In traditional Navajo society, everyone was equal. In fact, the idea of someone with power and authority making decisions for others is entirely contrary to Navajo morals. It is someone who shows little regard for right relationships. That person has little respect for others. Victim rights is an important issue.
Victim rights is an important issue.
There too, you bring in the relatives. Vincent Craig, our chief probation officer, once told me a story. He said that an oral history came down to him that in the old days, many young women became pregnant while herding sheep. The woman's family would then approach the man's family to talk out a settlement. That is what I mean by bringing in the relatives.