Full Profile · From the Interview Record
Demetria Simms
B · From the record Summaries are drawn from Cal Nez’s interview. Quotations are not published until checked against the recording. How we verify →
Candidate Snapshot
Background & Why They’re Running
Simms, a veteran who currently lives off the Navajo Nation, says she's watched from the sidelines and is running because delegates have real power to change laws; she wants to hold those positions accountable.
Where Demetria Simms Stands
Each topic below is drawn from the interview — the question Cal asked, and a short summary of the answer, generated by AI from the interview recording.
The Three Branches
Cal asked: What's the biggest issue, and how would you address it?
Simms calls the failing three-branch government the biggest issue — implemented in hope but not working. She doesn't see it disappearing, but says it could be undone, and she'd hold every office to actually doing its job.
Title 2
Cal asked: Where does Title 2 fit?
Simms notes recent legislation added veterans to Title 2 for chapter-level recognition, and frames Title 2 as the basic structure of the government she'd work within.
Ethics & Broken Reporting
Cal asked: Why don't problems get fixed?
She says attempts to report problems — through ethics and rules or other channels — go nowhere, and wants a reporting system that actually works.
Veterans & NNVA Reform
Cal asked: What would you do for veterans?
A veteran herself, Simms says the federal government should care for veterans but service delivery fails — the VA sets up on the reservation and veterans don't come — and the Navajo Nation Veterans Administration, the only on-reservation program, isn't doing its due diligence. Northern Agency passed a no-confidence resolution against its executive director; she'd revamp the NNVA using its audits and qualified, non-nepotistic leadership.
Funds to the Chapters
Cal asked: How do you get money to the local level?
Simms wants to ensure money reaches the local chapters rather than stalling, and ties fund flows to qualified administration rather than favoritism.
In Their Own Words
Verbatim from the interview (auto-transcribed; lightly trimmed for length):
“My platform is I'm running because I have been sitting on the sidelines watching and having all these interactions with the council delegates.”
Topics in the Interview
- Background & Why She's Running
- The Three Branches
- Title 2
- Ethics & Broken Reporting
- Veterans & NNVA Reform
- Funds to the Chapters