
- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
The 25th Navajo Nation Council extends heartfelt wishes for a Happy New Year to all Diné people.
As we reflect on the past year, we celebrate our collective accomplishments and overcoming of challenges with resilience, unity, and foresight.
“As we step into 2025, let us honor our traditions, celebrate our resilience, and unite in the pursuit of prosperity for all Diné people. With the strength of our unity and the guidance of our elders, we look to the future with hope and determination. Together, we will continue building a legacy of progress for our Nation,” said Speaker Crystalyne Curley.
2024 was a year of historic significance for the Navajo Nation. In the face of adversity, the Diné people made tremendous strides. Key milestones included the introduction of critical water rights legislation in both Arizona and New Mexico before Congress, ensuring our water future for generations to come. Additionally, the confirmation of judges to the Navajo Nation Courts through the Law and Order Committee strengthened our legal systems and ensured that justice is administered with fairness and respect for our traditions.
The Navajo Nation also celebrated the purchase and reopening of the iconic Goulding’s Lodge, marking a major step toward economic revitalization and growth. In a historic first, the Comprehensive Budget Public Hearings hosted by the Budget and Finance Committee invited the voices of the people, ensuring that every Diné voice was heard in the shaping of our Nation’s fiscal future.
As we move into 2025, the 25th Navajo Nation Council remains dedicated to improving services and resources provided to the Diné people. With each piece of legislation passed, each challenge met, and every voice heard, we are one step closer to a brighter, more prosperous future—for every Diné person, whether on or off the Navajo Nation.
May this New Year bring blessings of peace, prosperity, and hope to every home. May we continue walking forward in strength and unity, guided by the wisdom of our ancestors and the promise of a brighter tomorrow.
Happy New Year to all. Together, we will continue to build a legacy of progress, resilience, and harmony for the great Navajo Nation.
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