Intertribal Life Newspaper -

WINDOW ROCK-In February, the three branch chiefs of the Navajo Nation met to sign cyberbullying legislation into law. The legislation effectively updates the harassment, stalking and manslaughter statutes of the Navajo Nation Criminal Code to include criminal behavior in usage of electronic devices. 

President Russell Begaye was joined by Speaker of the 23rd Navajo Nation Council Honorable LoRenzo Bates and Navajo Nation Chief Justice JoAnn Jayne.

The amendments to the criminal code include new language addressing cyberbullying as follows: 

Manslaughter: "A person commits manslaughter if the person recklessly causes or contributes to the death of another, including via electronic communication device." 

Stalking: "Making unwanted or frightening contact with another through postal mail, Internet, or electronic communication, including but not limited to radio, fax, phone, texting, or email." 

Harassment: "A person commits harassment when that person intentionally or knowingly causes emotional distress to another by repeatedly shaming, degrading, humiliating, placing in fear, or otherwise abusing personal dignity, including via electronic communication device." 

Executive Staff Assistant for the Office of the President and Vice President (OPVP) Yvonne Kee-Billison stated that the Navajo Nation experiences high rates of violence but hasn't had language in its laws covering crimes that occur exclusively or originate on the Internet.

"When law enforcement was presented with evidence of harassment via social media or the Internet, prosecution could only go so far because of the old laws," Kee-Billison said. "Public Safety has updated our laws to protect our children. In this day and age, we need to have these laws in place to deter this type of behavior." 

Vice President Jonathan Nez said he hopes the new law will increase the awareness that people have when posting statements on the Internet.

"We need to be careful about what we post on social media sites like Facebook. When you post something online, it's there forever even after you delete it," Vice President Nez said. "As Navajo, we should extend our teachings of K'é to how we interact online. We need to show respect for ourselves and one another."

The incidence of cyberbullying is rising across the country and the Navajo Nation. Technology encompassed with the new law includes, but is not limited to cell phones, computers and tablets.

With the new law, the Navajo Nation also asserts the authority over individuals on and off the Navajo Nation by "determining jurisdiction for offenses involving electronic communications, an offense is committed within the Navajo Nation if an electronic communication device transmission either originates or is received in the Navajo Nation."

"About one-fourth of all suicides of children have been related to cyberbullying. We needed this law in place to protect our children and our people," President Begaye said. "With this law, we are updating the Nation's protections over our people to include criminal activity taking place on the Internet."