{"id":89900,"date":"2025-01-06T15:08:47","date_gmt":"2025-01-06T20:08:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=89900"},"modified":"2025-01-06T15:12:17","modified_gmt":"2025-01-06T20:12:17","slug":"navajo-nation-mourns-passing-of-tribal-college-leader-charles-monty-roessel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2025\/01\/06\/navajo-nation-mourns-passing-of-tribal-college-leader-charles-monty-roessel\/","title":{"rendered":"Navajo Nation mourns passing of tribal college leader Charles ‘Monty’ Roessel"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Charles<\/a>
Charles \u201cMonty\u201d Roessel. Photo courtesy Din\u00e9 College<\/figcaption>\r\n
Navajo Nation mourns passing of tribal college leader Charles ‘Monty’ Roessel<\/div>\r\n
Monday, January 6, 2025<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe Navajo Nation<\/a> is mourning the loss of Dr. Charles \u201cMonty\u201d Roessel, who was the leader of Din\u00e9 College<\/a>, a tribal university on the largest reservation in the United States.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nRoessel passed away early Monday morning after a long illness, according to Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren<\/a>. He was surrounded by family while in hospice care in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the tribal president said.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“Despite his illness, Dr. Roessel continued to valiantly lead Din\u00e9 College, where he was the beloved 18th president since 2017,” Nygren said in a post<\/a> on social media. “He followed in the footsteps of his father, Dr. Robert Roessel, the college\u2019s first president from 1968 to 1969.”\r\n

<\/P>\r\nNavajo Nation Council<\/a> Speaker Crystalyne Curley relayed the condolences of the tribe’s legislative body. She credited Roessel, who was 63 years old, for leading Din\u00e9 College, headquartered in Tsaile, Arizona, during a period of significant change.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cDr. Roessel was a tireless advocate for tribal education and a visionary leader whose work\r\ntransformed Din\u00e9 College from a two-year institution to a four-year university,\u201d \r\n Curley said in a news release<\/a>. \u201cHis leadership and dedication were pivotal in shaping educational opportunities for Navajo students, and his efforts have left an indelible mark on the future of our people.\u201d\r\n

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