Chairman of the Navajo Nation

Chairmen of the Navajo Nation
Naabeehó Bináhásdzo  (Navajo)
Great Seal of the Navajo Nation
Flag of the Navajo Nation
Residence	Window Rock, AZ
Term length	Four years, no term limits
Constituting instrument	Navajo Nation Code & Treaty of 1868
Inaugural holder	Chee Dodge
Formation	1923
Final holder	Leonard Haskie
Abolished	1991

The Chairman of the Navajo Nation was the head of the government at the formation of the Tribal Council and the government entity to interact with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The office was replaced by the President of the Navajo Nation in 1991 during restructuring of the Tribal Government into a three-branch national government.

Officeholders ^{[1] [2]}

No.		Image	Name	Term	Party	Election	Vice Chairman
1			Chee Dodge (c. 1860–1947)	1923 – 1928	Unknown	TBA	Vacant
2			Deshna Chischillige (TBA–TBA)	1928 – 1932	Unknown	1928		Maxwell Yazzie
3			Thomas Dodge (1899–1987)	1932 – March 30, 1936 [a]	Unknown	1932		Marcus Kanuho
4			Henry Taliman Sr. (TBA–TBA)	1937 – 1938	Unknown	TBA		Roy Kinsel
5			Jacob C. Morgan (1879–1950)	1938 – 1942	Unknown	1938		Howard Gorman
6			Chee Dodge (c. 1860–1947)	1942 – 1946	Unknown	1942		Sam Ahkeah
7			Sam Ahkeah (1896–1967)	1946 – 1954	Unknown	1946		Chee Dodge (died before taking office)
								Zealy Tso (1946–1950)
						1950		John Claw (1951–1952)
								Adolph Maloney (1952–1954)
8			Paul Jones (1895–1971)	1955 – 1963	Unknown	1954		Scott Preston
						1958
9			Raymond Nakai (1918–2005)	1963 – 1970	Unknown	1962		Nelson Damon
						1966
10			Peter MacDonald (born 1928)	1971 – 1982	Republican	1970		Wilson Skeet (1971–1979)
						1974
						1978		Frank E. Paul (1979–1982)
11			Peterson Zah (1937–2023)	1983 – 1987	Democratic	1982		Edward T. Begay
12			Peter MacDonald (born 1928)	1987 – 1989	Republican	1986		Johnny R. Thompson
–			Leonard Haskie (1944–2015) Interim	1989 – 1991	Unknown	–		Irvin Billy
Office abolished, replaced by President of the Navajo Nation .

Notes

1. Resigned from office.

See also

• President of the Navajo Nation
• Vice President of the Navajo Nation
• Speaker of the Navajo Nation Council

References

1. "Navajo Nation Tribal Chairman and Vice-President" (PDF).
2. "Navajo Nation leaders2" (PDF).