Staff Reports
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The 25th Navajo Nation Council introduced Legislation No. 0054-26 on March 19 as an emergency measure seeking to amend the reapportionment plan by revising Legislative Areas 17 and 19 within the Northern Navajo Agency.
The proposed action would update Plan 5A of the Council’s reapportionment framework to ensure accurate district boundaries ahead of the upcoming Navajo Nation elections. The legislation would move Gadiiahi Chapter into Legislative Area 17 and place Newcomb Chapter into Legislative Area 19, correcting boundary placements identified during recent review by Northern Agency delegates.
The reapportionment plan, originally adopted through Resolution CMA-17-26, establishes legislative district boundaries that determine representation across the Navajo Nation. Council officials emphasized that timely adjustments are necessary to maintain the integrity of election administration that include candidate filings, voter assignments, and district alignment.
Council Delegate Amber Kanazbah Crotty, the legislation’s sponsor, highlighted the importance of ensuring that district boundaries accurately reflect community representation.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that our communities are properly represented and that district boundaries are accurate and functional ahead of the upcoming election,” she said. “These adjustments to Legislative Areas 17 and 19 are necessary to uphold the integrity of the reapportionment plan and to support a fair and orderly election process for the Navajo people.”
The legislation also directs the Navajo Board of Election Supervisors to update official reapportionment maps to reflect the proposed changes, reinforcing coordination between legislative action and election administration.
The proposed amendments underscore the Council’s ongoing responsibility to maintain equitable representation through apportionment and to respond promptly to identified discrepancies within district boundaries.
The measure was introduced as an emergency, required immediate consideration by the Navajo Nation Council, and ensured that reapportionment decisions were enacted in accordance with Navajo Nation law and governance processes, as election timelines were impacted.
Legislation No. 0054-26 was approved with a vote of 13 in favor and none opposed. Once certified and delivered to the Office of the President and Vice President, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren will have up to 10 calendar days to act on the resolution.
