A judge in Window Rock has tossed out an ethics complaint levied against Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, but this legal matter remains unresolved as the sitting leader faces a crowded field of 15 primary challengers come July.
Last Thursday’s dismissal from Window Rock District Court Judge Malcolm Begay was purely procedural — the district court believes special prosecutor Kyle Nayback has been pursuing the wrong forum to address his investigation.
Appointed by the Navajo Nation Council, Nayback has accused Nygren and his former chief of staff, Patrick Sandoval, of misusing public funds. Both of them maintain their innocence.
In the meantime, Begay argued that his courtroom does not have the jurisdiction to weigh in.
Despite Begay’s decision, this recent ruling does not limit either party from filing more lawsuits. In fact, Begay urged Nayback to submit his findings before the tribe’s Office of Hearings and Appeals.
In a statement, Nayback told KJZZ he is pleased that the Window Rock District Court “allowed our work to move forward,” adding that his Albuquerque-based law firm plans to refile its charges “promptly.”
As for Nygren, he shared in a social media post that Begay encouraged litigants to consider resolving this conflict by “finding healing through ceremony, and through peacemaking.”
But when asked by KJZZ whether he would heed the judge’s advice, Nygren did not reply.
-
The application for preliminary permits is Nature and People First's latest proposal for energy development on tribal land. The federal government denied a similar proposal by the company in 2024. -
The University of Arizona has recently released a new report highlighting the huge impacts of tribal agriculture throughout the Grand Canyon State — including 2,300 jobs and $750 million in total economic output statewide. -
Nearly 11,000 people have been disenrolled from 80 different Native American tribes around the country in the last decade-plus. -
The Quitobaquito tryonia is a tiny freshwater springsnail — no bigger than the size of a poppy seed — that can only be found inside Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona. -
Patty Talahongva is an Arizona native and a longtime journalist; she’s also directed and produced documentaries, among other roles.
