Both Smith, 30, and Yazzie, 27, who are community organizers, fully support the fluency requirement. "I don't think it is radical to require the president of our tribal nation (to) understand the language of the people he's aspiring to lead," Yazzie said, as Smith took aim at the target.

The tribe lacks any legal precedent for determining language fluency, and the months of procedural drama left many feeling disenfranchised. The controversy, however, was more than an institutional debacle, as voters found themselves in a fierce debate over cultural identity and ideal leadership. Fluency is steadily declining as more and more Navajos leave the reservation. Deschene, a well-educated 43-year-old former Marine, was popular with many voters, especially younger ones, eager to abandon the tribe's old guard. His opponents, though, found the language question insurmountable.

As Smith, Yazzie and others see it, Navajo leaders should have a deep understanding of the tribe's unique traditions and values. Yazzie is tired of hearing that English is as relevant as Navajo. "We don't have problems with our communication with Washington, or the state, or the feds," she said. "We have problems with the communication … to our own communities."