Peterson Zah (born December 2, 1937) is an American politician who was the first

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest fe ...

President and the last Chairman of the Navajo Nation.Peterson Zah Biography
/ref> Since 1995, he has been working at

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

as the Special Adviser to ASU President on American Indian Affairs. Zah also works as a consultant to companies attempting to do business on the Navajo Nation.

Biography

Peterson Zah was born December 2, 1937 in Low Mountain, Arizona, the son of Henry and Mae Multine Zah. He was educated at

Phoenix Indian School The Phoenix Indian School, or Phoenix Indian High School in its later years, was a Bureau of Indian Affairs-operated school in Encanto Village, in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona. It served lower grades also from 1891 to 1935, and then served as a ...

and Arizona State University, where he received a bachelor's degree in education in 1963.Peterson Zah Collection, 1969-1994
Arizona Archives Online, Arizona State University After college, Zah spent a year working in

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

for the Arizona Vocational Education Department, teaching

carpentry Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters t ...

to adult students seeking vocational skills. From 1965 to 1967 he was a participant in

Volunteers in Service to America AmeriCorps VISTA is a national service program designed to alleviate poverty. President John F. Kennedy originated the idea for VISTA, which was founded as Volunteers in Service to America in 1965, and incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of ...

(VISTA), working at Arizona State University as field coordinator of a training center. In 1967 Zah became deputy director of the '' Diné beʼiiná Náhiilnaah bee Aghaʼdiitʼaahii'' (DNA) People's Legal Service, a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

. A few years later he became Executive Director and remained in that position until 1981. Under Zah's leadership, several of the organization's legal cases related to Indian sovereignty reached the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1972, Zah won election to the school board in Window Rock, Arizona; the following year he became board president. In 1983 he became chairman of the

Navajo Tribal Council The Navajo Nation Council ( nv, Béésh bąąh dah siʼání) is the legislative branch of the Navajo Nation government. The council meets four times per year, with additional special sessions, at the Navajo Nation Council Chamber, which is in W ...

Window Rock Window Rock ( nv, , ) is a census-designated place that serves as the seat of government and capital of the Navajo Nation, the largest territory in North America of a sovereign Native American nation. The capital lies within the boundaries of the ...

, the governing body for the Navajo

reservation __NOTOC__ Reservation may refer to: Places Types of places: * Indian reservation, in the United States * Military base, often called reservations * Nature reserve Government and law * Reservation (law), a caveat to a treaty * Reservation in India, ...

headquartered there. He served in that position until 1987, when he became engaged in fundraising for the Navajo Education and Scholarship Foundation. In 1989 and 1990 he directed a regional office for

Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...

, and in 1990 was elected president of the new Navajo Nation, the first person to be elected to that position. He was inaugurated as President on Tuesday, January 15, 1991. Among the accomplishments that Zah is credited with during his time as Navajo president was working productively with

Hopi The Hopi are a Native American ethnic group who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census, there are 19,338 Hopi in the country. The Hopi Tribe is a sovereign nation within the United ...

tribal leader Ivan Sidney to resolve issues related to the land dispute between the two tribes. Zah and Sidney had been childhood friends. But ultimately nothing was done to help the Navajo Hopi JUA Situation, which led to thousands of Navajos being relocated. During Zah's term, he established the Navajo Nation Permanent Trust Fund, utilizing tens of millions of dollars won in a lawsuit against

Peabody Coal Company Peabody Energy is a coal mining and energy company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Its primary business consists of the mining, sale, and distribution of coal, which is purchased for use in electricity generation and steelmaking. Peabody ...

. The NNPTF has grown to over a billion dollars. In 1995 Peterson Zah became Special Advisor to the President on American Indian Affairs for Arizona State University. Zah has received honorary degrees from

Colorado College Colorado College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell in his daughter's memory. The college enrolls approxi ...

and the

College of Santa Fe Santa Fe University of Art and Design (SFUAD) was a private, for-profit art school in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The university was built from the non-profit College of Santa Fe (CSF), a Catholic facility founded as St. Michael's College in 1859, and ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zah, Peterson Living people Arizona State University alumni Arizona State University faculty School board members in Arizona Presidents of the Navajo Nation 1937 births People from Navajo County, Arizona People from Window Rock, Arizona 20th-century Native Americans 21st-century Native Americans Native American people from Arizona