Curley DEschene 2026 Platform
A comprehensive plan to protect our sovereignty, grow our economy, and ensure the wellbeing of every Diné citizen.
Strong families are the foundation of a strong Navajo Nation. We succeed when our homes are stable, our communities are safer, our children have hope, and our future is secure. Strengthening families means confronting the challenges we face from substance abuse and housing shortages to job access and the devastating increase in youth suicide. This campaign is committed to restoring balance, opportunity, and protection for every Diné family so that our people can thrive. Together, we will build stronger families, safer communities, and a future filled with hope for the next generation.
Together, we will work to expand community-based prevention, treatment, and recovery programs that are inclusive of Diné values and teachings. This includes increasing access to behavioral health services, supporting traditional healing, and strengthening partnerships with chapters and local providers to ensure help is available close to home and for those living in urban areas.
We will prioritize building and renovating homes for working families and those most in need. By simplifying internal policies, leveraging federal, state, and Navajo Nation resources, and supporting local workforce development and Navajo-owned businesses in construction, we can ensure more families have safe, stable homes to live in.
Families deserve to feel safe. Too often, we hear the voices of families who struggle with violence, bootleggers, break-ins, and other repetitive crimes. We will work to invest in public safety, strengthen coordination between law enforcement agencies and communities, and support prevention programs that address the root causes of crime – ensuring our neighborhoods are places of security and peace. We will partner with non-profit organizations, the Missing and Murdered Diné Relatives Task Force, and families to address missing persons cases and take proactive measures to prevent missing persons.
We will focus on creating good-paying jobs on the Navajo Nation by supporting small businesses, entrepreneurship, and workforce training. By investing in our people and their talents, we can bring our workforce home and strengthen family stability. When people are employed, data shows that it creates stability and improves the quality of life for families.
The rise in youth suicide is a devastating reality that we must face with urgency and compassion. We will work to expand mental health services in schools and communities, support youth mentorship and cultural connection programs, and ensure no young person feels alone. Our children are sacred, and their future must be protected.
Every community and chapter must be proactive to prepare for emergency situations such as flooding, drought, pandemics, and others while prioritizing resources for elders, disabled, and rural areas. We will accomplish this through collaboration with our internal departments, and state and federal partnerships.
Our people deserve safe, affordable homes. Too many Diné families, working families, low-income households, Navajo professionals, students, elders, veterans, and the disabled are being forced to live far from home. The Navajo Nation Council has allocated funding for housing through ARPA, but the process of building homes is not being completed fast enough within the Executive Branch. At the same time, many of our relatives living in urban areas want to come home, but they face long waitlists, limited infrastructure, land disputes, and few real opportunities. Housing is not just about buildings, it's about stability, improving lives, strengthening families, and having a place for our elders to teach our children.
Together, we will work to initiate a large-scale homebuilding initiative focused on affordability and durability by partnering with existing and new housing developers including non-profit organizations and Navajo-owned businesses. Based on experience working with the Navajo Nation Council, we will streamline land use, homesite leases, and permitting to cut delays to improve access through roads, utilities, and communications. Expanding infrastructure like water, power, roads to develop new housing areas is key to building our communities.
We know the challenges and we hear the calls of our people who have jobs and want to buy a home here on the Navajo Nation. Together, we will look at ways to increase access to down payment assistance, rental opportunities, and home repair programs for existing homes. We will partner with state and federal programs to leverage and maximize housing funds and grants.
Our team will develop workforce housing for teachers, healthcare workers, law enforcement, other essential professionals, Navajo Nation employees, students, and many others. We will strive to develop a strategy to offer incentives for Navajo professionals to live and work on the Navajo Nation. We will support pathways to homeownership for upper and middle-income earners.
We will collaborate with urban Native centers and programs to establish a "Bring Our People Home Initiative" focused on Navajo living off the Nation who want to return home, whether it's now or later. We must maximize the resources within the Executive Branch to expedite housing development with job creation and economic growth.
The Navajo Nation Council did its job to appropriate ARPA funds for housing. The Executive Branch is not moving fast enough to build the homes and to account for the funds, the missing $24 million. We will make it a priority to continue the ongoing investigations and to hold all responsible parties responsible.
Our elders are the foundation of who we are, carrying our language, teachings, and identity. Our youth are the promise of where we are going. We have a responsibility to care for those who raised us and to invest in those who will lead us into the future. Our vision ensures our elders, including those with disabilities and our veterans, receive the dignity, care, and services they deserve—while our youth are supported through education, housing, and opportunities they need to succeed here at home. Together, we will build a Navajo Nation that respects every generation.
Expand access to in-home care, transportation, and essential direct services for Diné elders and individuals with disabilities. Ensure every community has the support systems needed so our relatives are respected and can live safely, independently, and with the compassion of their communities.
Invest in senior centers as central locations for meals, wellness programs, cultural activities, and social connection. Increase funding and leverage external resources for staffing, personnel, and infrastructure so elders receive consistent, high-quality care across all communities.
Develop and expand nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the Navajo Nation, with dedicated care for elders and veterans. Ensure families no longer have to send their loved ones off the Navajo Nation to receive care.
Together, we will support a more effective Navajo Veterans Administration by hiring qualified management that will focus on improving direct services, securing internal and external funding for homes and infrastructure to those homes. We will work with congressional members and federal agencies to increase healthcare access closer to home for Diné veterans.
