Navajo Nation breaks ground on National Code Talkers Museum

Tsé Bonito, NM — Sunday was National Navajo Code Talkers day and it was a fitting time to break ground on a new museum to honor the Code Talkers who used the Navajo language to create an unbreakable code that helped win World War II.

“We pay tribute to all Navajo Code Talkers for their courageous service in World War II and beyond. At the time of their enlistment, they were young Navajo men who answered the call of duty and unknowingly built a legacy for the Navajo people,” Navajo President Jonathan Lizer said. “Their contribution to the country is recognized throughout the world.”

More than 500 people were on hand for the event including Nez, Marine Corps Commander Lt. General David Bellon, and U.S. Representative Tom O’Hallerman from Arizona.

“This museum and veterans center should have been completed years ago, and it will be a gathering place to hear their stories,” Navajo Nation Speaker Seth Damon said. “We now break ground to make this massive project a reality, and we are forever grateful to our Navajo warriors in uniform for protecting our freedom and way of life.”

“The Museum will tell the legacy of our Navajo warriors, and our children and grandchildren will have the opportunity to learn and remember how resilient we are as Diné people,” Nez said.

The state of New Mexico committed more than $1 million for the design and building of the museum in 2019.

There are three surviving Navajo Code Talkers, Peter MacDonald a former Navajo Nation President, Thomas H. Begay, and John Kinsel Sr.

The Navajo Nation sits in four states, including Utah in the Four Corners area.

President Ronald Reagan Navajo Code Talker declared August 14 as Navajo Code Talkers Day in 1982.