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Vice-President of the
Navajo Nation
Great Seal of the Navajo Nation.svg
Great Seal of the Navajo Nation
Incumbent
Richelle Montoya

since January 10, 2023
Residence Window Rock, AZ
Term length Four years, renewable once
Constituting instrument Navajo Nation Code & Treaty of 1868
Inaugural holder Marshall Plummer
Formation January 15, 1991
Salary $45,000.00 USD per year
Website Vice President

The Vice President of the Navajo Nation is an important leader in the Navajo Nation government. This role was created in 1991. The Vice President works closely with the President. Both are chosen by the people in an election every four years. A person can serve as Vice President for a maximum of two terms.

In 2010, Ben Shelly made history. He was the first Vice President to later become the President of the Navajo Nation.

More recently, in 2022, Richelle Montoya also made history. She became the first woman to be elected to a top leadership position in the Navajo Nation's Executive Branch.

Who Has Been Vice President?

This section lists the people who have served as Vice President of the Navajo Nation. It shows when they served and who they worked with.

List of vice presidents of Navajo Nation
No. Image Name Term Party Election President
1   no border Marshall Plummer
(1948–2010)
January 15, 1991

January 10, 1995
Unknown 1990   Peterson Zah
2   no border Thomas Atcitty
(1933–2020)
January 10, 1995

February 19, 1998
Democratic 1994   Albert Hale
3   no border Milton Bluehouse Sr.
(1936–2019)
February 19, 1998

July 24, 1998
Unknown   Thomas Atcitty
Position vacant (July 24–August 1998)   Milton Bluehouse Sr.
4   Defense.gov photo essay 100219-M-1318S-092.jpg Frank Chee Willeto
(1925–2012)
August 1998

January 12, 1999
Unknown
5   no border Taylor McKenzie
(1931–2007)
January 12, 1999

January 14, 2003
Unknown 1998   Kelsey Begaye
6   Frank Dayish.jpg Frank Dayish
(born 1958)
January 14, 2003

January 9, 2007
Unknown 2002   Joe Shirley Jr.
7   Ben Shelly.jpg Ben Shelly
(1947–2023)
January 9, 2007

January 11, 2011
Democratic 2006
8   20150302-FNS-RBN-5311.jpg Rex Lee Jim
(born 1962)
January 11, 2011

May 12, 2015
Unknown 2010   Ben Shelly
9   Jonathan Nez (cropped).jpg Jonathan Nez
(born 1975)
May 12, 2015

January 15, 2019
Democratic 2014–15   Russell Begaye
10   Myron Lizer at Keep America Great rally (cropped).jpg Myron Lizer
(born TBA)
January 15, 2019

January 10, 2023
Republican 2018   Jonathan Nez
11   no border Richelle Montoya
(born TBA)
January 10, 2023

present
Unknown 2022   Buu Nygren

More About the Navajo Nation Government

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