Navy Officially Names New Class of Ships in Honor of the Navajo People
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, First Lady Phefelia Nez, 24th Navajo Nation Council
Speaker Seth Damon, members of the 24th Navajo Nation Council, and Jocelyn Billy at the U.S. Navy Authentication of the Keel Ceremony of the USNS Navajo (T-ATS 6) on Oct. 30, 2019 at the Civic Center in Houma, La.
Published October 31, 2019
HOUMA, La. — Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez was honored to be joined by the members of the 24th Navajo Nation Council, Speaker Seth Damon, Chief Justice JoAnn B. Jayne, former Speaker LoRenzo Bates, and Navajo Code Talker Peter McDonald on Wednesday, during the U.S. Navy’s Authentication of the Keel Ceremony of the U.S. Navy’s first of class towing and salvage vessel, “USNS Navajo (T-ATS 6)” at the Civic Center in Houma, La.
The keel was said to be “truly and fairly laid” as it was authenticated by President Nez, Speaker Damon, and Jocelyn Billy, who signed their initials into the keel plate that is the symbolic backbone of a ship, the keel plate will be fastened within the hull of the vessel.
“As the First Americans of this country, we are honored to celebrate this major milestone in our history. The milestone we celebrate today is the first of its kind for the Navajo Nation. Throughout our history, the Diné people have always been the caretakers and protectors of our sacred land in every branch of the Armed Forces, so we are very grateful that our selfless and brave Diné warriors are being recognized and honored through this historic ceremony,” said President Nez.
During World War II, the Navajo Code Talkers, Marines Corps service members under the Department of the Navy, fought in the Pacific Theater, transmitting top-secret messages. By the end of the war, over 400 Code Talkers were trained for this unique service. Today, the Navajo people continue to serve in Armed Forces at a higher rate than the national participation rate.
In March, the Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer announced that the new class of U.S. Navy, Salvage, and Rescue ships would be named “Navajo.” The class is named in honor of the Navajo people’s significant contributions to the Armed Forces.
Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, First Lady Phefelia Nez, and Navajo Veterans Administration Acting Director James Zwierlein at the U.S. Navy Authentication of the Keel Ceremony of the USNS Navajo (T-ATS 6) on Oct. 30, 2019 at the Civic Center in Houma, La.
The new class of vessels will be based on existing commercial towing offshore vessel designs and replace the current T-ATF 166 and T-ARS 50 class ships, which are in service with the U.S. Military Sealift Command. The first ship of this class is named USNS Navajo. Other potential vessels will be named in honor of prominent Native Americans of Native American tribes.
In Dec. 2017, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 was signed into law with the advocacy and support of late U.S. Sen. John McCain (AZ – R), who retired from the Navy with the rank of captain. The Act supported the naming of the new class of ships as USNS Navajo.
“I commend all the past leaders who advocated for this over the years to honor our Navajo people, including the late Sen. McCain, former President Russell Begaye, members of the 23rd Navajo Nation Council, and former Speaker LoRenzo Bates,” added President Nez.
“Today will be remembered as a day in history that the Navajo people were honored and recognized for the many great things, we have given for this country of ours,” said Vice President Myron Lizer.
Also, in attendance at the keel authentication ceremony was Navajo Navajo Nation Veterans Administration Acting Director James Zwierlein, Council Delegate Vince James, Raymond Smith, Jr., Charlaine Tso, and Kee Allen Begay, Jr., and former Council Delegate Jonathan Hale.
A prayer dedication of the USNS Navajo (T-ATS 6) was conducted by Leroy Thinn and Kenneth Begishe of Shonto, Ariz., and Thompson Billy.
The USNS Navajo is expected to be completed in March 2021 and join the U.S. Military Sealift Command fleet of more than 120 ships.
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Levi Rickert, a tribal citizen of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, is the publisher and editor of Native News Online. Previously, he served as editor of the Native News Network. He is a resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
To celebrate the US military industrial complex with the blatant appropriation of Native American culture/language to name a new class of “war ships” is like getting into the car with the serial killer, who was also responsible for killing the rest of your family, then handing them the knife that you also sharpened, and digging your own grave to fall into. You might as well slit your own throat too. Make their job super easy. Insert golf clap here.
