The Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise (Navajo Gaming) celebrated a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 20, to announce its first-class travel center at Twin Arrows Casino. In conjunction with the event, Navajo Gaming launched its first-ever Education Partnership for Navajo college students. Titled “Let’s Build the Business,” the internship program will allow 20 college-aged Navajo interns from a variety of nearby universities and colleges to actively participate in various aspects of business development.
“The program will give young people an opportunity to learn what it takes to build a successful business. They’ll gain new hands-on skills that will allow them to strengthen Navajo economic opportunities for future generations,” said Navajo Gaming CEO Brian Parrish. “Students will be planning and designing the construction of the travel center as well as business operations and management such as marketing and human resources.”
Eight students have been selected and additional candidates will be determined by the Dine College, Navajo Technical University, Northern Arizona University, Coconino Community College, Arizona State University, University of Arizona and other nearby colleges. College credit will be earned.
A recent graduate of NAU, Tristan Swatts, from Sanders, has been working on the project since July. “I’m doing the business safety aspects of the whole travel center by preparing a safety procedure plan that will go into building a business.”
Swatts graduated with a biomedical sciences degree and a minor in psychological sciences in chemistry. “Another reason for implementing the Let’s Build the Business education training program is to confront the 40 percent unemployment rate on the Navajo reservation,” said Swatts. “This will help decrease the unemployment rate and increase the advancement of the workforce of Navajo students and small businesses.”
Swatts’s ultimate goal is to become a general surgeon specializing in trauma and return to the reservation to build a hospital or clinic. “I was born in Sanders and we are one hour from a hospital so I would like to [improve] the mileage gap and provide easier access.”
Managed by Navajo Gaming through the Síhasin Fund, and approved by the Navajo Nation Council, the pioneering internship program will provide young Navajos an unparalleled opportunity to become an integral part of the construction, development and business management of the new Twin Arrows Travel Center. The Sihasin Fund is a $554 million settlement that will fund infrastructure projects all over Northern Arizona.
“Sihasin money has been used for so many things, economic development for water lines, electric lines, housing and things like that,” said Navajo Nation President, the Honorable Russell Begaye. “Everybody had a hand in making this happen, farm boards, Navajo Nation employees to people that own grazing permits, farm boards, every person on Navajo Nation land.”
“We’re eager to begin building the premier travel center for travelers along I-40 as an introduction to all the Navajo Nation has to offer,” Parrish said. “It will be a Southwest gateway to the Navajo Nation. We’ll have our own Navajo beef and sausage products, have our own bottled soda called Navajo Fizz, and more.”
The travel center is slated for completion mid-summer 2019 and will service all vehicles, with an emphasis on semi-trailer trucks. The center will be open 24/7 and feature restrooms, showers and laundry services for truck drivers, a wide variety of food and beverage selections with an emphasis on healthy food options, fresh ground coffee brewed daily and specialty desserts.
Showcasing Navajo arts and crafts, a fire pit with slow-roasted, premium-grade Navajo beef and other Navajo-themed freshly-cooked meals and beverages will be offered to guests.
“We’re grateful to the Navajo Nation Council, Budget and Finance Committee, President Begaye and our host chapter for moving this economic development project forward as together we create more opportunities for Navajos,” added Parrish.
Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort is the only AAA four-diamond resort in Northern Arizona and the only Navajo resort in the world. FBN
By Veronica Tierney, FBN
