Associate Deputy Director Navajo Schools
The Associate Deputy Director for Navajo Schools manages BIE-funded schools within the Navajo Nation, the largest tribal reservation in the United States. This office provides oversight, technical assistance, and resources tailored to the unique needs of Navajo students and communities. It works closely with tribal leaders to support cultural preservation and address local educational priorities while improving academic outcomes.
Emily K. Arviso serves as the Associate Deputy Director of Navajo Schools and is an enrolled member of the Navajo “Dine” Nation. She is of the To’ahani’ Clan (Near the Water), born for the Ts’ahYisk’idnii’ Clan (Sage Brush Hill). Her maternal clan is Ta’baahi (Water’s Edge), and her paternal clan is Tse’Nahabil’nii’ (Sleep Rock People). As ADD of Navajo schools, she works tirelessly to serve the BIE’s Navajo students at BIE operated and tribally controlled schools and provides them with high-quality academic and cultural opportunities.
She has 36 years of educational experience, including in the state public school system as an elementary teacher and principal at the elementary and high school levels. Arviso also served as an elected public school board member. In 2009, Arviso joined the Bureau of Indian Education as a principal at Hunters Point Boarding School and later became a part of the administrative team as an Education Program Specialist and then Special Assistant to the Associate Deputy Director. Her multiple roles throughout her career made her conscious of the substantial contributions of families, educators and tribal leaders who inform her work, reflecting a commitment to collaboration and community partnership.
