Cherilyn Yazzie

Cherilyn Yazzie is an American and Navajo politician, farmer, and entrepreneur. She serves as a delegate on the 25th Navajo Nation Council where she is the vice chair of the Law and Order Committee.

Yazzie is the co-founder of Coffee Pot Farms, an off-grid farm established to address food insecurity on the Navajo Nation. After working for 13 years as a public health professional and social worker, she was motivated by the lack of access to fresh food on the reservation, a recognized food desert. Her work establishing the farm has been featured in documentaries.

Early life and education Yazzie's hometown is Dilkon, Arizona. In 1992, she was a sophomore at Holbrook High School, where she played on the basketball team. Her maternal clan is Honágháahnii (One-walks-around), and her paternal clan is Tó tsohnii (Big Water). Her maternal grandfather's clan is Tódich'ii'nii (Bitter Water), and her paternal grandfather's clan is Áshííhí (Salt People). In this role, she focused on public health and nutrition advocacy.

In 2024, as vice chair of the Law and Order Committee, Yazzie sponsored Legislation No. 0195-24. The bill seeks to amend and update the Navajo Nation Child Support Guidelines, which had not been updated since the original Child Support Act was passed in 1994. The proposed amendments included an increase in child support payments by 10 to 20 percent of the parental gross income. The legislation passed the Law and Order Committee unanimously and was forwarded to the Health, Education and Human Services Committee for final authority.

Personal life Yazzie is married to Mike Hester, with whom she co-founded and operates Coffee Pot Farms. Her father died from COVID-19 in 2021.