MEDIA SHARE
25TH NAVAJO NATION COUNCIL
OFFICE OF THE SPEAKER
BOISE, ID – On Monday, Speaker Crystalyne Curley of the 25th Navajo Nation Council participated in a high-level meeting with U.S. Treasury Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender and Treasurer Brandon Beach hosted by the Coalition of Large Tribes (COLT).
The tribal roundtable discussion centered on advancing tribal tax policy, affirming tribal economic opportunities, and strengthening government-to-government relations between tribes and the Department of the Treasury.
Speaker Curley highlighted the relationship between the Navajo Nation and the United States, grounded in the 1868 Treaty.
“Our treaty reaffirmed our sovereign political status and established the federal obligation to promote the prosperity and self sufficiency of the Navajo people,” said Speaker Curley.
Speaker Curley stated that the fragmented Internal Revenue Service (IRS) taxation guidance continues to undermine tribal sovereignty.
“Tribes have faced extensive audits and misclassifications of non-taxable programs like burial assistance and livestock support under the CARES Act,” she said. “We urge Treasury to adopt clear, comprehensive guidance that respects the Tribal Tax Status Act and the General Welfare Exclusion Act.”
Speaker Curley also expressed support for proposed Treasury rules that would affirm the sovereign status of tribally chartered entities and called for the removal of tax and regulatory barriers to tribal-to-tribal commerce.
She highlighted the Navajo Nation’s investments in tourism infrastructure, including the recent acquisition of Goulding’s Lodge in Monument Valley, as a demonstration of growing intertribal trade and enterprise.
“Our ancestors traded long before the U.S. existed,” she stated. “Treasury has a responsibility to help support those types of economic opportunities.”
COLT leaders also advocated for tribal inclusion in federal Opportunity Zone designations.
“We support extending tax-incentivized investment zones under current federal initiatives, but any such program must be tailored to tribal realities,” added Speaker Curley.
Speaker Curley also reaffirmed the Navajo Nation’s and COLT’s readiness to lead in economic development and self-governance.
“Today, you are hearing from large tribes like Navajo who are prepared to build our economies, educate our children, and govern with accountability,” she stated.
The Navajo Nation and Coalition of Large Tribes called on the U.S. Treasury to continue meaningful dialogue to finalize proposed rules that affirm tribal sovereignty, and implement fair, equitable tax guidance that reflects the distinct political and economic factors within tribal communities. Both Deputy Secretary Faulkender and Treasurer Beach reiterated the Trump Administration’s strong support for tribal sovereignty and commitment to improving reservation economies.
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25TH NAVAJO NATION COUNCIL, OFFICE OF THE SPEAKER
Press release from Navajo Nation
Media Contact: nnlb.communications@gmail.com
Images from Navajo Nation and the Coalition of Large Tribes.