Long-time radio personality remembered as an ‘unsung hero’
FARMINGTON, N.M.
Navajos far and wide this week are mourning George Werito, long-time radio personality and station manager for KNDN, who died Sunday at age 66.
As many as 100,000 listeners tuned in to 960 AM on a weekly basis to hear Werito’s 6 a.m. radio show, which was a combination of news, talk and announcements delivered entirely in the Navajo language. The show, broadcast from Farmington, was a favorite for many Navajo elders in the Northern and Eastern agencies, said Navajo President Russell Begaye, who called Werito a close friend.
“In George Werito, the Navajo Nation has lost a leader and great radio personality who was unparalleled in his ability to communicate complex issues in a very articulate way,” Begaye said. “A lot of our elders will miss his voice and the way he coined Navajo words.”
Werito often was on location broadcasting community or sporting events like the Shiprock Marathon. He was known for announcing the race along the entire 26.2-mile course.
Werito also was a trusted broadcaster in Farmington and surrounding regions, Farmington Mayor Tommy Roberts said. The city worked with Werito to communicate important information to the Navajo people in their own language.
“I am saddened to learn of (his) death,” Roberts said. “He will be missed by all who knew him, whether on a direct personal level or through his on-air personality.”
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Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow