Relinda M. John is a small-business owner and former Eastern Agency community representative for the Nygren administration, running for six chapters around Nageezi against the incumbent. Her interview with Cal Nez was candid and grassroots-focused, covering chapter-level service, housing and elders, chapter certification, economic development and the Navajo Business Opportunity Act, the enterprises, and her resignation from the President's office. Below are the questions Cal asked, short summaries of John's answers in our own words, and follow-ups a voter might still want answered.
Watch or read the full interview, and see the scorecard, on Relinda M. John’s profile. This page is a nonpartisan summary; the Diné Civic Center does not endorse any candidate.
John worked as a community representative overseeing 15 Eastern Agency chapters for the Nygren administration before resigning about two weeks before the interview. Her platform is “helping where help is needed” rather than promising paved roads or homes for all — getting her six chapters on their feet to help each other, with a focus on housing (homeowners who can't get NHA repairs because they lack title) and elders and senior services.
A former certified nurse and senior paralegal, John said she would make decisions on her own moral values and read any legislation through before sponsoring it — she wouldn't sponsor a bill for Justin Jones, Buu Nygren, or anyone as a favor, only if it serves the people and the Nation.
Only one of her six chapters is certified; she would review the others' books to find where they miss the five-management-system standard DCD requires, and work one-on-one with the chapter coordinators and DCD, since much of it comes down to accounting and documentation.
John defined economic development as chapters self-governing so communities can make their own money and climb out of poverty. She knows the NBOA firsthand — her Navajo-owned renovation business is “priority one” yet rarely gets Navajo work (only Baca-Prewitt ever invited a bid) — and supports small Navajo vendors; pressed on empowering chapters, she said she'd convene all six to strategize.
John questioned why NTUA, NECA, and Navajo Arts & Crafts are budgeted money yearly instead of thriving on their own; she would phase Navajo Arts & Crafts out slowly (she says it stopped moving artisans' products) and push NECA to expand off-Nation, redirecting support toward Navajo businesses.
John said she resigned about two weeks earlier and was “shunned” for deciding to run without asking permission; she contrasted her work — home-site-lease help, not promoting the President — with others. On values, she said upholding traditional or Christian values in the chambers would curb corruption, and she would go in as herself and do right by the people.
Topics a voter in this district might still want to hear about:
Not a judgment of this candidate — just what a specific, substantive answer includes, so you can weigh any candidate’s response: