Russell Begaye

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 PresidentJonathan Nez
Preceded byBen Shelly
Succeeded byJonathan Nez
Member of the Navajo Nation Council
In office
January 11, 2011 – January 13, 2015
PresidentBen Shelly
Vice PresidentRex Lee Jim
Preceded byLeonard Anthony
Pete Atcitty
Succeeded byTom Chee
Personal details
BornMay 4[1]
Shiprock, New Mexico, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of California, Los Angeles (BA)

Early life and education

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

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

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
  1. "Facebook". www.facebook.com.
  2. "With absence of Navajo president's wife, VP's spouse to take job of first lady". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
  3. Skinner, Curtis (22 April 2015). "Russell Begaye wins Navajo Nation presidency after delayed vote". Reuters. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  4. 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.
  5. Smith, Noel Lyn. "Filing period for tribe's primary election closes with 15 registering for Navajo president". The Daily Times. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
  6. "Navajo President Says Relationship With Wife Has Ended". KNAU Arizona Public Radio. 2016-04-15. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
  7. Canava, Samantha (January 23, 2016). "Mother Tongue: The Navajo Nation Revives Diné". The Yale Politic. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
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