Ben Shelly (July 6, 1947 – March 22, 2023) was the 7th one-term president of the Navajo Nation. Shelly was the first president to have been elected both president and vice president of the Navajo Nation. He was also the first New Mexican Navajo to hold the Navajo presidency.
Who was Ben Shelly? Former Navajo Nation President dead at 75
Former Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly has died. He led the tribe for one term after spending decades serving in government.
Shelly took office in 2011 but lost reelection four years later. He remained in office for months, however, after the vote was delayed by a debate over Navajo language fluency involving another candidate.
Prior to his presidency, Shelly served a single term as Navajo vice president. He also was a delegate on the Navajo Nation Council for 16 years representing the community of Thoreau in northwestern New Mexico and served as a county commissioner.
In the last years of his life, Shelly operated a transportation business with his family. He died in New Mexico Wednesday following a prolonged illness. Shelly was 75.