Phefelia Nez

Phefelia Nez is a Navajo leader and advocate who served as the first lady of the Navajo Nation. Her tenure was characterized by initiatives focused on the preservation of the Navajo language and culture, animal welfare reform, and her service on a New Mexico task force addressing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW).

Nez collaborated with the Biden administration on tribal sovereignty and the COVID-19 response, which led to her 2022 appointment to the board of trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Following her time in office, she has continued her work as a public speaker and co-owner of a consulting firm based in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Early life and education Nez was raised on Hopi Partition Land in Big Mountain, Arizona. She experienced a traditional upbringing, living in a hogan without electricity and participating in Navajo ceremonies with her parents, who were ranchers. She has also been awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters from the university. Nez assumed the official duties typically assigned to the Office of the First Lady. Her work during this time focused on ceremonial duties and advocacy in areas such as literacy, healthy living, the arts, and anti-drunk driving initiatives. She served as a member of a New Mexico task force dedicated to addressing the MMIW crisis. In April 2021, she joined her husband in welcoming Jill Biden to Window Rock, Arizona during a two-day tour of the Navajo Nation.

In June 2022, Nez co-hosted a collaborative animal welfare summit to address issues such as animal control and veterinary care on the Navajo Nation. The event was hosted in partnership with the Navajo Nation Division of Natural Resources and Best Friends Animal Society. The appointment was intended to recognize her advocacy for tribal communities and leverage her experience in Navajo arts and education to benefit the board.

Business and later career Nez is the majority owner of Nez Consulting, LLC, a business based in Flagstaff, Arizona, which she owns with her husband. In March 2025, she participated as a panelist at the "Matriarch Voices" event held at Coconino Community College alongside other Indigenous leaders such as Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley.

Personal life Nez is married to Jonathan Nez, the former President of the Navajo Nation.