Gratitude Friday...oh and Why is the Navajo Nation Vital Statistics Window Rock office closed March 28-30,2011?? hmmm.

by Leland P. Morrill Adopted Native American Citizenship Affected by The REAL ID Act of 2005 on Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 12:10am

Good evening WWWpeeps,

Leland here, realizing Gratitude Friday is late today....in some parts of the U.S. it's now Saturday so excuse my lateness. There is a particular lady in Perris California who has been a great source of information to me so to her this Friday I am grateful. She also cautioned me to be patient and let the process happen rather than rushing it.

I do tend to do that on occasion because after 22 years of continuous research and with the advances within the last two years and two months being so quick I'm letting my own rush become a visible cog an not letting the process run it's "normal" or destined course.

To her, THANK YOU! I called, emailed & probably bothered her way too much today so yes I understand her verbalizing what needed to be said. 

I remind you I am affected by The Real ID Act of 2005 because I now hold a second six month temporary "paper" State issued Drivers License as required by that Act expiring July 13, 2011. No other will be issued after that date and I will become an ILLEGAL ALIEN if the Navajo Nation doesn't provide my needed documentation which should have been done in 1971 when I was adopted out of their tribe in Chinle Arizona....United States of America.

 Today I was in a nutrition class in Koreatown (Los Angeles). While there my biological Uncle Bob called me & I stepped out for a minute & talked to him. He finally was able to talk to Leonard Benally, Manager of the Census at the Navajo Nation Vital Statistics to verify verbally of my existence & relation. A great step forward. Another gratitude moment there. Leonard told Uncle Bob to write down his recollection of my mother Linda Kirk & me and to submit that in writing. Another step forward...YAY!

YAY my confirmation email!

Returning home, I openned up my email and a "USPS Shipment Info for 7010 3090 0000 5814 6774" email was staring at me.  I posted this on the Facebook Page. My Certified Mail gold 8.5"x11" package arrived at the Window Rock Post Office at 10:19am (today) Friday March 25, 2011. YAY. I immediately called Leonard Benally and told him. Surprise surprise!! He sent someone immediately to the post office to pick up the package. At 2:46pm another email arrived confirming delivery of my package to someone who picked it up. I waited another half hour, called Leonard back & we went over the details.  

Now, I will say I am headstrong so this may not be the best approach for others to follow, or it might. Please use your judgement and "read" the person on the on the other end of your conversation well so they understand your immediate need at this phase because you will want things done "yesterday" or as in my case 40 years ago, when my adopted mother originally applied for a birth certificate with the Navajo Nation & me now knowing Alisia and Leonard both have reviewed that application and still nothing has been done.

I was a little taken back when Leonard Benally told me to have my adopted mother submit her recollection of my adoption and what she knew. I considered it a stall tactic & was slightly put off (mildly offended) by such a request. Well, if you've kept up with my story and read my previous notes you know my adopted mother did indeed supply that to me in hopes it would help me at some point in this process. Please see the Note or Blog entry: 

"Am I ILLEGAL?!? Navajo, pre-adoption life version from my MOM (adopted)."

So, I asked Leonard Benally, Manager of the Census for the Navajo Vital Statistics point blank for his direct email address...a long uncomfortable pause & then he spoke & gave it to me, I spelled it out, verifying it to the letter. I went back through my emails & forwarded the same email within 5-10 minutes of our conversation. 

Between...

1. My adopted mother's recollection, 
2. My biological Uncle Bob's verbal verification of my existence
3. His relationship to Linda Carolyn Kirk (my biological mother) 
4. His inpending written submitted recollection of my bio-mom & I;  
5. My research notes & also 7 pages of documentation attached to my Navajo Nation Application for Membership and Navajo Nation Application for Services,  

...I am hopeful an "Affidavit of Birth", New Enrollement into the Navajo Nation, and a Certificate of Navajo Blood will arrive at some point. Remember, I only have until July 13, 2011 until my temporary "paper" United State issued Drivers License expires and due to the limitations spelled out in The REAL ID ACT of 2005 authored by Jim (James) Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, that will be the date I become an ILLEGAL ALIEN. Thanks JIM! You're a pal...well not really.

So, I cannot afford, for my own sake, to allow any other person who is informed of my situation; who can be a part of my process; to sit on their "laurels" and take their sweet time. It took 40 year after I was adopted in 1971, with an application for birth certificate submitted by my adopted mother, 22 years of my own research, this blog/facebook page, notifying others and publicising my own story to keep the process visble. NOPE, I will not allow people to sit and do nothing. Nor should you. 

Something that I found out from Leonard Benally, the Navajo Nation Window Rock Vital Statistics Office will be closed MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY (March 28-30, 2011)...ummmm why? No reason given. Also, I was cautioned I am still considered an outsider, even though:

1. The Navajo Nation through a Final Adoption Decree dated July 15,1971 in The Trial Court of the Navajo Tribe, Judicial District of CHINLE ARIZONA adopted me out, without a birth certificate, census number, certificate of indian blood, 
2. Knowingly having documentation I had been a patient at the  the Chinle Arizona Health Clinic, PHS Indian Hospital Keams Canyon Arizona, Gallup Indian Medical Center 
3. Also had been assigned a Social Services "person" Ms. McCray through the Bureau of Indian Affairs in CHINLE ARIZONA. 

Ok...so caution & I shall wait until Thursday to call back Leonard Benally. 

As for the reason the office is closed THREE DAYS????? I will find that out as well and will inquire. I SINCERELY HOPE IT IS NOT BECAUSE OF " The Third Annual Language Preservation Summit! The Summit will be held March 28-30, 2011 at the beautiful Radisson Fort McDowell Resort in Scotsdale, AZ!"  http://falmouthinstitute.com/language/2010/10/falmouths-language-preservation-summit-exciting-news/ . 

If it is then it is.  Oh well. The Window Rock Navajo Nation Vital Statistics office will still be closed those three days.

Ok so I ranted a bit.

Today being Grateful Friday: I am grateful to my Perris California friend, my biological Uncle Bob for calling Leonard Benally & I hope to be grateful next Friday for Leonard Benally's role for the next step of retaining my United States Citizenship and furthering the Navajo Nation documentation started by my adopted mother in 1971.

Please read my previous notes, comment, make suggestions, oh and LIKE my page. Thanks again wonderful readers. Yes this last entry was intense but, if it can help anyone else with the process & understand the stresses, time involvement, expenditures and help them prepare and carve out a path, this page/blog was not in vain.