Leaders of the interim Navajo tribal government Friday branded Chairman Peter MacDonald as the architect of a bloody tribal riot, and the head of the U.S. Interior Department called on the chairman to leave the reservation for the good of the tribe.
"He was the architect of the entire episode," interim Chairman Leonard Haskie said at a news conference Friday.Two people died and 11 were injured in the riot, which broke out on Thursday afternoon when a crowd of MacDonald supporters stormed tribal offices.
In Washington, Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan said it would "be a very good idea" for MacDonald to leave the reservation to ensure no further outbreaks of violence occur.
Lujan joined other federal officials in emphasizing that the federal government does not recognize MacDonald as the head of the Navajo Nation, the nation's largest Indian tribe, and considers Haskie at the helm.
Haskie was named interim chairman of the Navajo Tribal Council in February after it placed MacDonald on paid leave over allegations of fraud and corruption made during U.S. Senate hearings in January.
"We cannot accept nor condone (violent) protests being orchestrated by Mr. MacDonald," Haskie said.
His assessment that MacDonald may be to blame was echoed by federal officials in Washington on Friday.
However, at another Window Rock news conference, MacDonald charged that the interim government was to blame for the two men's deaths.
"It was one of the worst episodes of the Navajo Nation," MacDonald said. "They were victims of a harsh, brutal attack."