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- By Native News Online Staff
Set against the striking backdrop of the Window Rock arch, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren joined U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Council Delegate Germaine Simonson atop a sandstone cliff to address pressing healthcare challenges facing the Navajo people—along with solutions grounded in sovereignty, tradition, and self-determination.
As part of a national tour, Secretary Kennedy made a meaningful stop on the Navajo Nation, meeting with key leaders including President Nygren, First Lady Jasmine Blackwater-Nygren, Speaker Crystalyne Curley, members of the 25th Navajo Nation Council, and representatives from the Navajo Department of Health. The visit aimed to deepen his understanding of how Navajo-led programs are effectively leveraging federal resources to serve thousands across the Nation.
"I know that you're no stranger to Navajo," President Nygren told Secretary Kennedy. "With your support and help, we will build the Gallup Indian Medical Center because it is in such, such need. It will expand to where we do not have to go to Albuquerque or Phoenix and our people will have a world-class facility."
The visit held deep personal significance for Secretary Kennedy, marking his first return to the Navajo Nation in 60 years—since accompanying his father as a child. His day began with a sunrise hike alongside tribal leaders, journeying from the base of the tribal capital to the iconic Window Rock. Awaiting them at the summit were sacred prayers, traditional songs led by a medicine healer, and powerful ceremonial dances performed by the Dinétah Dancers at the Navajo Veterans Memorial Park.
During the visit, President Nygren highlighted the urgent health disparities impacting the Navajo people and the critical challenges posed by a 30 percent vacancy rate within the Indian Health Service.
“As President, I want to emphasize the importance of protecting and maintaining tribal sovereignty among food and healthcare for the Navajo Nation,” President Nygren said.
A key highlight of Secretary Kennedy’s visit was the Navajo Nation’s groundbreaking implementation of the junk food tax, officially known as the Healthy Diné Nation Act. Enacted in 2014 through grassroots efforts led by the Diné Community Advocacy Alliance, the law encourages healthier lifestyles and addresses alarming rates of diabetes and obesity across the Nation.
According to the Indian Health Service, one in five Navajo residents lives with diabetes, and nearly 75,000 more are prediabetic.
Revenue generated from the tax is reinvested into community wellness initiatives through the Navajo Division of Community Development, as reported by the Office of the Navajo Tax Commission.
President Nygren also underscored the importance of formal tribal consultations to uphold federal trust and treaty obligations—particularly as recent federal policy shifts have affected critical social services.
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