Ii’ni MarketPlace: Entrepreneur Laris Manuelito tackles ambitious new grocery store for Tohatchi community

By Robert Bettis
Navajo Times

TOHATCHI, N.M. – In the vast, rural landscape just south of Tohatchi, a groundbreaking project is underway.

Laris Manuelito, the descendant of Chief Manuelito, is spearheading the creation of the Ii’ni MarketPlace – a market store designed to tackle food insecurity, honor cultural traditions, and foster economic resilience in one of the most underserved areas of Indian Country.

For Laris, who is Naakaii Dine’é and born for Tó’áhání, the journey to build the Ii’ni MarketPlace is deeply personal. Her maternal grandfather is Áshįįhí and her paternal grandfather is Ta’neeszahnii.

Growing up in a community with limited access to clean water, electricity, and healthy food, she witnessed firsthand the struggles her people endure. “We have to travel to border towns for essentials,” she explained. “The government-provided commodity foods are often unhealthy, contributing to high rates of obesity and diabetes.”

The COVID-19 pandemic brought these challenges into sharp focus. When the Navajo Nation’s borders were shut, communities were left without access to food. “There were no internal farms or resources to sustain us,” Manuelito said. “If it weren’t for outside organizations bringing food in, we would have starved.”

This crisis became the catalyst for Manuelito’s vision. Drawing inspiration from her ancestor, Chief Manuelito, who fought to protect his people, she set out to create a grocery store that would not only provide access to healthy, affordable food but also serve as a hub for community and economic growth.

To read the full article, please see the Feb. 13, 2025, edition of the Navajo Times.

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