Dear Future President,

     My name is Naomi Kellywood, I attend Kirtland Central High School in Kirtland, New Mexico. I myself, am a Native American. I am only 15 years old, a sophomore in KCHS, with two sisters, one brother, and another sister due in January. I live on the Navajo Nation Reservation. Yes, the land is full of beauty, but yet destroyed by hatred and people littering on our sacred land. We need not only help in our law enforcement, but in our health. We have such a beautiful tradition, but yet we are forgotten by The United States of America. Our Navajo Reservation Is 27,000 square miles wide. There are at least 300,460 enrolled tribal members according to 2015 data, and approximately 260,00 Native Americans that live on the Navajo Nation Reservation.

     There are at least 137 Navajo Nation Police Officers, and 28 criminal investigators, and 27,000 square miles of the Navajo Reservation to cover. The NPD are responsible for seven district, which are Shiprock, NM; Chine, AZ; Crownpoint, NM; Tuba, AZ; Window Rock, AZ; and Dilkon, AZ. One officer is responsible for patrolling 70 square miles of the Reservation. I understand that the Navajo Treaty of 1868 in which had released Navajo's from captivity at Fort Sumner, had established the law enforcement as the responsibility of the federal government. Our first Navajo police force was created in 1872, although dissolved three years, and wasn't reestablished until 1959 at the request of the Navajo Tribal Council. I also understand that the Navajo Nation Police is responsible for law enforcement and the care and custody of prisoners. Although our beautiful reservation is 27,00 square miles with only 137 police officers.

     Our Native Americans have serious phone calls that are answered but not respond as quickly as answered. There are times when the situation is never responded to. Recently Ashlynne Mike and along with her brother Shawn Mike was kidnapped by allegedly Tom Begaye right after being dropped off by the school bus, a quarter mile from their home. Tom had told them that he wanted to take them to watch a movie, they had agreed to get into the vehicle, instead of going to Farmingon, he had got onto the highway headed to Shiprock. Tom had stop the vehicle a couple of miles away from the pinnacle, where he had sexually molested and left Ashlynne Mike to die, he had told Shawn to go back home. Then took off, Shawn Mike was found by a motorist, walking the side of Navajo Route 13, several hours after their kidnapping.

     The Amber Alert was issued for Ashlynne Mile about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, her body was found by family members, six miles south of the pinnacle at 11 a.m. that day. Although the family had called in the Amber Alert around 6:30 p.m. Monday. Ashlynne Mike's aunt went to the Farmington Police Department, confused on why the Amber Alert was not issued when they had called it in. The Farmington Police Department had responded to her telling her that it was out of their jurisdiction. The government needs to realize that the Navajo Nation also needs their help. Our Police are slow to respond to serious phone calls. In the beginning I had stated that one police officer is responsible for patrolling 70 square miles. Our reservation is too big for only 137 Navajo Nation Police Officers to cover, and so we need also the local, state, and governments help on our Navajo Nation.

     A year ago, My mother Roseanne had a problem with my aunt Winfred. My auntie had gotten into a argument with my grandmother Alice, in result my mother had called the Farmington Police Department, only they said they were going to call the Crownpoint Police Department, the police didn't get to the house until 3 hours later, in that time my aunt had tried to harm not only my grandmother but also myself, and my mother. Our Native Americans are calling in serious situation but they are only respond to within hours.

     Our health is also going downhill, we only have 6 hospitals,7 health centers, and 15 health stations according to Indian Health Services. Our hospitals are too slow, and also doesn't take things seriously. There are approximately 80,837 Native Americans enrolled at Northern Navajo Medical Center. There are 827 full-time employees, the medical staff has 50 physicians and 20 mid-level providers. There are constant phone calls that are sent to voice mail. The wait at the hospitals are longer then what it should be, our Native Americans cannot go to Farmington Hospital without having something that requires for them to get cared for, that they yet are not approved for nor have. Our elders should be cared for the right way, and our adults, teenagers, children(s) should not have to wait just to be seen, nor have to wait all day to get their prescription.

    My great grandfather had died of a heart attack 1 & 1/2 year ago, my father Calbert had taken him to Farmington hospital, they had told my dad they could not take him even thought he was having a heart attack, my father then left and rushed to the Shiprock hospital, when he had gotten to the hospital the nurses told my father that my great grandfather had to wait to be seen even thought he was having a heart attack, my grandfather had waited 30 minutes with a heart attack to be seen, before the doctors had finally came to call in my grandfather, he had died from the heart attack.

    In conclusion, our Navajo Nation need help and we need improvement with our law enforcement and hospitals. We need local and state help, our reservation to big for only 137 Navajo Nation Police Officers to cover without help, and our hospitals are to slow and needs to improve, overall us Native Americans need help, and don't deserve to be ignored.

Sincerely ,

Naomi Kellywood