Biographies
Dr. Buu Nygren is the youngest Navajo Nation President elected in history at the age of 35. He is a carpenter, construction manager, and father.
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After serving Navajo communities throughout the pandemic, the President committed himself to securing the basic necessities for every Navajo home: clean drinking water, electricity, and reliable roadways. His focus on combating poverty is a guiding principle for the Navajo Nation Executive Branch.
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Previously a national operations trainer and project manager at a multi-billion-dollar construction company that built schools, senior living homes, and public safety facilities from Nevada to Florida, President Nygren also served as the Chief Commercial Officer for the Navajo Engineering and Construction Authority (NECA).
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Since being inaugurated, President Nygren has become a champion for tribal water and sovereignty, having numerous times to testify before Congress to pass the historic Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act.
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Dr. Nygren obtained multiple degrees from Arizona State University and a doctorate degree from the University of Southern California. Last year, he was recognized as one of the Top 40 Native American Leaders Under 40 by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED).
The President is married to former Arizona State Representative and First Lady Jasmine Blackwater-Nygren, and together they have two daughters. Both proudly reside in Red Mesa, Arizona, about 35 miles from the Four Corners National Monument and 80 miles from Monument Valley, Utah.
In our Navajo way, k’e teaches us respect and goodwill toward all our relatives. We are all five-fingered, intelligent Earth dwellers. K’e is what makes being Navajo, and our Navajo way, so beautiful. We are inclusive. We are connected. We belong.
We are taught to live a way of life that honors all people.
- President Buu Nygren
First Lady Jasmine Blackwater-Nygren is a licensed attorney, community advocate, mother, & wife of Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren.
The First Lady has dedicated herself to promoting the resiliency of Indigenous women & families across the largest Sovereign Nation in the United States.
With a focus on combating social ills impacting communities, Mrs. Blackwater-Nygren continues to be an outspoken champion for young women. She was previously the youngest member of the Arizona House of Representatives and served as an appointed member of the Arizona & New Mexico state task forces for Missing & Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP).
In December, the First Lady was appointed the first woman and Native American to serve out the term as the new Apache County Attorney in Arizona.
The First Lady is HashtÅ‚’ishnii (Mud People Clan), born for the Áshįįhí (Salt People Clan). Her maternal grandfather is Nóóda’í Dine’é Táchii’nii (Ute Red Running Water Clan), and her paternal grandfather is Bit’ahnii (Within His Cover Clan), and the community of Red Mesa, Ariz., is home.
An alum of Monument Valley High School and Stanford University, Mrs. Blackwater-Nygren has a Juris Doctorate degree from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law from Arizona State University.