Increase scholarship funding and financial aid by establishing a student trust fund and exploring new ways of financing for Navajo students pursuing higher education, vocational and trade schools. Strengthen support for Diné College and Navajo Technical University to expand programs that align with workforce and community needs.
Develop safe, affordable student housing on and near campuses to reduce barriers to education. Provide services including mentorship, mental health support, and career guidance to help students succeed.
Invest in broadband, technology, and digital learning tools to make remote education accessible for all students. Support hybrid learning models so students can pursue education without leaving their communities.
Our identity as Diné is rooted in our language, our ceremonies and songs, our sacred places, and the stories and teachings passed down by our elders. These are not just traditions, but they are the foundation of who we are as a people. We will work to protect and strengthen our Diné way of life so that future generations will have the opportunity to live and speak through our language and teachings. This will require collaboration, action, investment, and respect for our traditional knowledge holders and communities. We will seek the input of our youth, such as the Navajo Nation Youth Advisory Council, to help guide this effort.
Together, we will build on the success of our elders, educators, and community groups to expand Diné language immersion programs in schools and early childhood education. We will collaborate with partners to provide incentives and certification pathways for fluent speakers to become Diné language teachers. We will focus on investing in technology, media, and curriculum development to keep our language alive for younger generations.
We will acknowledge and respect our elders, medicine people, and cultural practitioners who carry our teachings and stories. We will collaborate with elders and others to create mentorship programs and resources to pass knowledge to youth in a respectful and structured way. In collaboration with higher education institutes, we will aim to digitally preserve oral histories, songs, and teachings with proper safeguards and permissions. We will support Navajo artists, weavers, and cultural practitioners as keepers of identity and economy.
We must take a strong stand to advocate at all levels to protect Navajo sacred sites and find a balance with development and progress. We must be inclusive of our traditional knowledge holders and practitioners and partner with medicine people, chapters, and grassroots organizations to ensure cultural teachings are respected.
In partnership with educators and many other stakeholders, we will promote opportunities to offer Diné Fundamental Laws and traditional teachings as an option within schools, while respecting other faiths and teachings. We will offer support for community-based cultural programs, including ceremonies, arts, and storytelling and promote intergenerational learning spaces where youth and elders can connect while using existing Navajo Nation programs and resources.
The Navajo Nation will advocate for stronger federal protections of cultural ways of life, and we will oppose policies that restrict or disrespect traditional lifeways. We will have a strong Attorney General that will be directed to uphold and protect our sovereignty in all decisions impacting our people and way of life.
Our people should not have to leave home to find opportunity. Together, we will work to build a strong, self-sustaining Navajo economy that creates real jobs, supports Navajo businesses, and helps families and communities. By aligning training with jobs, cutting barriers for business, and making our tax system fair and pro-growth, we will bring our people home and ensure families can live, work, and thrive on the Navajo Nation. This is about building opportunity, restoring hope, and creating a future for the next generation. This plan is about more than economics – it's about creating opportunity at home, strengthening families, and building a Navajo Nation where our people can succeed without leaving the place they love.
Connect training directly to real jobs by aligning workforce programs with economic development projects. Expand apprenticeships and "earn while you learn" opportunities in construction, energy, infrastructure, and public safety so our people are job ready.
Launch a "Bring Our People Home" initiative to recruit Navajo professionals such as teachers, nurses, engineers, and skilled workers, back to the Nation through local job advancement, remote work opportunities, and existing job resources.
Invest in small businesses, artisans, and entrepreneurs through access to capital, training, and e-commerce. Build a strong "Buy Navajo/Hire Navajo" economy that keeps dollars circulating in our communities.
Establish business growth zones across all agencies and streamline leasing, permitting, and licensing. Reduce delays so businesses can open faster and create jobs sooner—while ensuring development respects Diné values.
Work to develop and implement targeted tax incentives that reward job creation, support Navajo-owned businesses, and encourage investment in underserved communities. Strengthen tax fairness and compliance while growing the tax base to fund infrastructure, education, and essential services.
Expand renewable energy, support responsible resource development, and grow tourism and cultural industries. Ensure every project creates local jobs, generates revenue, and protects our land, culture, and future.
Our infrastructure plan is about creating the foundation for a stronger Navajo Nation in which our communities are connected, our families have homes, and our people have real opportunities to earn a living, support their families, start a business, and prosper. By investing our existing resources within the Executive Branch and leveraging external ones, we will be better positioned to implement a coordinated development plan to build a future that supports our people today and for generations to come. Together, this plan lays the groundwork for a Navajo Nation where opportunity is accessible, communities are strong, and our people can come home—and stay home.
Invest in safe roads, reliable public transportation, utilities, and broadband to ensure every community has access to essential services, education, and opportunity.
Increase homesite development, streamline construction, and build quality housing and community facilities for working families, professionals, and those returning home.
Reform land policies to reduce delays, expedite homesite and business leasing, and align land use with growth while maintaining local and chapter-level input.
Prioritize infrastructure in key economic areas to attract businesses, support entrepreneurs, and create good-paying jobs across the Nation.
Ensure all development respects our sacred sites, natural resources, and traditional values while promoting sustainable and renewable solutions.
Working with grazing permit holders, chapters, Community Land Use Planning Committees, grazing officials, and other stakeholders to ensure that there is a balance between development while also protecting the grazing rights of our people.
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