Who was Peterson Zah? Former Navajo Chairman and President dead aged 85

Peterson Zah was a politician who hailed from Arizona and held the position of chairman of the Navajo Nation from 1983 to 1987.

Born on December 2, 1937, in Low Mountain, Arizona, Zah was the first president of the Navajo Nation, and later became special adviser to the president on American Indian Affairs at the Arizona State University.

Zah attended Arizona State University, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in education.

As far back as 1967, Zah was deputy director of the Diné beʼiiná Náhiilnaah bee Aghaʼdiitʼaahii People’s Legal Service.

While he led the organization, many legal cases related to Indian sovereignty were addressed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Zah worked in several capacities with the Navajo Nation. He was chairman of the Navajo Tribal Council at Window Rock in 1983, and a member of the governing council for the Navajo reservation.

He raised funds for the Navajo Education and Scholarship Foundation, and headed a regional office for Save the Children.

During his time as Navajo president, Zah formed the Navajo Nation Permanent Trust Fund (NNPTF), which grew to over US$3.2 billion in 2017.

Zah is also an honorary degree holder from Colorado College and the College of Santa Fe.

Zah passed away at Fort Defiance Hospital in Fort Defiance, Arizona, on March 7, 2023, after a long battle with cancer. He was aged 85.