is involved and no accountability to the sources of income. A good non profit organization should be transparent and be accountable with an annual report. 93% of all every dollar should be going back to provide services for the people it serves.

[DallasN8tive]

I was born and raised in the community of Shiprock and glad to go home for the fair. It's become an annual festivity just as any other holidays that I like to return to my place called home. Living off the reservation, I visit many places and see many faces of different races and cultural backgrounds. During my travels to places like North Carolina, Atlanta, and Chicago, I am always so proud to say I am Navajo (Dine') from the Navajo Reservation. Most are astonished and excited to know that my people still exist and want to visit the Reservation. I tell them Shiprock is home to me and that the fair is a good time to visit and see all the festivities involved with the Navajo culture. Unfortunately, not many people who stay there can take as much pride in their community. They may feel as if it's their safety net but they should really appreciate it. Navajos are taught to respect the land and environment. We should be ashamed that after all these years, the fair board can not put money aside to better the improvement of facilities or build restrooms for the fair. If the fair is in it's 98th year of existence, why hasn't there been any improvements? Like we're not gonna have a 99th fair next year! C'mon Board Members think to better the place we call home, Shiprock and maybe the community will show more pride in their fair like they do their Chieftains.

[Raider for Life]

Wow wrote:

Wow. What everyone suspected and talks about, put into words.
Great job Daily times.
Now it is time we sound the call for change, as in regulation of this board. I hope the atty general or council in Window Rock will see the need for new accountability law to be implemented. Like, now!

Why not , the tribal govenment does it and gets away with it.They just learned from the best is all. I'm not condoning what they do but if the leaders can do it why not us is their way of thinking. The council delegates and presidents office might have a hand in this too, we show you how to get around this and you give me some "GOLF BALLS" as it were. Let's just hope someone thought to freeze all assets of the fair board before starting this investigation.As for waiting until the 100th anniversary, why not start now and when that gets here "VOILA" the grounds are ready and hope fully the fair is a success. Finally from my pint of view the south end of the fairgrounds is what the fair began as and should be to this day, the Ceremonies and the Indian markets, and yes even the occasional inebriated individual, alcohol has been around even that long as well. Rodeos , carnivals and deep fried foods on a stick were not the original intent of the fair in it's origin and add to it the greedy fair board.

[Uh Oh]

Sounds fishy... maybe this is another OnSat or BCDS fiasco... hopefully not.

[Grumpy Old Guy]

This is the type of article we would see in the DT twenty years ago. Thank you for proving that journalism isn't completely dead in our county.

Good job...give her a raise!

[Always a Chieftain]

DallasN8tive wrote:

I was born and raised in the community of Shiprock and glad to go home for the fair. It's become an annual festivity just as any other holidays that I like to return to my place called home. Living off the reservation, I visit many places and see many faces of different races and cultural backgrounds. During my travels to places like North Carolina, Atlanta, and Chicago, I am always so proud to say I am Navajo (Dine') from the Navajo Reservation. Most are astonished and excited to know that my people still exist and want to visit the Reservation. I tell them Shiprock is home to me and that the fair is a good time to visit and see all the festivities involved with the Navajo culture. Unfortunately, not many people who stay there can take as much pride in their community. They may feel as if it's their safety net but they should really appreciate it. Navajos are taught to respect the land and environment. We should be ashamed that after all these years, the fair board can not put money aside to better the improvement of facilities or build restrooms for the fair. If the fair is in it's 98th year of existence, why hasn't there been any improvements? Like we're not gonna have a 99th fair next year! C'mon Board Members think to better the place we call home, Shiprock and maybe the community will show more pride in their fair like they do their Chieftains.

Leave the Mighty Chieftains out of this, the greedy fair board couldn't even hold a candle to them.Although they could learn a leson in honor from them.