- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren admonished the crowd at the Navajo Nation Veterans Memorail Park in Window Rock, Arizona to "remember our fallen" at a Memorial Day service held on Monday.
“Sometimes, we tend to forget why this day is remembered. We tend to remember the Memorial Day sales or the events that are going on, the celebrations, the cookouts,” President Nygren said. “This a day that we have to continue to remember our fallen, and continue to remember them in a good way — and continue to remember their families as well.”
President Nygren was joined by Navajo Nation Vice President Richelle Montoya and Speaker of the 25th Navajo Nation Council Crystalyne Curley, who also provided Memorial Day comments
President Nygren added the Nation owed a debt to the Gold Star mothers who also gave the ultimate sacrifice.
“They’re still dealing with heartache,” Nygren said. “There’s so much loss and grieving.
Speaker Curley also urged the audicen to remember the families of those who lost their lives while serving their country.
“Many families who lost loved ones to war have broken hearts. Some of those families are probably still grieving the loss to this day,” the Speaker said in Navajo. “Today is a day of reverence, a day of grieving, and a day of mourning.”
Vice President Montoya then said the mothers who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
“For the mother whose children didn’t come home. When you lose a child you lose a part of your heart. Continue staying strong, mothers,” she said.
After all three leaders spoke, a Remembering the Fallen ceremony was held by the Navajo Nation Blue Star Mothers where they read names of the Navajo servicemen and servicewomen from all war eras, who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
After the reading of the names, President Nygren was joined by Vice President Montoya and Speaker Curley in the Laying of the Wreath Ceremony.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Seattle Seahawks Tackle Preservation Projects at Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center for Annual Day of Service
Native News Weekly (June 15, 2025): D.C. Briefs
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
