.
. SHE
. SHE IS
. SHE IS THE NEW STATE LAWMAKER FROM THE NAVAJO NATION AND AT
25 YEARS OLD ALSO THE YOUNGEST
LAWMAKER AT THE CAPITOL.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE JASMINE
BLACKWATER NYGREN WAS SWORN IN
LAST WEEK JUST 10 DAYS AFTER
ORLANDO TELO RESIGNED THE SEAT
TO TAKE A JOB IN THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION.
JOINING US NOW AFTER JUST A FEW
DAYS ON THE JOB, REPRESENTATIVE
BLACKWATER NIREN.
WELCOME TO SKLAROFF.
THANK YOU.
HAVE YOU.
SO LET'S LOOK AT THE TIMELINE
HERE.
YOU WERE APPOINTED TO YOUR SEAT
AND SWORN IN IN JUST 10 DAYS
AFTER REPRESENTATIVE ORLANDO
TELLER RESIGNED TO TAKE A JOB
IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
JUST 10 DAYS.
HOW DID IT ALL HAPPENED SO
FAST?
WERE YOU JUST READY TO GO?
RIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR ASKING ME THAT.
I WOULD MENTION MR. TELLER,
FORMER REPRESENTATIVE TELLER
HAD STEPPED DOWN AND I WAS
ASKED WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY
THIS MONDAY OR TUESDAY IF I WAS
INTERESTED AND I HAD THOUGHT
ABOUT IT.
I RESPONDED YES, THE REST
OF THE WEEK I'M THINKING ABOUT
IT TALKING WITH FRIENDS AND
FAMILY AND I FINALLY DECIDED TO
GO FOR SUBMITTED MY APPLICATION
FOR CONSIDERATION ON MONDAY AND
THEN WAS ASKED TO ENTER THE
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON TUESDAY
AND THEY VOTED DURING THAT SAME
MEETING AND I DID IT JUST COME
OUT OF THE BLUE THOUGH.
HAD YOU BEEN THINKING ABOUT
GETTING INTO POLITICS?
YOU KNOW, I HADN'T REALLY
THOUGHT ABOUT IT BUT
OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF
AND MADE A LOT OF SENSE AND I
JUST DECIDED TO CAPITALIZE ON
THE OPPORTUNITY AND JUST KIND
OF FUN.
NOW WE SPOKE EARLIER IN THE
WEEK.
YOU MENTIONED TO ME THAT, YOU
KNOW, THE SEAT CAME OPEN JUST A
DAY AFTER FORMER LAWMAKER
ALBERT HALE DIED.
HE REPRESENTED THE SEAT YOU ARE
NOW IN.
WHAT IMPACT DID THAT HAVE
FAIRLY NOT NOT NECESSARILY
CLOSE BUT I KNEW THE ALBERT
HILL YOU KNOW, WE HAD SPENT
SOME TIME TOGETHER WHILE I WAS
IN LAW SCHOOL MY HUSBAND AND
HIM WERE PRETTY CLOSE AND HE
ALWAYS WENT FOR NAVAJO AS A
NAVAJO, AS A REPRESENTATIVE, AS
A SENATOR.
I ALWAYS HAD VERY SAY TO ME AND
ONE OF THE THINGS HE HAD
MENTIONED WAS THAT AS A YOUNG I
JUST PASSED THE BAR THAT I
THOUGHT ABOUT BUT OPPORTUNITY
PRESENTED ITSELF AND MADE A LOT
OF SENSE AND HE DECIDED TO
CAPITALIZE ON THE OPPORTUNITY
AND JUST KIND OF FUN.
SO YOU'RE A GRADUATE
OF MONUMENT VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL,
GRADUATE OF STANFORD
UNIVERSITY, GRADUATE OF ASU LAW
SCHOOL.
YOU PLAN ALL ALONG WAS TO GO
BACK TO THE NATION AND PRACTICE
TRIBAL LAW.
WHAT DID YOU THAT'S WHAT YOU
HOPE TO DO THEIR SO INITIALLY
BEFORE ALL OF THIS HAD HAPPENED
I HAD HOPED TO WORK AS A STAFF
THAT'S BEEN AT THE LOCAL
DISTRICT COURT.
THAT WAS MY PLAN THINKING THAT
I HAD BEEN PLANNING ON FOR A
LONG TIME.
ONE OF THE REASONS I WENT TO
LAW SCHOOL WAS TO TAKE A
POSITION THAT ON THE
RESERVATION SPECIFICALLY NEAR
MY HOMETOWN AT MESA.
YES, THAT AND THIS YOU KNOW,
THREW A WRENCH IN THAT.
