Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye and Vice President Jonathan Nez made safety a priority when the Home for Women and Children shutdown in Shiprock earlier this year.

The OP/VP began looking at options for a domestic violence shelter.

Now, thanks to Terrelene Massy, a replacement for the woman’s shelter is on the horizon.

Massey is the executive director of Navajo Social Services.

Massey met last week with the Navajo Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners seeking to use an unused building in Shiprock as a new women’s shelter.

The NHA offered a supportive resolution and the partnership with Social Services will utilize the Strengthening Families Program, which was established in October.

“There’s no tribally-run shelter on the Navajo Nation,” Massey said.

The shelter – which will provide a safe place for victims of domestic violence – will open sometime in 2017, she said.

They will rent the facility for the shelter. The biggest problem Massey foresees is staffing the shelter.

“Because it’s a new program, we have to create the positions,” Massey explained.

The Shiprock Home for Women and Children had been the largest domestic violence shelter on the Navajo Nation. When it closed, it left only two small shelters, LeChee and Kayenta, serving only the Arizona portion of the Navajo Reservation.

Begaye said he has been a longtime supporter of the defunct Shiprock shelter, starting even before he first became a council delegate.

“When they closed the doors it was really unfortunate,” Begaye said.

Social Services then tried to re-open a shelter but found it had no authority to do so, Begaye said.

The president’s office, with executive counsel, worked to give Social Services that authority.

There were many legal hoops to jump through, but in the end it was a success.

“We really need a shelter for the moms and kids where they feel safe and can recollect themselves,” Begaye said. “Even our elders, also, are starting to feel abused by their children.”