Michelle Brown is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and is of Salish & Kootenai and Oglala Lakota descent. She is of the Táchii’nii Clan and is originally from Na’neelzhiin (Torreon), NM. She received her J.D. in 1999 from the University of Iowa College of Law and her B.A. in English and Political Science in 1995 from the University of New Mexico. She has practiced law since 1999 and prior to her return to NNDOJ, she served in the judiciary for 10 years, including as Chief Judge for the Mescalero Apache Tribe and the Pueblo of Isleta. Her positions include as Staff Attorney and Senior Prosecutor for the Navajo Nation, Prosecutor for the Gila River Indian Community, Assistant District Attorney for McKinley County and as partner at Smith & Brown-Yazzie LLP. She also served as Deputy Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department appointed by then NM Governor Bill Richardson, Executive Director of the Navajo Nation Washington Office appointed by then Navajo Nation President Kelsey Begaye and Legal Counsel to the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice-President also appointed by President Begaye. She is licensed to practice law on the Navajo Nation, in the State of New Mexico, in the Federal District Court for the State of New Mexico, in the U.S. Ninth and Tenth Circuit Courts of Appeals and in the United States Supreme Court. She is most importantly a mother of four wonderful and amazing children.

I am a member of the Navajo Nation. I am of the Ta’chiinii (Red Running into the Water) Clan and born for the German people (Beesh Bich’anii). My maternal grandfather is of the Bit’ah’nii (Leaf) Clan and my paternal grandfather is of the Scottish people. I graduated from Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law in May of 2022 with a Certificate in Indian Law. I passed the New Mexico State Bar Exam and the Navajo Bar Exam, being licensed in both.

I have been committed to working on American Indian and Navajo issues since my undergraduate days at ASU where I served as: the Native American Student Association President, Chair of 1990 Native American Recognition Week for Phoenix Valley, and board member for National Indian Education Association. I coordinated two National Student Conferences for the Organization of North American Indian College Students. At Arizona State University my second job of work was with Native American Students and Native American Student Organizations through employment with ASU Institute for Native Americans. Upon graduation went back to the Navajo Nation and taught at Rocky Ridge Boarding and Day School for a year and a half on the Navajo Nation. I also taught for two years at Kayenta, Arizona on the Navajo Nation. After getting a master’s degree in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University in 1996, I was employed at Pinon Unified School District for 5 ½ years on the Navajo Nation. After my wife had returned to school full-time and had our fourth child, I selected employment at Northern Arizona University’s Student Support Services and Native American Student Services Program until she graduated. Upon her graduation, I sought employment back on the Navajo Nation and was employed by Greyhills Academy High School as Dean of Students for several years. When the Navajo Nation voted by referendum to reduce the council from 88 delegates to 24 delegates representing 110 communities, I got talked into running for council. As a Navajo Nation Council Delegate, I sought improvements through coordinating: health, housing, youth, and public safety summits. I sponsored legislations to bring over 21 million for community projects like: head start, law enforcement, waterlines, power lines, transit buses, and economic development. I sponsored over well over a hundred legislations to improve accountability, transparency, fiscal management and regional governance. I also sponsored legislation to raise the Navajo Nation’s political clout, support economic development and established tax revenue to support student scholarships. I represented the Navajo Nation at the state, federal and international level at the United Nations in Alta, Norway; Geneva, Switzerland; and New York City.

I served as a member of the Health, Education and Human Services Committee and Board of Regents for Dine’ College the first term and the Vice Chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee the second term. I served as the Vice Chair for the Navajo Hopi Land Commission and Chair of the State Taskforce. I served as a shareholder representative for: Navajo Nation Oil & Gas Company, Navajo Transition Energy Corporation, and Navajo Community Development Financial Institute. I want to use my law school experience to better use my mind, research and analysis skills to assist my people on the Navajo Nation. My life as an educator, public servant and now as attorney has been to help the Navajo Nation, communities and Dine’. I have worked for the Navajo Nation Department of Justice since November of 2022 in the Human Services Government Unit working with Public Safety Departments and Departments with the Department of Dine’ Education. I recently transferred to the Water Rights Unit on Octobe 2nd, 2023.

Charlene Herbert-Johnson is enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. Her clans are Naaneesht’ezhi (Zuni) Kiyaáanii (Tower House) diné. Resident in Whitehorse Lake, N.M. She has worked for the Navajo Nation Government for 4 years. Several of years worked for a Private Law Firm in Albuquerque, N.M. as a Paralegal. She has been in the legal field for more than 22 years. A proud mother of six children and three grandchildren. She loves working on her ranch and spending time with grandchildren.

Valencia Charley is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation where she grew up in Ganado, Arizona. She is Ma’iideeshgiizhnii (Coyote Running Clan), born for Tachii’nii (Red Running into the Water Clan), her maternal grandfather is Tsenaahabitlii (Sleeping Rock Clan), and her paternal grandfather is Kinyaa’aanii (Towering House Clan). She is still pursuing her Law Advocate degree with Navajo Technical University. She worked with the Navajo Nation for six years and currently works as Legal Secretary under the Water Rights Unit. She is a proud mother of three daughters.