BUT I'M VERY EXCITED, VERY
EXCITED, VERY FIRED UP, READY
TO REALLY TRY AND HELP.
WELL, YOU TOLD ME IN OUR
CONVERSATIONS EARLIER IN THE
WEEK EVEN WHEN YOU WERE AT
STANFORD YOU'D GO BACK TO RED
MESA EVERY SUMMER WHEN YOU
PROBABLY HAD OTHER
OPPORTUNITIES LIKE MANY COLLEGE
STUDENTS DO TO DO OTHER THINGS.
CLEARLY HOME MEANS A LOT TO
YOU.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BE
REPRESENTING THE NAVAJO NATION
AS WELL AS OTHER PARTS OF YOUR
DISTRICT IN THE LEGISLATURE?
I THINK MY VOICE NEEDS TO BE
HEARD THE NAVAJO PEOPLE'S
VOICE, A WOMAN'S VOICE, A YOUNG
PERSON'S VOICE.
I'M KIND OF THE MINORITY OF THE
MINORITY, YOU KNOW, ON TOP
OF BEING A WOMAN, ON TOP
OF BEING NAVAJO.
I'M ALSO VERY YOUNG.
I'M EXCITED AT MY VOICE NEED
GOOD DESERVES TO AND I THINK
EVEN THOUGH THE BOARD
OF SUPERVISORS KIND OF WENT
OUTSIDE THE BOX IN AVOIDING ME,
I THINK THEY UNDERSTAND, YOU
KNOW, MY NEEDS TO BE HEARD AND
THAT THE YOUNG PEOPLE VOICE OUR
VOICE TO BE RECKONED WITH AND
THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU KNOW THEY
MIGHT BE AN TO UNDERSTAND THAT
THE NAVAJO YOUNG PEOPLE'S VOICE
IF I'M COMING IN THEY RESPECT
THAT THEM AS WELL FOR ME TO
COME HERE AND BY THAT AND AS A
WOMAN A NAVAJO WOMAN, WHAT DOES
IT MEAN TO BE REPRESENTING
WRIGHT?
I THINK AS NAVAJO VERY UNIQUE
AND NAVAJO WOMAN SOMETIMES
WE'RE TOLD TO STAY HOME, TAKE
THE KIDS FAMILY AND IN THIS
POSITION I'M ALSO DOING THAT I
AM TAKING I'M TAKING CARE
OF FAMILIES THAT FAMILIES NEED
FOR IRAN.
CHILDREN NEED A GOOD QUALITY
EDUCATION AND ACCESS FOR ALL
RELATED TO THE HOME AND THE
FAMILY AND TALK ABOUT THE
ISSUES THE TOP TWO OR THREE
ISSUES YOU THINK NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED.
AND ALSO I'LL ASK YOU JUST
RIGHT OFF THE BAT COVID-19 ITS
LEGISLATURE HAS NOT DONE MUCH
WHEN IT COMES WHO COVID RELIEF.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU SEE AS A
PRIORITY RIGHT NOW?
ALL YOU DO IS CONTINUE THE WORK
THAT MR. HAD STARTED AND HE WAS
VERY FOCUSED ON TRANSPORTATION
ROADS.
THAT'S A BIG ISSUE WHERE I FROM
AND THAT'S KIND OF SOMETHING
THAT I LOVE CONTINUING TO WORK
ON HIS LEGACY AS FAR AS CUBAN
RELIEF, YOU KNOW, I THINK
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT
DEFINITELY TALKED ABOUT AND YOU
KNOW, RIGHT NOW I THINK MY
FOCUS IS MORE CONTINUING.
ALL RIGHT, REPRESENTATIVE
JASMINE BLACKWATER NORGREN,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US AND BEST OF LUCK TO YOU.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
WHEN WE COME BACK, WHAT'S NEXT
FOR ONE OF THE HEROES OF THE
ATTACK ON THE U.S. CAPITOL
WEARING A MASK IS AN EASY WAY
TO HELP STOP THE SPREAD
OF COVID-19 FACE MASKS MAY
PREVENT RESPIRATORY DROPLETS
FROM SPREADING.
THE CDC RECOMMENDS EVERYONE
OVER THE AGE OF TWO SHOULD WEAR
A MASK WHEN LEAVING YOUR HOME
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU HAVE
A FEVER OR SYMPTOMS.
MAKE SURE YOUR MASK COVERS YOUR
MOUTH AND NOSE.
KEEP THE MASK ON AT ALL TIMES
EVEN WHEN TALKING THE MASK
SHOULD FIT SNUGLY ON THE SIDES
OF YOUR FACE WITH NO GAPS.
MAKE SURE TO WASH YOUR CLOTH
MASK