Mark Maryboy, a Navajo Nation Council delegate and former San Juan County, Utah, commissioner, has spent his life crossing the bridge between the Navajo and non-Navajo worlds.

Maryboy, 50, was one of the first Navajos to attend elementary school in Bluff, Utah. His school years were marred by name-calling and frequent fights, which prepared him for future careers in politics.

In 1986, he was elected to the county commission -- the first Navajo to serve in the county government. During his three terms in office, he frequently clashed with other officials as he sought to improve living conditions for Navajos living in Utah.

"You have to remember, these guys are hard-core conservative Republicans who are not sympathetic to poor folks. They thought it was the fault of the people to be in that situation," Maryboy tells The Salt Lake Tribune.

In 1990, he was elected to the Navajo Nation Council. He fought to ensure that Navajos in Utah, an often neglected population of the tribe, had a voice. He helped establish a health care system using special trust funds set aside for Utah Navajos.

Maryboy is currently serving the last of his four terms on the council. Some people want him to run for Navajo Nation president. He says he is considering a return to rodeoing.

"Some people might think I'm a little old for riding broncs. But I've been running and working out and think I can still do it," he tells the paper. "I like the challenge."

Get the Story:
Bridging Two Worlds (The Salt Lake Tribune 3/5)

Relevant Links:
Navajo Nation Council - http://www.navajonationcouncil.org