‘An overstep’: Navajo Code Talker descendants criticize New Mexico’s new plan for museum

For generations, Navajo Code Talkers and their descendants have longed for a grand museum on the Navajo Nation that would showcase the intricate code they devised, helping secure Allied victory in World War II. They also envisioned a connected veteran's center and research space to house archival materials. This year, the state of New Mexico allocated $20 million for a capital outlay, with half of it allocated this year.

Chevron donated approximately 200 acres of land in Tse Bonito, near Window Rock, the Navajo Nation capital, in 2009. A groundbreaking for the museum is scheduled for December, but to the dismay of many descendants, it will be built on the campus of Navajo Preparatory School in Farmington, a town just outside the Navajo Nation's boundary, approximately two hours northeast of Tse Bonito.

Some descendants argue that this location does not adequately represent their fathers and other Code Talkers and question why they were not consulted about the decision. Zonnie Gorman, the daughter of late Carl N. Gorman, one of the original 29 Code Talkers, expressed her frustration, stating that it felt like an "overstep and overreach" by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Neither Governor Lujan Grisham's office nor Navajo Preparatory School responded to requests for comment. The project has also faced criticism from state lawmakers who questioned the consultation process, operational details, and ownership during a meeting of the Indian Affairs Committee. During a summer request for proposals, the state General Services Department and Indian Affairs Department included a requirement for firms to identify a Code Talker subject matter expert to consult on the project.

However, this requirement was removed about a month after publication. Navajo Code Talker descendant Zonnie Gorman, a historian, emphasizes the need for a museum to provide the public with a more comprehensive understanding of the Code Talkers' contributions and the complexity of their language-based code. She acknowledges Governor Lujan Grisham's intention to honor a promise made but stresses the importance of careful consideration in the planning process, particularly regarding the location and scope of the museum.