Michelle Brown-Yazzie facts for kids
Michelle Brown-Yazzie is a Native American lawyer who works to protect important resources for her people. She is the Assistant Attorney General for the Navajo Nation Department of Justice Water Rights Unit. Her job is to make sure the Navajo Nation has fair access to water. This helps protect the land and the people who live there.
Michelle Brown-Yazzie is a member of the Navajo Nation. She also has family ties to the Oglala Lakota, Salish, and Kootenai tribes. She has spent her whole career helping tribal communities. She works hard to make sure Indigenous people have their legal rights protected.
She grew up in NaʼNiilzhiin, which is also known as Torreon, New Mexico. She belongs to the Táchiiʼnii Clan, which is an important part of her Navajo heritage.
Her School Journey
Michelle Brown-Yazzie went to the University of New Mexico for her first college degree. In 1995, she earned a bachelor's degree in English and political science. After that, she decided to study law.
She attended law school at the University of Iowa College of Law. In 1999, she earned her law degree, called a J.D. This education prepared her for her important work ahead.
Her Important Work
Michelle Brown-Yazzie started her career working for the Navajo Nation. She was a Staff Attorney and then a Senior Prosecutor. This meant she helped represent the Navajo Nation in legal matters.
Later, the Governor of New Mexico, Bill Richardson, chose her for a special job. She became the New Mexico Deputy Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department. She worked as a lawyer for 21 years.
In 2011, she began working as a judge. Before her current role, she was the Chief Judge for the Mescalero Apache Tribe. Now, she is the Assistant Attorney General for the Navajo Nation's Water Rights Unit.
In this role, she is working on a big project called the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply pipeline. She also helps the Navajo Nation settle water rights issues with the state of Arizona. Her work helps ensure the Navajo people have the water they need for their future.
