Navajo in Disharmony

Peter MacDonald was elected Chairman of the Navajo Nation for an unprecedented fourthterm with Johnny R. Thompson as his chosen Vice-Chairman.MacDonald convinced the Tribal Council that the purchase of the Big Boquillas Ranch willhelp rejuvenate the Navajo Nation's economy. The Tribal Council agreed and approved thepurchase in lopsided vote. It was purchased by the tribe for $33.4 million dollars, just minutesafter Byron Brown, a Scottsdale developer and MacDonald friend and another associate paida California company $26.2 million for the same ranch. The Tribal Council approved the salewith its members unaware of the double escrow of the fact that the tribe was paying $7 millionmore than the ranch was actually worth.Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs established a Special Committee on Investigations touncover "fraud, corruption and mismanagement in American Indian Affairs, no matter whereor to whom it led." As part of the committee's mandate, it also called to examine Indian tribalgovernments to ascertain the degree of corruption in those institutions. The committee paidattention to Peter MacDonald's leadership.The Senate Committee's investigation of political corruption in Peter MacDonald's administration,centered around the "Big Bo" land purchase and other deals to intense conflict in the Nation. Amajority of the Tribal Council became dissatisfied with MacDonald's leadership and organizedagainst him. MacDonald agreed to leave office peacefully if the Council will furnish him with alegal defense fund. The Council refused. The Council by a vote of 49 to 13 placed MacDonaldon involuntary administrative leave without the defense fund he demanded. This led to a seriesof protests, confrontations and division culminating in a deadly confrontation which eruptedin Window Rock; wherein, two Navajos were killed and ten were injured pitting supporters ofMacDonald against the Tribal Council, tribal police, and others.