The fetishization of forced assimilation of Western/Americanized ideals into the Native American people’s lifestyle during world war 2 is but a glimpse into the history of the U.S. Military’s abuses upon not only the Navajo people; but the rest of the Native American community as a whole. To champion the naming of a “war ship” based on a very small portion of history in Native American’s history in collaborating with their genocidal colonizer is blatant American propaganda and a ploy to continue the historical narrative that America “worked” with the Navajo people in unison to help defeat “America’s” enemies. We did not. We had no choice and our hands were forced to follow the natural decision in aiding against one enemy; so the one that we had already been decimated by didn’t finish us off. Thats not a choice. That’s survival.
But both as a Kanaka maoli(native Hawaiian) and a Nez Pearce tribal descendant; I find this “native” AMERICAN rhetoric to be a double whammy. On one hand you get a U.S. Navy warship named after your tribe. Great, I guess… On the other hand, you still get all the same genocidal U.S. military industrial complex with a U.S. Navy warship named “Navajo” that you still had the day before. It just helps with the erasure of the fact that prior to naming ships named “Navajo;” to date between 10 million and 114 million Native Americans/Indians have been murdered as a direct result of US Government/Military actions against Native peoples in America since their so called “discovery.” If we look at Nazi Holocaust estimates they are between 6 and 11 million. That makes America # 1 in genocide! Making the Nazi’s Holocaust pale in comparison coming in a far 2nd for the largest mass murder in our world history.
Maybe next they’ll name a ship Geronimo. Followed by Sitting Bull. Followed by Chief Joseph. Shit they already got a nuke sub with Kamehameha’s name on it. They might as well follow it with every other Native “American” that stood their ground against the same U.S. military industrial complex that stopped at nothing to wipe out the true native peoples of this land.
In this day and age of pipelines and telescopes, losing land, and knowing the amount of truth and knowledge we should be rededicating forests and streams in the names of our true forefathers; not naming more battleships and instruments of WAR.
I would think they wouldn’t want anything from our government,except for their land back!!!
Thanks for recognizing the Navajo Indian nation I thank them for their service. I t is very humbling for the sacrifices that they have given to this great country we live in.
Wonderful news. As a Navy Veteran and daughter of a Navy Veteran who served as a Radioman on the USS Hornet, USS President Adams and USS Tingey during WWII, this honor is long overdue.
As we approach Veterans Day tomorrow, I would further like to see Native American Leaders be part of all national celebrations standing alongside the President. And a seat in Congress for all time.
I do have Native ancestors (and according to Ancestry it is 48%) which I have not pursued but looking back at my father’s features and his mother(my Grandmother), it is quite evident. The other half is Spanish. My Grandmother came from Mexico in 1910 and her family settled in Texas. I was born in Houston, Tx. My father in Bastrop. I’m sorry, way off topic. Congratulations, so proud. Alice Martinez
The Indian Nation have no reason to ever trust the White Man, but with all the terrible mistakes made, gestures like this confirm to all Americans that one day we can and will be equal.
May the Spirit of us all bring us to be one
Native Americans can all look back and come to one conclusion, they should have banded together and killed every person on those ships coming from foreign lands and kept those ships and learned to sail them to fight off fleets to come! If they would have done it early on we would not be having this conversation.
This is not the first US Navy ship named Navajo. Prior to the 1990s the US Navy used ocean going fleet tugs, (ATF) to do rescue, towing and salvage. The USS Navajo (ATF 64) was the lead ship of its class. I believe she was built in 1941-2. She was lost to a Japanese torpedo in WWII. More about the USS Navajo can be found here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Navajo_(AT-64)?fbclid=IwAR2m-NvhYGxfNO8bhN-TFulsgmEfEgbAVYpJSwcbqNQn0_Ph-1EjYesEW_Y