Enei Begaye is Táchii’nii clan & born for Tódích’ií’nii clan. She is of the Diné (Navajo) & Tohono O’odham Nations. Enei grew up on the Navajo reservation. She is from the community of Shonto, AZ and went to high school at Monument Valley High School in Kayenta, AZ. 

Enei is currently the Executive Director of the Black Mesa Water Coalition, a grass roots organizations made up of young Navajo and Hopi people to organized to protect the N-Aquifer from the Peabody Coal Mine slurry lines that pumped millions of gallons from Black Mesa to the Mojave generating station in Laughlin, NV. In 2005 through efforts of BMWC and other environmental and sacred site protection organizations, they successfully shut down the Peabody Coal Mine.

Enei is a recognized advocate of Indigenous Peoples rights, youth, and the environment. She is an active speaker, strategist, writer, and organizer. Her experience includes work within the United Nations as well as national and local governments, representing Indigenous and environmental interests. 

Enei is a co-founder of the Native Movement Collective, a non-profit organization working to build community and healthy relationships between all people. She has worked as the water campaigner for the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), where she worked with Indigenous communities throughout the U.S. to protect their water resources.

Among other recognitions, Enei has recently been presented with Arizona’s Native American “Woman of Our Community” award as well as the Southwest’s “Water Guardian” award. Enei studied Geological and Environmental Sciences with a focus in land and water management at Stanford University. Enei also serves on the board and steering committee of a number of national networks. 

Enei is currently based out of Flagstaff, AZ, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

Enei Begaye
(Diné/Tohono O'odham)
BMWC Executive Director
eneibegaye@mac.com