Farmington Code Talkers museum faces descendant objections
New Mexico has set aside $20 million as Navajo Prep prepares to take over the project after construction and receive early operating support
New Mexico and Navajo Preparatory School plan a December groundbreaking for a Navajo Code Talkers museum in Farmington, outside the Navajo Nation, despite descendants’ objections over location and consultation, according to reporting from New Mexico In Depth.
Zonnie Gorman, daughter of original Code Talker Carl N. Gorman, called the plan an “overstep and overreach by the governor.” New Mexico In Depth reported that New Mexico has set aside $20 million for museum construction and exhibits. Chevron donated about 200 acres in Tse Bonito near Window Rock in 2009, but the project is planned in Farmington.
Navajo Prep says descendants will be consulted on exhibit design, while the state will own the project during construction and then transfer it to the school. The state will cover estimated annual operating costs of $600,000 for the first several years.
- 1.‘An overstep’: Navajo Code Talker descendants criticize New Mexico’s new plan for museum. The Independent, .
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