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Sunday, July 27, 2025

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Former Navajo Nation president returns to the classroom to teach Indigenous studies at CCC

Former Navajo Nation president returns to the classroom to teach Indigenous studies at CCC

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Former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez is heading back to school – this time as an instructor.

Nez will teach two courses this fall at Coconino Community College in Flagstaff: “AIS 101: Introduction to Applied Indigenous Studies” and “AIS 201: Roots of Federal Indian Policy.” The move marks a full-circle return to the classroom for Nez, who last taught two decades ago before stepping into public office.

“I have a lot of information that I can share with young people and future leaders,” Nez said in an interview on July 18. “So I said, ‘Yeah, sure.’ And now I will be teaching this fall.”

Nez, who moved back to Flagstaff with his family, said the idea to teach was sparked by a student who approached him at a campus event. His wife, former first lady Phefelia Nez, sits on the CCC Foundation Board, and the couple has remained active in education circles since leaving office.

“One day a young lady challenged me, saying, ‘Hey, Mr. Nez, you’ve been in office for some time now. Why don’t you share … your thoughts and your knowledge and teach?’” he recalled. “That challenge I took to heart.”

Teaching from experience

Nez plans to draw on his 20-plus years in tribal government, including his time as president, vice president, and a Navajo County supervisor, to connect policy with lived experience. From tribal governance to state and federal politics, Nez said his courses will offer insight for both Native and non-Native students.

“There’s a movement right now that is taking away some of the tribal history,” Nez said. “I’m glad Coconino Community College is allowing me to share what we went through. And it’s not DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), it’s a resilience teaching for future generations so they don’t give up on what they want to do in life.”

His teaching will center on empowerment and self-determination. That means not only recounting historical injustices like the Long Walk but showing how Native people have persisted and continue to shape their futures.

“It’s not about ‘Poor, poor Navajos,’” Nez said. “It’s about the strength, the resilience, and the overcoming mentality of Native people.”

To read the full article, please see the July 24, 2025, edition of the Navajo Times.

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About The Author

Krista Allen

Krista Allen is editor of the Navajo Times.

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