Navajo Candidate|Will Stay on Ballot

(CN) - A Navajo candidate for tribal chairman will stay on the Nov. 4 ballot despite claims that he doesn't speak the language well enough, the tribal elections board ruled Monday.

Chris Deschene finished second in the tribal primary, but a hearing officer last week ruled that he should be pulled from the ballot because he refused to answer some questions in the Navajo language.

But the Navajo Board of Elections Supervisors voted 7 to 1 Monday to keep him on the ballot.

The Navajo, or Diné as they call themselves, are the nation's largest tribe, with 300,000 members on a 27,425-square-mile reservation in the Four Corners area.

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit