Three celebrations to honor last Navajo Code Talkers

WINDOW ROCK

Three separate celebrations will mark National Navajo Code Talkers Day on Aug. 14, each honoring the last two surviving Navajo Code Talkers — Thomas H. Begay and Peter MacDonald Sr. – and celebrating the legacy of the hundreds of Navajo men whose unbreakable code helped win World War II.

At the Navajo Nation Museum, the day will begin with a ride organized by the Diné Ryderz Motorcycle Organization. Riders will stage at 8 a.m. at the Navajoland Inn in St. Michaels, Arizona, and make their way to the Navajo Nation Veterans Memorial Park before continuing to the museum.

Craig Tsosie, the leader of the group, said the ride carries deep meaning for its members.

“For us, one of our main missions is to support our veterans and first responders,” Tsosie said. “Just to be able to show our support and extend our support to the descendants directly is more meaningful – and also to the remaining code talkers, to have them be a part of it. Just to have them know that we are doing this on their behalf to show our appreciation and extend our gratitude and support to them – that’s just how much it means to a lot of us.”

Tsosie said the ride is also a chance to remind younger generations of the sacredness of the Navajo language.

“A lot of people don’t know. I hope they walk away from it knowing it’s Navajo language. That was the code. This language is very sacred. This language is powerful. This language saved a lot––saved this side of the country,” he said.

The museum event will start at 10 a.m. and feature 2025-26 Miss Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial Queen Tewakeedah Rain Spirit Martin, the Chinle Swingin’ Echoes, Norman Patrick Brown, Zonnie Gorman, and other speakers and performers. The program will include the posting of colors by Indigenous Women Color Guards, musical performances, history presentations, and recognition of widows of code talkers.

Brown, the co-chair of the Navajo Code Talker Descendants Committee, said the museum gathering grew from the descendants’ desire to set their own agenda for honoring their fathers.

“We really wanted to honor our fathers the way we wanted to,” Brown said. “We never had the opportunity to set the agenda in the past, but now we set the agenda. The code talkers represented the values of our language, our culture, our community, and our service. We wanted this gathering to focus on unity, healing, and preserving our way of life.”

Brown said the committee’s vision includes passing on the values the code talkers embodied – language preservation, cultural continuity, community leadership and service.

“Our gathering is to show the last two code talkers that we will continue on this legacy, continue on that tie to the land, to our culture, our language, continue advocating for our people to unite,” he said.

Veterans Administration Program at fairgrounds

Across town at the Navajo Nation Fairgrounds, the Navajo Nation Veterans Administration will host its own Navajo Code Talkers Day program starting at 9 a.m. That event will open with a posting of colors, a moment of silence, and the national anthem, followed by an invocation and welcome address. The program will include cultural presentations, a young Marine tribute, and the official acknowledgment of Begay and MacDonald.

A flyover by a U.S. Air Force AC-130J from the 50th Special Operations Wing is scheduled, and the day will end with a gourd dance.

A separate honor ride, organized by the Navajo Hopi Honor Riders, will leave from Blake’s Lotaburger in Tse Bonito, New Mexico, at 8:55 a.m. and arrive at the fairgrounds at the start of the program.

For Tsosie, the day is as much about honoring the past as ensuring the sacrifices of the code talkers remain central to Navajo identity.

“I hope it brings a lot of focus back to not only our code talkers but our elders in general,” he said. “Sometimes our veterans just want to be heard. They just want to sit there and spend some time with someone just to laugh and tell stories. They make sure that you recognize their sacrifice that they put forward for this country to have our freedom.”

Phoenix commemoration

In Phoenix, descendants and community members will gather for their own annual commemoration at Wesley Bolin Plaza near the code talker statue at the state capitol.

Ronnie Towne, whose father, Arthur Hubbard Sr., was a code talker and retired Arizona state senator, said this year’s event will again be held early to avoid the heat, starting at 7 a.m.

“We have been very fortunate to have three descendants working on this event since 2017,” Towne said. “This year I’m really excited because the Phoenix Indian Center will be doing it from this point on with any descendants for the next hundred years.”

The Phoenix program will include the national anthem in Navajo, sung by Annabelle Smith, the daughter of Navajo Code Talker George Willie, and Kellen Little, the great-grandson of Navajo Code Talker Arthur J. Hubbard Sr., who will also perform the Marine Corps hymn in Navajo. The president of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is scheduled to be the guest speaker.

Thomas H. Begay will attend for the second year, accompanied by his son. The ceremony will feature the posting of colors, a military-style wreath laying with a gun salute, and the playing of taps.

Towne said the Phoenix event began with a small moment of silence after she realized distance would prevent her from attending ceremonies on the Navajo Nation.

“When my dad passed, I didn’t want to forget Code Talker Day,” she said. “We started a small remembrance event and from that point on, I have made every effort to have that small remembrance event. It’s really grown into quite a big event for us. I’m just thrilled. Anytime I can get more than ten people there, I’m happy.”

Ron Begay, the son of Navajo Code Talker Begay, said he and his family will attend the Phoenix event.

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