The state of New Mexico and an educational partner are moving forward with construction of a museum honoring the Navajo Code Talkers, but descendants of the World War II veterans say the project’s new location and reduced scope amount to an overreach that failed to consult the family members and historians most closely tied to the legacy.
State shifts site to Farmington; descendants object
For decades, survivors and descendants of the original Navajo Code Talkers have sought a museum on the Navajo Nation to promote public understanding of the code developed in their language, preserve archival material and provide veteran services. New Mexico has allocated $20 million in capital outlay for the project — with half of that funding earmarked this year — and Chevron donated roughly 200 acres in Tse Bonito near Window Rock, the Navajo Nation capital, in 2009.
But state officials and leaders at Navajo Preparatory School are instead planning a scaled‑down facility to be built on the school’s campus in Farmington, a town located just outside the Navajo Nation boundary about two hours northeast of Tse Bonito. A groundbreaking for the Farmington site is planned for December.
Those changes have prompted public criticism from descendants and historians who say the Farmington location and smaller design will not adequately reflect the Code Talkers’ significance and who say they were not consulted about the shift.
“To me, it was an overstep and overreach by the governor,” said Zonnie Gorman, daughter of the late Carl N. Gorman, one of the original 29 Code Talkers. She is also a recognized historian of the Code Talkers.
Lawmakers press state officials on consultation and spending
The project drew scrutiny during a recent meeting of the New Mexico Legislative Indian Affairs Committee, where members spent about an hour and a half questioning the cabinet secretary for Indian Affairs and the head of Navajo Prep. Lawmakers raised concerns about whether descendants had been properly consulted, how the museum would operate, and who would own and manage it.
State Sen. Angel Charley, D‑Acoma, urged transparency about expenditures and contracts. “I think it’s a responsibility of ours … and to our Navajo citizens across the state that we have some insight into, where’s the money going, who’s getting paid, how much are they getting paid for this work,” Charley said.
State agencies take lead on planning
Earlier this summer, New Mexico’s General Services Department and Indian Affairs Department issued a request for proposals from architecture and planning firms, reflecting a shift to more active state involvement in the project’s planning. Neither Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office nor Navajo Preparatory School responded to requests for comment for this article.
What supporters originally sought
Families and advocates had envisioned a more expansive museum on the Navajo Nation that could serve multiple purposes: public education about the complexity of the code, research and archival storage, and a connected veterans’ center. The land donation in 2009 and repeated calls for a facility on or adjacent to the Navajo Nation underscored that preference.
- State capital outlay: $20 million committed, half allocated this year
- Land donation: About 200 acres by Chevron in 2009 at Tse Bonito
- Planned groundbreaking: December, at Navajo Preparatory School campus in Farmington
Questions that remain
Key details remain unresolved in the public record: the final design and size of the Farmington facility, the operational model and governance structure, whether descendants or Navajo Nation leadership will have a formal role in ownership or management, and how the state will steward the committed capital outlay.
Advocates for a museum on the Nation argue such a location would better honor the cultural and historical context of the Code Talkers, facilitate access by Navajo citizens and veterans, and house archival materials in proximity to families and tribal institutions. Critics say moving the project off the Nation and scaling it back could limit those benefits.
Context and next steps
The museum proposal has a long history that includes state funding commitments and private land donations but apparently lacked consensus about site selection and governance. With the December groundbreaking announced for Farmington and state agencies actively soliciting design proposals, the next months will be crucial for resolving questions about consultation, scope and stewardship.
Lawmakers and descendants say they will continue to press for transparency and assurances that the Code Talkers’ legacy will be preserved in a way that reflects the wishes of their families and the broader Navajo community.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| State capital outlay | $20 million (half this year) |
| Donated land | ~200 acres, Tse Bonito (2009) |
| Planned site | Navajo Preparatory School campus, Farmington |
| Planned groundbreaking | December |
Reporting will continue as officials provide additional details on the design, governance and community outreach plans for the museum project.
