Nygren to issue People’s State of the Navajo Nation Address in Tónaneesdizí
By Marshall Baker
Navajo Times
CHANDLER, Ariz.
On Jan. 14, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren will take the stage to deliver the People’s State of the Navajo Nation Address at Greyhills Academy High School in Tuba City.
This event, the second of its kind, will review President Nygren’s and his administration’s accomplishments in 2024, goals for 2025, and changes made to solve problems within the Executive Branch.
Along with President Nygren, 20 Executive Branch division directors and staff will speak about their programs and the developments within them. Not all are listed, but some division directors expected to speak are Mike Halona, the Division of Natural Resources deputy director; Candace Yazzie, the Division of Community Development executive director; Michael Anderson, the Division of Public Safety executive director; Stephen Etsitty, the Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency executive director, and Bobbie Ann Baldwin, the Veterans Administration executive director.
“It’s a great time for the public to learn firsthand the work of President Nygren, and what they’re actually delivering to the Navajo people,” said Alastair Bitsóí, a content creator for Nygren.
Along with delivering his address, President Nygren will also sign two executive orders—one on Diné Bizaad and one regarding dividend payments.
The all-day event will also feature guest speakers, cultural presentations, a free luncheon, entertainment, and program booths. Cheneil Jones, Deanna Nanibaah Talley, and Joe Tohonnie Jr. will conduct cultural presentations. The event will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with President Nygren’s speech taking place from 11 a.m. to noon. Over 2,000 people are expected to attend, and the luncheon will be provided for all.
“We’re going to keep things moving by keeping things mixed up so that people are both informed and entertained for as long as they have time to stay,” said George Hardeen, the public relations director for Nygren.
Like last year’s address, President Nygren plans on highlighting problems solved and different advancements within the Navajo Nation within the calendar year. Services like housing, electricity, and water access are high priority among those within the Navajo Nation and will be one of the many topics discussed in President Nygren’s speech.
The Nygren Administration views 2024 as a big success, dealing with unique environmental issues such as opposing uranium mining and obtaining water rights. The administration is excited to share its accomplishments and plans going forward. “We’re looking at a lot of pages we’re starting to edit down,” said Hardeen. “It’s an amazing process because it’s a long list.”
The first iteration of this event last year was largely themed around the recovery of the Nation in the wake of the pandemic. “I’m here to say today we are bouncing back, and we have a bright path of a future to build,” President Nygren said in 2024 at the first People’s State of the Navajo Nation Address.
The Nygren Administration encourages the public to attend. If unable to attend in person, the event will be livestreamed on social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, as well as televised in coordination with the Navajo Nation TV and Film.
Looking ahead, President Nygren will deliver his State of the Nation address on the first day of the Council’s Winter Session Jan. 27.
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow