Full Profile · From the Interview Record
Curtis Yanito
B · From the record Summaries are drawn from Cal Nez’s interview. Quotations are not published until checked against the recording. How we verify →
Candidate Snapshot
Background & Why They’re Running
Yanito described a continuous effort centered on water (Colorado River / lower-basin rights), agriculture, and carrying chapter resolutions forward. On attendance, he said he calls in when he can't appear and files his reports by email.
Where Curtis Yanito Stands
Each topic below is drawn from the interview — the question Cal asked, and a short summary of the answer, generated by AI from the interview recording.
The Navajo Land Nursing Home
Cal asked: You sponsored legislation granting tribal-organization status to the Navajo Land Nursing Home — explain it.
Yanito is pushing to convert the Chinle nursing home (a nonprofit registered with the Nation) into a 638 entity, arguing the Nation should be a supplemental funder but has neglected it; he tied it to caring for elders and veterans who never accrued work benefits.
The Utah-Area 638 & the 638 Concept
Cal asked: Do you agree with the 638 concept, and what are the ups and downs in your precinct?
Yanito supports 638 but stressed it only works with strong, business-minded operations and people who understand the contracts, grants, and statutes. He praised the Utah-area Navajo health system as higher-functioning and said newer 638s (he named Fort Defiance and St. Michaels) will get there.
638 Oversight & “Going Rogue”
Cal asked: Some 638 boards and CEOs stay forever and go rogue — how do you fix oversight?
Yanito put the responsibility on board members following their policies and procedures and on fact-finding, while acknowledging people often won't speak up for fear of losing their jobs. On a Navajo oversight entity or “surgeon general” over IHS and the 638s, he was open to it but flagged the shortage of Navajo doctors and professionals.
NBOA & Economic Development
Cal asked: The Navajo Business Opportunity Act isn't working — what would you do?
Yanito agreed the NBOA and the Division of Economic Development aren't working, and said certified chapters are being stripped of resources. He argued schools should teach young people to develop their own family land and grazing permits, that the government itself shouldn't own businesses, and that the capital gap pushes the Nation to partner with outside corporations for expertise.
ZenniHome & Government Reform
Cal asked: Would the ZenniHome disaster have been prevented if the NBOA were followed? And what's broken in Title 2?
Yanito said yes — three quotes and a background check would have caught it — and called it favoritism, now in bankruptcy and under investigation. On reform, he said the Office of Government Development has spent roughly $90 million over the years going nowhere, that government reform has failed three times and is on a fourth attempt, and that appropriations need stipulations attached.
Topics in the Interview
- Platform & Record
- The Navajo Land Nursing Home
- The Utah-Area 638 & the 638 Concept
- 638 Oversight & “Going Rogue”
- NBOA & Economic Development
- ZenniHome & Government Reform