Chambers residents, Navajo chapters oppose Chieftain Mobil liquor license bid

Residents of the Sanders–Chambers corridor, Navajo chapter officials, pastors, veterans, tribal advocates and members of the Apache County Board of Supervisors confronted an applicant seeking a packaged-liquor license for the Chieftain Mobil convenience store in Chambers, Arizona, prompting formal tribal action. The Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission, based in St. Michaels, passed resolution NNHRCFEB-02-2026 at its February regular meeting, opposing the application and urging both the Apache County Board of Supervisors and the Arizona State Liquor Board to deny the request.

The commission’s resolution, filed from St. Michaels, carried a 3-0 vote and specifically calls for "Opposing the Application of the Sale of Liquor by Chieftain Mobil located in Chambers, Arizona and Urging the Apache County Board of Supervisors to do the Same; and the Arizona State Liquor Board to Deny the Application." The resolution names the owner associated with the application as Mr. Sanjay M. Patel and repeats the commission’s request that the Arizona State Liquor Board deny the application to sell liquor by Chieftain Mobil and owner Mr. Sanjay M. Patel in Chambers, AZ.

Local opposition was described in an original community account under the headline "'We're healing': Residents, Navajo chapters push back on Chieftain Mobil liquor-license bid in Chambers," which framed the confrontation as a coalition of residents and chapter leaders defending community wellness. According to materials provided with the commission press release, multiple Navajo chapter officials joined pastors, veterans and tribal advocates in pressing the applicant; Apache County supervisors were reported present during the confrontation, though the commission materials do not list the supervisors by name.

The commission press release and email digest include ancillary community items that underscore local wellness priorities: a free workshop, "Know Limits and Protect Self," hosted at Hogback Chapter on January 27, 2026 by the Navajo Division of Behavioral & Mental Health Services in collaboration with the Restoring & Celebrating Family Wellness Committee, and a public-health notice from Window Rock stating, "Chickenpox is a vaccine preventable disease, and we encourage all Navajo Nation residents to stay up to date with their vaccinations to provide immunity against dangerous diseases and to protect both yourself and your community." The digest also noted an office closure from March 2 to March 5, 2026.

The available records do not include a copy of the Arizona State Liquor Board application, an application date or comments from Mr. Sanjay M. Patel, and the commission materials do not provide the names of the chapter officials who opposed the license. With resolution NNHRCFEB-02-2026 now on record and the Apache County Board of Supervisors specifically urged to act, the decision on the Chieftain Mobil packaged-liquor application will rest with county and state licensing processes.