Navajo Nation council member from McKinley County resigns, interim process begins

Steven R. Arviso has resigned from the 25th Navajo Nation Council, leaving a vacancy that affects the chapters of Churchrock, Iyanbito, Mariano Lake, Pinedale, Smith Lake, and Thoreau. His resignation is effective Jan. 9, and the vacancy sets in motion a coded process that will determine who represents these McKinley County communities on the Council in the near term.

Arviso, who was elected to the Council in January 2023, served on the Law and Order Committee and as vice chair of the Eastern Navajo Land Commission. His work touched on public safety, chapter-level land concerns and constituent services in a delegate region that includes both rural chapter communities and those with ongoing infrastructure and governance needs. “I am grateful to have served the people of my delegate region and thank everyone who supported me throughout my service,” Arviso said. “Together, we worked to advance important initiatives that will continue beyond my time on the Council.”

Speaker Crystalyne Curley has acknowledged Arviso’s departure and outlined the steps the Council will follow under the Navajo Election Code to fill the seat on an interim basis. The affected chapters have until Feb. 26 to submit their recommendations. The Navajo Election Administration (NEA) will then review applications and certify which candidates are eligible. If no grievances are filed within 10 days after NEA certification, the Speaker will review the candidates and appoint an interim representative.

For residents of the six chapters, the immediate consequence is a gap in direct representation at Council hearings and committee meetings where local priorities are discussed. Law-and-order matters and Eastern Navajo Land Commission issues that Arviso was involved in will continue to be handled by the relevant bodies, but chapter leaders and constituents may face delays in routing constituent requests, project follow-ups and coordination with Council staff until an interim appointee is named.

The appointment timeline places responsibility on chapter leaders to act swiftly. Chapters that want to influence the interim representative should prepare and submit formal recommendations by the Feb. 26 deadline. The NEA’s certification and the subsequent 10-day grievance window are administrative safeguards meant to ensure a transparent, code-compliant process, but they also add weeks to the vacancy period.

Our two cents? Stay engaged with your chapter officials and ask for regular updates on submitted recommendations and any NEA notices. For hard-to-reach services or urgent matters, document requests in writing to ensure continuity while the interim appointment process unfolds — community voices matter now more than ever as representation is temporarily in flux.