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nnie Begay sat perched on a wooden bench in the cook shack for the Ye'ii Bicheii ceremony that's part of the 100th Annual Northern Navajo Nation Fair.

Adorned with traditional jewelry and a red velveteen shirt, she draped herself with a turquoise Pendleton blanket and said she's worried about how her family will come up with about $7,000 to pay for the Ye'ii Bicheii ceremony.

She is the patient for the ceremony held during the annual fair.

She didn't anticipate the cost since the fair board approved $10,000 to pay for her ceremony.

But with new leadership in the fair office, she now only has up to $3,000 to spend for the nine-day ceremony that is the distinguishing event that separates the northern fair from other fairs on the reservation.

"My eyes used to hurt. Now the pain's gone," she said, attributing her wellness to the ceremony that is scheduled to conclude at dawn Sunday morning.

Wood smoke from the kitchen area blew through the sitting area where about a dozen people sat at different tables eating mutton stew and visiting with each other.

This year's running of the Northern Navajo Nation Fair is similar to previous years in that the Shiprock community has various factions that either support or oppose the fair board.

But as the fair drew closer, the fair board had about $4,000 to pay the estimated to cost of about $686,000 to put on the fair.

The board needed money, so they entered into negotiations with President Ben Shelly less than a month before the fair started to secure a $150,000 loan, an estimated figure of the cost to run last year's fair.

To complicate the financial issues, Lloyd Smith, the fair director, and Dan Smith, entertainment coordinator, the two most vocal organizers of the fair, either went AWOL or were pushed out of their positions last week depending on who is telling the story.

So as the fair entered its second and final week, Navajo Nation Museum Director Manuelito Wheeler assumed the responsibilities of fair director. He and other staff who organized the 64th Annual Navajo Nation Fair in Window Rock were placed in an assisting position when Shelly approved the loan.

Regardless, the 29 Northern Fair coordinators had to slash their budgets to meet new spending limits and one of the events that had its budget slashed was the Ye'ii Bicheii ceremony.

Lloyd and Dan Smith contend they allocated $10,000 to Begay's family, which was approved by the fair board. The board is made up of representatives from the 19 Northern Agency chapters.

But as of last week, the family said they were informed their allocated amount was now $3,000 for a ceremony that can cost more than $10,000.

"We're just going to have make do," said James Begay, Annie's son.

Dan Smith provided a budget for the Ye'ii Bicheii that was approved by the fair board. The budget included payment for the medicine man and his helpers, food to feed visitors and helpers, gathering of herbs, sheep and other expenses associated with the healing ceremony.

Annie said she was approached by the fair board a few weeks ago and was asked if she could be the patient for this year's ceremony. She was promised that the expenses would be taken care of if she agreed. So she said she OK.

That promise wasn't kept.

Delilah Goodluck, spokesperson for the fair, said the family was informed they would have to pay for costs beyond what the fair office provided them.

As Lloyd and Dan Smith sat in the cook shack with the Annie and others, the contended that they tried to negotiate with Wheeler to give the family the money they were promised.

Dan Smith, who says he was pushed out from his position as entertainment coordinator, a statement Wheeler denies, said he was willing to sacrifice half of his $20,000 entertainment budget for the Ye'ii Bicheii.

"The Ye'ii Bicheii is more important than a concert," he said.

Moreover, Dan and his cousin, Lloyd, say the ceremony is the heart of the fair and Wheeler isn't taking into consideration the importance the Ye'ii Bicheii's role in the annual fair.

However, Charley P. Joe, who was the vice president of Shiprock Northern Navajo Fair Inc., the board which organized the fair for 23 years up until this year, said their board never paid the full amount for the ceremony.

He said their board would allocate about $1,500 to pay for the medicine man and his helpers, but the rest of the cost was the responsibility of the family.

But James Begay said his family didn't have enough time to prepare for cost of the ceremony.

"We'll make it somehow," he said.

Ensuring transparency

On Tuesday morning, Wheeler held a press conference, which included Shelly's chief of staff, Sherrick Roanhorse, and Shelly's staff assistant, Phillip Kinlichee, and assured the public that fair will have financial transparency.

The president's office entered into a memorandum of understanding with the fair board on Sept. 16, which allowed for the $150,000 loan.

Wheeler said he wanted to bring a sense of stability and promised transparency of financial records for the fair's expenditures.

For years, Shiprock residents have clamored for financial reports from fair organizers, but rarely was information released, if any.

Wheeler said he should have a complete financial report of the fair's expenditures a few weeks after the fair ends.

"We will show the books. We will be transparent," Kinlichee said.

Wheeler said since his staff has come to assist with the fair, a few sponsors who've been reluctant to make any financial commitments because of recent conflicts with fair organizers, now have come forth to support the fair.

Though the news media present repeatedly asked for a financial report of the fair's current standing, Wheeler said he doesn't have the manpower to devote a person to compile current financial records.

In addition, he said with sponsors coming forth and unexpected expenses, the finances are constantly changing.

"Once the fair gets going, it's a steamroller," he said.

But Wheeler inherited problems of miscommunication or nonexistent communication between coordinators, some of whom ignored a policy of taking only money orders for payment for various fees like booths and exhibits. Those practices have led to allegations from community members that Lloyd Smith took up to $50,000 of fair money.

Smith, who owns a window tinting business, says he didn't take any money but spent his own personal money to get the fair going since last October. At one point, he said he deposited $5,000 of his own money into the fair's Wells Fargo account.

Wheeler said he doesn't know if any money is unaccounted for and is focused on ensuring the fair happens.

He added that since he started working with the Northern Navajo Nation Fair, he has received many calls from people who were promised payment for services. But he said many of the promises were verbal and weren't in writing, so he can't substantiate their requests.

But Wheeler's presence is welcome, said Woody Lee, a fair board member.

"The board as a whole has more confidence," he said.

Moreover, he said the board asked for help from the president's office.

"Our jobs are on the line," said Goodluck, who stressed the importance of providing financial records after the fair.

As for Annie Begay, she said she doesn't know who to trust anymore when it comes to statements about money and the fair, but she hopes Wheeler will stick with the fair board's promise of paying for the ceremony because it isn't only for her.

"They don't understand nothing about this (ceremony)," she said. "It's healing for everyone. I respect myself. I respect the elders to the little ones because this is what it's all about."

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