Wallace runs NN Tribal Clothing Program

FARMINGTON — A Nazlini, Ariz., man, who is the director of the Navajo Nation Tribal Clothing Program and a member of the Nazlini Community School’s Board of Directors, remained jailed June 13 at the San Juan County Detention Center on an outstanding warrant out of Farmington Municipal Court, records show.

Chrispin Wallace, was booked into the jail on a no bond warrant. The paperwork connected to the arrest indicates that Wallace possesses three prior DWI convictions — including two from Gallup in 1994 and 2005. A bench warrant was issued for Wallace in March 2011 for failure to comply with probationary terms that stemmed from a DWI and the failure to deal with that got Wallace jailed.

Wallace failed to turn himself in to San Juan County authorities to serve a 30-day jail sentence followed by 29 days of substance abuse treatment, according to jail records. That was part of a plea bargain and reduced sentence.

Wallace is a member of the board of directors at the Nazlini Community School, Inc. It is unclear how long Wallace has been affiliated with Tribal Clothing program and Nazlini schools.

Dr. Tommy Lewis, superintendent of the Department of Diné Education, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment on the matter. But tribal law imposes a lifetime ban on crimes involving alcohol relevant to tribal school board members.

Matthew Tso, legislative analyst with the Department of Diné Education, said he’ll forward the necessary paperwork to the Navajo Nation Elections Administration regarding Wallace. That office oversees the Nazlini school district.

“There are rules and regulations against this kind of behavior,” Tso said. “There are violations in this situation.” Tso noted that there are three other similar matters to that of Wallace that are undergoing “looks” from his department, including one case of shoplifting.

The Navajo Nation Tribal Clothing Program has been in existence since the 1950s. Its mission is to provide clothing for Navajo children who are attending school and emergency assistance to children whose families are experiencing crises such as a burnout or family displacement due to family hardship, according to the agency’s mission statement.

By Bernie Dotson 
Sun Correspondent