Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren delivered the third annual People’s State of the Nation on Tuesday at Shiprock High School’s Chieftain Pit, providing updates on administration projects and signing an executive order to implement the 2026 Navajo Hardship Assistance Program.
The event included cultural presentations highlighting student involvement in Navajo teachings.
Steve Carlson, superintendent of Central Consolidated Schools, greeted the crowd and shared his experience with Nygren as a president who has visited several CCSD schools.
Several school royalties attended, including representatives from Teec Nos Pos Community School, Blue Mountain, Shiprock High School, Navajo Preparatory High School and Many Farms Community School.
Before Nygren took the stage, executive branches from the Department of Justice to the Veterans Administration reported summaries of their work.
The Division of Natural Resources reported 2,231 homesite leases approved, 794 windmills repaired and $44 million placed in the agriculture fund.
Tom Platero, executive director of the Division of Transportation, said the division hired 62 new employees and filled 2,200 potholes. A goal of the division is to provide 25% of maintenance to communities.
Bobbie Ann Baldwin, executive director of the Navajo Nation Veterans Administration, said veteran affairs received more than $720,000 in back pay for veterans. The veterans trust fund this year will have more than $12 million.
Nygren’s speech focused on environmental projects, jobs for Navajo citizens and infrastructure improvements.
He began by mentioning the Four Corners Generating Station and efforts to keep it open.
“Within the coming weeks, I look forward to making that big announcement that we're going to make sure that that continues to operate as well,” he said. “I also want to mention that we've got a lot of plans for a lot of clean energy development. We've got different ways of providing and promoting clean energy as we continue to move forward as well too.”
Through the Navajo Forest Carbon Project, Nygren said the Navajo Nation will earn millions in revenue as commercial forests meet California Air Resources Board standards, allowing participation in the cap-and-trade program.
On Dec. 30, 2025, the project issued its first carbon credit, according to the Office of the President.
Nygren also highlighted the Shiprock Pinnacle Hotel, a $22 million project set to open in July.
The administration is working to increase the minimum wage from $10.61 to $14.70 in 2026, Nygren said.
For fiscal year 2025, Nygren reported $162 million collected in tax revenue, about $34 million more than when he took office.
Families were included in the address, with Nygren noting that 551 families were connected to water and Navajo Tribal Utility Authority delivered electricity to 492 homes in 2025.
The Phoenix Urban Residential Treatment Center, which provides substance use treatment using Diné culture and practices, opened in 2025. Plans include expanding services to inpatient detox, psychiatric care and intensive outpatient programs.
Nygren concluded by announcing a third round of hardship checks for 2026. These checks, funded by ARPA, will be distributed to families needing assistance through the Office of the Controller. Nygren signed an executive order Tuesday setting deadlines to ensure the program rolls out efficiently and on time.
While Nygren did not include many education reports or goals in his speech, the Office of the President released an address outlining several projects.
On Tuesday, Nygren said he is working with the Resource and Development Committee to increase scholarship awards to $5,000 per semester.
“The scholarship amounts have been the same since I went to college 20 years ago,” he said. “We got to increase it.”
The address also included partnerships with Arizona State University, a financial literacy program and access to basic necessities.
According to the administration, the Navajo School Clothing and Supplies Program provided $2,158,200 to 4,871 applicants in 2025, assisting 10,791 families.
Students pursuing a master’s in business administration at ASU can apply for the Yideeskaadi Nitsáhákees Scholarship, a partnership with Navajo Nation Oil and Gas Co., which provides $5,000 toward education.
A memorandum of understanding was renewed in 2026 with the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine to prioritize Navajo veterinarians. A similar agreement will be renewed with the James E. Rogers College of Law to provide scholarships, mentorship and professional development for students serving the Navajo Nation.
Financial skills programming will expand in 2026, bringing hands-on learning to every high school and chapter house. These programs are provided by the American Indian Science and Engineering Society and Financial Mobility Community of Practice.
Treymayne Yazzie, a Navajo Preparatory High School senior, said he plans to continue his education after graduation and will look into Navajo Nation resources.
Yazzie was part of the Navajo Preparatory Warrior Club that attended Tuesday’s address.
“I feel that the Navajo Nation is supporting me in the best possible way,” he said.
Yazzie considers Farmington his home but also has family ties to Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. Since childhood, Yazzie has been connected to Navajo Nation government through family members.
“I kind of got a view of what the Navajo Nation government is and how they’re working for the people,” he said.
Now at Navajo Prep, Yazzie said he carries the values and teachings of the school and Navajo leaders.
“I’ve really come to embody that and work to not only help my peers but those around me,” he said. “I actually know one of the council members, Amber Crotty, and she’s really taught me how to be a leader and how to present myself in tough situations.”
Yazzie said he wants to return to the Navajo Nation after earning his nursing degree from Portland University.
He said he appreciated hearing updates from the Department of Health about Navajo practitioners healing Navajo patients.
“It really caught my attention,” he said. “We all have to come together as a community and work together to build the Navajo Nation up.”
