Background
Begaye was born and raised on the western part of the Navajo reservation in Kaibito, Arizona.
Begaye was born and raised on the western part of the Navajo reservation in Kaibito, Arizona.
Begaye was elected leader of the largest Indian tribe in the United States, on a platform of moral values based on Diné and Christian cultural traditions and an endorsement from former Navajo President Peterson Zah. In 2002, he lost his reelection against Shirley. This negatively affected the male children in the family, especially Kelsey.
Begaye, himself, became a victim of alcoholism by the time he reached highschool.
His illegal habits placed him on probation. He was sent to a boarding school in New Mexico in hopes of saving his future.
Unfortunately, his bad behavior didn’t stop there and he joined a gang called Choo-choo. He still has the faded tattoo “CHOO-CHOO” on his left wrist, however, he no longer has any affiliations with this gang.
Begaye later joined the United States. Army and was stationed in Vietnam for thirteen months.
The partying followed him overseas. He spent all of his past time blasting music, drinking alcohol, and smoking marijuana. Begaye was discharged and sent back to the United States in December 1971.
He jumped from job to job and was stuck in a state of instability.
He was a twenty-four year old, without a job, without a home, wandering around Los Angeles, California. After everything he has been through, he still spent all of his waking hours drinking and partying.
Begaye decided to go back to his hometown in Arizona in 1975. He reunited with the other alcoholics in the Kaibito area and continued to party.
Instead of going to the hospital as he was expected to do, he stumbled down the aisle, knelt down to his knees, and began to pray.
He left the tent later that day as a clean and new manitoba He has led a life of sobriety ever since. After his conversion, Begaye decided to use his struggling past to help people in his society who suffer from the disease of alcoholism.
He became a drug and alcohol counselor and started to gain a positive reputation in his community.
He then became the secretary treasurer of the Kaibeto chapter, which led to him becoming the president of the Kaibeto chapter. In 1990 he was chosen as the Navajo Nation Council delegate.
In 1995 Begaye became speaker of the Navajo Nation Council. He was president of the Navajo Nation until January 14, 2003.
In 1979 Begaye became a member of the local school board.