Navajo Code Talker links restored on DOD sites; other Native stories still missing

USA Today

08-04-2025

Navajo Code Talker links restored on DOD sites; other Native stories still missing
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Navajo Code Talkers Day celebration at the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix
Sen. Theresa Hatathlie speaks and WWII Navajo Code Talker Thomas H. Begay speaks - and sings - at the Navajo Code Talkers Day celebration in Phoenix.
Arizona Republic
The Defense Department scrubbed histories of Navajo Code Talkers from some of its websites but said the information would be returned.
The Defense Department told Navajo leaders the Code Talker items were removed as part of an automated review of materials that could violate Trump DEI policies.
Other Native stories are still missing, including mentions of Ira Hayes, one of the Marines photographed raising the flag at Iwo Jima, and Hopi soldier Lori Piestewa.
After widespread public scrutiny, the U.S. Department of Defense and Army restored some articles about the Navajo Code Talkers on Wednesday after previously removing them.
Links to Navajo Code Talker articles on the websites were noticeably broken and unavailable on Monday, but by Wednesday, certain links were working, and the articles had been restored.
Articles on individual Navajo Army soldiers as well as articles on Native American Heritage month continued to be broken and not accessible.
The Code Talkers histories were scrubbed from the Pentagon websites as part of a review of materials that violated President Donald Trump's order regarding diversity, equity and inclusion.
The Navajo Nation Council posted on its social media feeds that the content was restored on the Department of Defense websites after assurances to President Buu Nygren that the materials would be available. It wasn't clear at the time when the materials would be restored.
"The restoration of the Navajo Code Talkers' articles is a necessary step, but it does not erase the harm caused by their initial removal," said Navajo Nation Speaker Crystalyne Curley. "The service of the Code Talkers was crucial to the success of World War II, and their legacy must be continually recognized and honored, beyond any political agenda."
The Navajo Nation Council had voiced its opposition to the removal of content honoring the Navajo Code Talkers. The council said the Pentagon acknowledged the removal was a "mistake."
Nygren credited the Navajo Nation's Washington Office for its advocacy and a letter to the Department of Defense.
"I want to assure the Navajo people that we remain in close communication with federal officials to ensure the legacy of our cherished Navajo Code Talkers is never erased from American and Navajo history," Nygren said. "As sovereign nations, we are not defined by DEI classifications. We are political sovereigns with treaties and a long-standing relationship with the U.S. government."
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Material about other Native soldiers removed
The Defense Department said the removal resulted from an automated process complying with a DEI policy directive. While some pages had been restored, others remain offline, displaying server errors. The Pentagon has pledged to fully resolve the issue.
Some links that lead to articles on individual Navajo soldiers or mention of Native American Heritage Month still aren't working on the Army page, suggesting that the removal falls in line with Trump's campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion.
A Feb 26. memo from Sean Parnell, assistant to the secretary of defense, ordered Pentagon departments to "take all practicable steps, consistent with records management requirements, to remove all DoD news and feature articles, photos, and videos that promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)." He gave them a deadline of March 5.
The memo said all articles, photos and videos removed from the websites and social media platforms must be "archived and retained in accordance with applicable records management policies."
It wasn't just the Navajo Code Talker links that were broken: Items about other notable Native American military members were also removed from the Defense website, including one on Ira Hayes, a Pima/Akimel O'odham Marine from Sacaton. Hayes was one of the Marines famously photographed raising the flag at Iwo Jima in World War II.
Some items about Army Spc. Lori Piestewa, a Hopi soldier who was the first Native American woman to die in combat on foreign soil, were also removed. She was killed in 2003 in Iraq when a rocket-propelled grenade struck her vehicle during an ambush.
Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis said the removal of Native American veterans, such as Ira Hayes, is unacceptable and unfortunate.
"To be clear, recognizing the patriotism and courage of Native American soldiers has nothing to do with any type of DEl initiative," Lewis said. "It's simply an offering of respect for extraordinary service and bravery in the line of duty. Every single reference that has been scrubbed should be returned to these websites as soon as possible."
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Arlyssa D. Becenti covers Indigenous affairs for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Send ideas and tips to [e-mail].