The Navajo Nation is less than a month away from electing a new president, but a debate over one of the candidate's fluency in the Navajo language is threatening to delay the Nov. 4 election.

Chris Deschene's candidacy battle is currently making its way through the tribal court system, for the largest native American tribe in the nation, The Associated Press reported.

The Nation's laws requires candidates to be fluent in the language, which, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is widely spoken in the country.

About 169,000 of the 300,000 Navajo speak the language.

After Deschene and another candidate advanced in the August primary, two of the primary challengers filed grievances against Deschene, which is being heard before the Navajo Office of Hearings and Appeals.

Chief hearing officer Richie Nez initially dismissed the grievances filed by Dale Tsosie and Hank Whitethorne, which is the first time the fluency of a candidate has been challenged since the laws were established in the 1990s.

Instead of agreeing to take a fluency test, Deschene is determined to prove his fluency by being questioned in Navajo in court on Monday.

"What I'm learning is nobody wants to make a decision," Deschene told AP. "What I've said about the whole process is that we're not trying to skirt the fluency issue. What I'm saying is I'm sufficient."

The issue is important beyond the legal requirements of a candidate because of its importance in preserving a culture that the U.S. government once tried to erase.

"Yes, it's part of the election, but it's an overall big picture of us as a nation, whether we honor our clans, our language, how to incorporate that," tribal member Jaynie Parrish, 35, told AP. "This is a very big turning point for our community."

The Navajo language is passed down through the generations by deities. It is woven into creation stories and ceremonies and spoken during legislative sessions in the homes and at public events.