Day 11: Eyes

On honor of Veterans Day, a navajo boy visit the World War 2 Navajo Code Talkers Memorial statue in Window Rock (Tségháhoodzání in Diné word).

#veteransday #sketchbookapp #indigenovember #navajo #nativeamerican #indigenouspeople #navajocodetalkers #myart #navajoart #navajoartist

We're Still Here: Why It's Still a Good Day to Be #Indigenous

By Levi Rickert, October 13, 2025

"Opinion. It’s a good day to be Indigenous.

Yes, even now. Even after what we witnessed this past week when the White House issued a proclamation for Columbus Day and failed to acknowledge #IndigenousPeoples’ Day. Even with the return of a presidential administration that has made no secret of its disdain for diversity, equity and inclusion (#DEI) efforts. And even though white nationalists continue to grumble at the idea of honoring Indigenous peoples at all—yes, it is still a good day to be Indigenous.

Being Indigenous doesn’t depend on who sits in the Oval Office. It doesn’t hinge on whether a president utters the words “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” or if federal websites decide to scrub Native achievements from their pages. Our strength is not defined by visibility in colonial spaces. Our strength comes from something much older, deeper, and more enduring.

We are still here.

Let’s talk about what happened. This past Thursday, the White House only released a proclamation for Columbus Day — nothing for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which has now been recognized in some form by more than 20 states and over 130 cities and towns. That silence was loud. But it wasn’t surprising.

After all, this is the same administration that stormed back into office declaring war on DEI initiatives. Federal agencies began purging mentions of contributions by people of color. Even the Defense Department — prior to renaming itself the Department of War — removed references to the #NavajoCodeTalkers from its website. It took serious backlash from Indian Country for them to quietly restore those mentions.

And just last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced he would not rescind the Medals of Honor awarded to soldiers who killed as many as 300 Lakota people — most of them unarmed women, children and elders — at the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre. The pattern is clear: This administration will honor those who committed atrocities against Native peoples while erasing the contributions of those who served with distinction.

So no, we weren’t shocked when Indigenous Peoples’ Day was erased at the federal level. But we’re also not deterred. We’ve always had to fight to be seen. And we’ve never needed permission to celebrate ourselves."

Read more:
https://nativenewsonline.net/opinion/we-re-still-here-why-it-s-still-a-good-day-to-be-indigenous

#CulturalHeritage #CulturalPreservation #CulturalErasure #IndigenousPeoplesDay

It's #NavajoCodeTalkers Day! Tomorrow is V-J day - end to #WWII in the Pacific.

Here's to those who use their words for peace!

https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2023/11/world-war-iis-navajo-code-talkers-in-their-own-words/

When you stand up to bullies, they shart.

https://link.defensenews.com/click/39101008.100206/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcG5ld3MuY29tL2FydGljbGUvbmF2YWpvLWNvZGUtdGFsa2Vycy1kZWktcGVudGFnb24tbmF0aXZlLWFtZXJpY2FuLTVhZTgxNGY5OWE1YzVlMDAxMjg2MTNiMmJlOWI1NTRlZT91dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249ZGZuLWViYiZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9zb3VyY2U9c2FpbHRocnU/611fb502903fd37330660c1eC790d712b

#TurdReich #NavajoCodeTalkers #USPol

The Pentagon restores webpages honoring Navajo Code Talkers after public outcry over their removal during a DEI purge. These WWII heroes created an unbreakable code, aiding U.S. victory in the Pacific 🌊. #HistoryMatters #NavajoCodeTalkers #WWII #Diversity

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/20/nx-s1-5334461/pentagon-black-veterans-navajo-code-talkers-website-diversity

Critics of DEI often argue, that these programs promote hires purely on ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation while the qualification gets neglected.

If this was truely the case, then I would agree with them. These distinctive features should not play a role. However, the reality was (and apparently still is), that these factors do play a role and DEI measurements are an instrument to battle these, not to intensify them. The following example shows this best:

In 1942 - 1945 Navajo people have been hired by the US army not because of DEI measurements which did not even exist back then, BUT because of their unique qualification in talking code. The ethnicity coincided coincidentally; had any other group of people or specific jobs, etc. with a great enough workforce existed that had similar qualities in talking code, they would have probably even been preferred.

To retroactively label Navajo Code Talkers with DEI, just to be able to justify removing them from public record shows why DEI measures are important: In removing the Navajo Code Talkers Anti-DEI proponents demask themselves as the reason for DEI to exist in the first place! If it doesn't exist, your qualification don't matter - all that matters is that you have the right ethnicity, gener and sexual orientation, otherwise you get ignored and scrubbed from histroy, regardless of how important your contribution and sacrifice to society was!

Anti-DEI proponents only do one thing: support white male supremacism, aka racism and in this they refute their own arguments against DEI.

https://www.comicsands.com/navajo-code-talkers-dei

#dei #navajo #navajocodetalkers #racism #sexism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_MacDonald_(Navajo_leader)
Peter MacDonald is ALIVE. He's one of the most famous. He was Chairman of the Navajo Nation when he was younger.

Thomas H. Begay is ALIVE. Here's a video:
https://guides.loc.gov/navajo-code-talkers/profiles/thomas-begay

I used to live in Tuba City. I love the Navajo Nation.

#NavajoCodeTalkers #NavajoNation #Navajo #NeverForget #Native https://infosec.exchange/@hacks4pancakes/114181156243625703