Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and Vice President Myron Lizer
Thanksgiving 2019
Published November 28, 2019
WINDOW ROCK – Navajo Naiton President Jonathan Nez released the following Thanksgiving message today:
HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY 11.28.19
During this holiday season, we give thanks for the blessings of God for the Diné people and the great Navajo Nation. With strength and resiliency, our ancestors stood strong and overcame adversities and atrocities that many of us cannot imagine. When our people were being forced from our homelands, our communities disrupted – our Diné people remained steadfast in rebuilding our homes, revitalizing our crops and livestock, and maintaining our way of life. On this Thanksgiving Day holiday, let’s honor and remember our ancestors and all of those who continue to stand strong with us today.
This Thanksgiving, hundreds of families across the Navajo Nation will enjoy and share a Thanksgiving filled with family, relatives, and community members. This holiday allows us the opportunity to express what we are thankful for and the blessings of one another. We come together and encourage each other to make tomorrow better than today and to make the future better for our children.
During this time, consider and reflect on our people’s journey and how we have boldly and resiliently led the way forward together through the practice of T’áá hwó’ ajít’éego, or self-reliance and self-determination, against adversities. We are a people who stood united and built a powerful sovereign nation and used our Navajo concepts and principles to move forward.
Progress did not come easily for our people, but the blessings for which we give thanks today are the product of choices made by our parents, grandparents, and ancestors, whose strength and confidence ensured a better future for us. This Thanksgiving, we must continue to contribute once more to do the same.
This holiday season, let’s also remember our people who are struggling with “modern day monsters” like substance abuse and addiction, depression, suicidal thoughts, domestic violence and others. Let us join together and remember our brothers and sisters in prayer.
We also thank our military men and women who are serving our country around the world. We pray for their safety and well-being and we ask our Creator to return them home safely. Let’s also pray for their families, friends, and many others who are missing them this holiday season – may they be comforted knowing their loved ones are safe.
As Navajo people, we have the ability to overcome hardships and build a brighter future. Our ancestors worked hard, sacrificed, and invested in what they believed would make a difference for us. We are embedded with discipline, resilience, strength, and compassion. With that knowledge, we can move toward a vision of prosperity and growth. That is the legacy we are left with from our ancestors, and we have to meet that challenge together.
Always remember to check on your parents, grandparents, and other elders. Make sure they have enough firewood, food, warm clothing, blankets, and other necessities to stay comfortable in the winter weather. Also remember to prepare for any potential power outages, water outages, and other potential setbacks. With this message, we wish every Navajo citizen a Happy Thanksgiving full of joy and gratitude. Ahe’hee’
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