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Friday, July 11, 2025

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Nez Consulting, La Planta, and chapter officials mobilize direct aid during Oak Ridge Fire

Nez Consulting, La Planta, and chapter officials mobilize direct aid during Oak Ridge Fire

ST. MICHAELS

As the Oak Ridge Fire spread across the heart of Diné Bikéyah, the response didn’t wait for bureaucracy to catch up. It came instead from community leaders, nonprofits, and former officials who understood that action, fast and direct, was what their people needed.

“We (Nez-Lizer Administration) transitioned out of Navajo a couple years ago, over two years ago,” said former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez. “And we developed a for-profit corporation, my wife and I – Nez Consulting.”

“We’re still connected with the community,” he said. “We’ve just been helping here and there, helping other tribes throughout the country.”

Shifting from produce to emergency relief

Nez Consulting partnered with La Planta, an Albuquerque-based nonprofit, to continue a longstanding project of fresh produce distribution across Native communities. But when the fire hit, priorities shifted toward emergency response.

“I noticed there was a need for healthier foods,” Nez said. “You have a lot of food banks that come out into Navajo – even the commodity food program – processed foods, really high-calorie foods, and not much produce. Of course, you know, produce will go bad quick if you don’t refrigerate or not.”

Rather than bring perishable food this time, Nez said Nez Consulting and its partners adjusted their approach.

“People are not going to be at their homes. They’re not going to have a refrigerator available,” he said. “So we brought a little bit more – tried to stay healthy on these instant foods. Of course, it’s hard to get healthy instant foods, but we did our very best.”

To read the full article, please see the July 3, 2025, edition of the Navajo Times.

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About The Author

Nicholas House

Nicholas House is a reporter for the Navajo Times. He is Naakaii Dine’é and born for Tsénahabiłnii. His maternal grandfather is Haltsooí, and his paternal grandfather is Kiyaa’áanii. He is from Prewitt, N.M.

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