Council rocks Window Rock community with Christmas tree lighting

Posted by Jalen Woody | Dec 21, 2023 | Reporter's Notebook |

WINDOW ROCK – The air was crisp and cold as Speaker Crystalyne Curley stepped in front of a crowd of around 50 people at the Navajo Nation Council Chamber Monday night. The people gathered in large huddles at the Council Chamber entrance at 5 p.m.

Jalen Woody | Navajo Times
Window Rock community members brave the cold weather and gather at the foot of a tall tree decorated with garland. The tree, embellished with lights and ornaments, is established in front of the Navajo Nation Council Chamber in Window Rock. The attendees wore their winter attire during the Council’s Christmas Tree Lighting on Monday night.

“Christmas is a time for family, for hope and for love,” said Curley. “This is a reminder for all of us that family is important, creating that space, especially from the government.”

The Council staff collaborated to create a “Christmas Tree Lighting” event for the Window Rock community. The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority staff came to the site before the start time and placed the lights and ornaments on the top of the tree.

The legislative staff stood near the Council Chamber entrance before the event began. They pumped air into large ornaments and placed them at the foot of the tree. In addition, the staff brewed a large pot of hot chocolate and placed cookies inside ziplock bags.

At 5 p.m., community members from Window Rock and the surrounding area lined up near the Council Chamber to get their free hot chocolate and cookies. The cookies were decorated with red, white, and green festive colors.
After each family left the line, they went to a small table near the chamber entrance and grabbed new toys, Christmas light sticks, and necklaces.

“Their (my children’s) preschool teacher told me that they were having this event, and I wanted to come to spread some cheer to my kids because their grandma passed away recently. So that’s the main reason (I brought them),” said Kimberly Yazzie, a community member.

Curley placed a large phone tripod on the chamber’s doorstep as she livestreamed the event on the Council’s Facebook website for the entire Navajo Nation to see. Council Delegate Andy Nez, Vice President Richelle Montoya, and Miss Navajo Amy N. Reeves-Begaye came forward from the crowd to speak about the importance of the holiday season.

“For our people to have time to come together and to have one another, to just be with one another, especially after the pandemic and being isolated and lost so many of our family members,” said Montoya.

Jalen Woody | Navajo Times
Draven Cadman stands in front of the Council Chamber holding a candy cane glow stick as he listens to Speaker Crystalyne Curley address the crowd during the Council’s Christmas Tree Lighting in Window Rock on Monday night.

At around 5:40 p.m., Miss Navajo Nation gathered with many of the children at the event, and together, they sang two Christmas songs a cappella-style. Then, they lit the decorated Christmas tree. After a slight delay, the tree lights illuminated the steps of the Council Chamber.

“I haven’t been to any of the tree lighting ceremonies before, so I decided to come to this one,” said Valerie Harrison, a community member. “It (the Council’s Tree Lighting Ceremony) was nice, it was short and sweet.”
As the event closed, the speaker handed out Christmas cards with an illustration of the Council Chamber pictured as a gingerbread house.

“That’s very important for our leadership to recognize that coming together is a form of healing and also celebration and hope,” said Curley. “Council always did the tree lighting, but after coming back out from the pandemic, it is coming back together again and seeing each other and sharing the laughs together and sharing a hot cocoa together.”