Shirley laughs at D.C. Navajo

Film spoof causes stir on Navajo NationThe office of the president denies Shirley even saw the movie before the scheduled meeting Sunday. It claims De La Rosa's news release is a ploy to draw more attention to the film. Posted on Aug. 6, the film already has received nearly 2,000 hits.

According to Shirley spokesman George Hardeen, the president viewed the movie after hearing of the controversy. He watched it for the first time Tuesday evening, Hardeen said.

"His reaction was that he laughed," Hardeen said of Shirley. "This is a president who keeps an editorial cartoon of himself on the office wall. This kind of thing doesn't bother him."

Shirley, who asked Hardeen to handle the controversy, issued one statement about the movie: "If you can't take satire, stay out of politics."

Hardeen said an employee from the president's office may have talked to Kayenta officials about the movie, but that employee does not represent the president and was expressing his own opinion. Hardeen said Shirley never planned to attend the Kayenta Township meeting. Instead, Executive Staff Assistant Clinton Jim went to moderate discussion between township employees and chapter members.Comment:  Hmm. Perhaps De La Rosa misunderstood Shirley's reaction to his film. Or perhaps Shirley is spinning his views to avoid political fallout.

The Gallup Independent article on the situation provides more information. Apparently De La Rosa is communicating with the Kayenta officials, who are communicating with Andre Cordero of the tribe's human resources department, who is communicating with the president's office. Someone in this chain of communication is misinterpreting or misrepresenting someone else's views.

In any case, if Shirley or someone in his administration reacted as De La Rosa described it, I'd say it was an overreaction.