REFORM · ISSUE 3 OF 3
Access to the Law
What it is
The Navajo Nation Code was last fully published in 2009. Since then, amendments have been added in a separate sheet and resolutions pass on DiBB — a lookup system that requires knowing the resolution number to find anything. Five titles of the Code are not published at all. A law student is doing the Nation’s codification. This is not an abstract problem: a candidate cannot cite a law they cannot find; a citizen cannot hold a leader accountable for a standard they cannot read.
Learn
Understand the system — then consult an expert
Where the Law Actually Lives — where Navajo Nation law is published, where it is not, and why no one can promise you the current law. Includes the challenge.
The Root Problem — the 2009 Code, the amendment sheet, the five missing titles, and why it matters.
The Basics — what you cannot get — the Code stops at 2009; the Supreme Court’s opinions cost $45-100 a volume.
Consult an expert: Ask about law access and codification →
Plan & Assess
Where candidates stand — weigh it yourself
When candidates say the law isn’t followed — the candidate record on law access and enforcement.
Ask any candidate: Can you name the section of the Navajo Nation Code governing [any topic you care about]? If not, what is your plan to make the law findable? Full list →
Act
What you can do now
Try to find the law: Find the Law — a guided search → · Where the law actually lives →
Help build the book: The Consolidation — building the book that doesn’t exist → · Volunteer to help →
Report & Monitor
Track progress — hold the right office accountable
What should be public: The complete current Navajo Nation Code, online, searchable, free. The Supreme Court’s opinions. The Labor Commission’s decisions. What should be public →
Track: Still looking → · Community Findings → · Share what you find →