Navajo president vetoes reopening tribal roads to visitors

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez has vetoed a resolution to reopen tribal roads on the Navajo reservation to tourists and other visitors amid the continuing pandemic.

Nez said Friday in a statement that he vetoed the resolution approved March 31 by the Navajo Nation Council because COVID-19 variants are spreading in the region and because more people need to be vaccinated “to move closer to herd immunity and this will take time.”

“I understand that people want to travel and visit our sites here on the Navajo Nation, but we have to prioritize the health and well-being of our people,” Nez added.

The closure does not affect state highways that pass through the reservation, which includes parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.