Navajo Reporter Marley Shebala Released from Jail after Violent Arrest by Navajo Police

Marley Shebala, Dine'/Zuni Pueblo News reporter was violently arrested by Navajo police serving a home eviction, after she filed an ethics complaint against Navajo President Buu Nygren. Marley's screams during the painful arrest can be heard on her livestream, which shows a locksmith entering her home, and her daughter handcuffed. She was jailed for more than 18 hours and released. -- Censored News

Navajo Reporter Marley Shebala Released from Jail after Violent Arrest by Navajo Police

Update Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025

After being violently arrested and jailed by Navajo police, Navajo reporter Marley Shebala livestreamed Tuesday morning. The Navajo Council led the walk "Protect the Peoples' Money," following the Navajo President's budget actions.
https://www.facebook.com/marley.shebala

By Marley Shebala, Censored News, Oct. 20, 2025

Greetings Relatives/Frens/Humans,

AHE’HEE, Much Appreciation and Gratitude for all the Prayers. I truly believe in prayer.

I’m safe and so is my little family. We’re praying for affordable shelter and a storage space. I continue to pray for a strong, ethical attorney.

I’m 73-years-old and so Recovery Time from more than 18 hours of jail time is taking much longer than I expected.

I have received so many Helping Hands for donations. Please use Zelle mshebala@gmail.com and I would greatly appreciate it if you would say how to use your donation. I’ll provide Donation Updates.

As soon as we find shelter & storage, I can send info for people to make their donations directly to housing & storage sites & attorney fees when we find them.

Ahe’hee to Shideezhi Brenda, who continues The Good Fight but especially Supporting other Investigative Journalists/Muckrakers.

Peace & Luv , Marley & Family

Note from the publisher

I'm happy to see Marley is released from jail and healing. We worked together as news reporters at Navajo Times in the early 1980s. Marley has continued the good fight her entire life, with courage and dignity, in her homeland, the Navajo Nation, with or without pay. It has become nearly impossible for local, honest, grassroots reporters who actually show up, and are present, to survive. It is difficult to survive both the politics, and the financial and moral collapse of the news industry. My sincere wishes to Marley and her family for health and well-being. Brenda Norrell, publisher, Censored News

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Navajo reporter Marley Shebala livestreamed as Navajo police violently arrested her. Shown here is her daughter in handcuffs, with Navajo police in her home, and an Apache Country Sheriff's officer in the door. Screenshot by Censored News. 
https://www.facebook.com/marley.shebala/videos/1124006053182031

Navajo Reporter Marley Shebala Violently Arrested by Navajo Police, After Filing Ethics Complaint on Navajo President

By Brenda Norrell, Censored News, October 16, 2025

WINDOW ROCK, Navajo Nation -- Navajo Police were sent today to evict Marley Shebala, Dine' Zuni Pueblo reporter, from her home. Marley, 73, screamed in pain as she was arrested by police. Marley had filed an ethics complaint against Navajo President Buu Nygren, and was reporting on the ongoing corruption in the Navajo tribal government.

"I am 73 years old, and they have me handcuffed in my home with my daughter, our Navajo police, to serve and protect," Marley says, as she continues to livestream. Navajo police used a locksmith to enter her home, before the violent arrest.

"I am not standing up, I'm not doing anything for you guys, if you want me to go you can drag me," she said, and then screamed in pain, "My arm! my arm!" Marley continued to scream from the pain during the violent arrest by Navajo police.

Marley Shebala

Marley had just filed an ethics complaint against Navajo President Buu Nygren, and was reporting on the current chaos and corruption in the Navajo Nation government. She has spent her life as a reporter in her homeland, the Navajo Nation.

Marley's livestream shows the Navajo police serving her a home eviction document. Marley said she had no advance notice, there was no hearing, and her attorney had been disbarred.

Then, Marley and her daughter, handcuffed, tell the Navajo police that the Navajo police never respond when there is a home burglary, car theft, or missing person. It was the community, not the Navajo police, who caught burglars.

"When we ask for help, we can't even get a cop to come for two hours, women are being beaten," Marley's daughter, handcuffed, tells the Navajo police. She said Vernon Tsosie was found in a different area, dismembered.

Before mother and daughter were handcuffed, a locksmith can be seen and heard breaking in through the front door lock of her home, in Karigan Estates, a Navajo funded  housing development, west of the Navajo capitol in the community of St. Michaels.

"No one read me my rights," Marley said during her arrest.

Navajo police served Marley Shebala with a home eviction notice today
Screenshot by Censored News.

https://www.facebook.com/marley.shebala/videos/1382366817227402

Marley was reporting on the Navajo President's removal of the controller, and ongoing corruption in the Navajo government.

"Is this retaliation by Navajo police?" Marley asks during the livestream, pointing out that she had filed an ethics complaint against Navajo President Nygren, and reported on Nygren's removal of the tribe's controller.

"Be prepared if you speak up," Marley says.

Marley said two weeks ago, "I'm still moving forward with the filing of my Navajo Nation Ethics in Government Complaint against Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren for hiring his father-in-law as his child's babysitter and security guard for his wife, Navajo Nation First Lady Jasmine Blackwater-Nygren in 2023."

Continue reading at Censored News

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/10/navajo-reporter-marley-shebala.html