Summary
Russell Begaye is a Navajo politician who served as the 8th president of Navajo Nation from May 2015 to January 2019. He was the second New Mexican Navajo to hold the Navajo Presidency.
Russell Begaye | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 8th President of the Navajo Nation | |
| In office May 12, 2015 – January 15, 2019 | |
| Vice President | Jonathan Nez |
| Preceded by | Ben Shelly |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Nez |
| Member of the Navajo Nation Council | |
| In office January 11, 2011 – January 13, 2015 | |
| President | Ben Shelly |
| Vice President | Rex Lee Jim |
| Preceded by | Leonard Anthony Pete Atcitty |
| Succeeded by | Tom Chee |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 4[1] Shiprock, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) |
Early life and education edit
Born in Shiprock, New Mexico, Begaye graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1974 with a degree in political science. In 1977, Begaye received his Master of Divinity degree from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.[2]
Career edit
From 1977 to 2011, Begaye worked for the North American Mission Board.[2] Begaye served on the Navajo Nation Council from 2011 until his election as President of the Navajo Nation on April 4, 2015.[3] Begaye was sworn into office on May 12, 2015[4] and served until January 8, 2019, when he was succeeded by Vice President Jonathan Nez.
Begaye is currently a candidate for Navajo Nation Council (Shiprock) in the 2022 election.[5] Begaye lost his election to incumbent Eugenia Charles-Newton.
Personal life edit
Begaye was married to Kyoon Chung Begaye, a dentist in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Due to the absence of Kyoon Chung Begaye in Navajo Nation affairs, the wife of Vice President Jonathan Nez took on the informal duties of First Lady of the Navajo Nation.[2] In 2016, Begaye stated that his seventeen year-long marriage with Kyoon Chung Begaye was over.[6] Begaye is not a native speaker of Navajo.[7]
References edit
- ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com.
- ^ a b c "With absence of Navajo president's wife, VP's spouse to take job of first lady". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
- ^ Skinner, Curtis (22 April 2015). "Russell Begaye wins Navajo Nation presidency after delayed vote". Reuters. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
- ^ Smith, Noel Lyn (2015-05-10). "Navajo President-elect Russell Begaye to take office Tuesday". Farmington Daily Times. Archived from the original on 2015-05-14. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
- ^ Smith, Noel Lyn. "Filing period for tribe's primary election closes with 15 registering for Navajo president". The Daily Times. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
- ^ "Navajo President Says Relationship With Wife Has Ended". KNAU Arizona Public Radio. 2016-04-15. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
- ^ Canava, Samantha (January 23, 2016). "Mother Tongue: The Navajo Nation Revives Diné". The Yale Politic. Retrieved 2022-05-11.