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The Phoenix VA and the Phoenix Indian Center gathered at Steele Indian School Park to acknowledge and honor the sacrifices of Indigenous Veterans, their families, and tribal nations,

recognizing their bravery and unique contributions in serving their communities and country, May 23. “On behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs, I too would like to acknowledge that

the VA health care facilities in the greater Phoenix area are located on the original homelands of the Tohono O’odham, Akimel O’otham and Piipaash peoples, where many today continue to

reside and call home. We will always recognize and respect the rich history and culture of Indigenous people and the significant contributions of American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans

to our nation. To date, more than 3.6 million Veterans of American Indian and Alaska Native heritage have served honorably in the U.S. military — serving at far higher rates than any other

group,” said Deputy Medical Center Director Michael Welsh. The ceremony included posting of colors by the Pee-Posh Veterans’ Association, U.S. National Anthem sung by Native American Sistine

Lewis, former Miss Indian Arizona 2022-2023 of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and an Opening Prayer by Cultural Counselor and Advisor of the Tohono O'odham Nation

Dwight Francisco.  Warren Kontz, director of programs for Phoenix Indian Center and son of Code Talker, Rex T. Kontz, Sr., U.S. Marine Corps, World War II Veteran, welcomed guests and said

“a lot of people think Memorial Day is a time to be sad, but it's not. Instead, it’s a time to rejoice and be happy that we are still here in this country as native people. We are still

here.” Reflections from Navajo Code Talker descendants also showcased how important Indigenous Veterans were to American history.  Ronnie Towne, a Navajo Code Talker descendant reflected on

her experience of working with Navajo Code Talkers and how that experience gave her a sense of identity.  “We had a place to sit in one of the museum patios and as people were coming and

going and purchasing books and getting them signed by [Navajo Code Talkers], you could hear the stories happen along the way for each code talker as they were shaking hands and giving their

story to each person that went by so that was education in itself, because I had no clue who the code talkers were, so that gave me a little bit more definition of who I was, and where I

came from, and just how my life as a Navajo had an impact in this world,” said Towne.  Another Navajo Code Talker descendant Dawn Manuelito reflected on how proud she was of her grandfather

who “selflessly did for us, and for our mother, our mother Earth here, to provide what we have today and to do what we have today, to be able to have the land acknowledgements from all of

our tribes [here at Steele Indian Park], especially [at Steele Indian Park] because my grandfather, mind you, my grandfather grew up in the boarding school system as well so think about

that, how profound is that? That the very language that he was reprimanded for, and many were reprimanded for, is the very language that helped defeat the enemy and save this country for all

of us here.” U.S. Air Force Navajo Veteran Shine Jozefiak gave her perspective of what it was like serving in the military.  “I traveled around the world and had the pleasure of meeting the

various ethnic backgrounds. I participated in global war on terrorism operations in Saudi Arabia and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan,” said Jozefiak.  When speaking about her

Native American brothers and sisters in arms, Jozefiak said, “We all serve with distinction and dedication, no matter the cost and on Memorial Day, we honor and mourn our brothers and

sisters in arms who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving this great nation of ours.”  Jozefiak continued, “For those of us that served in wartime operations overseas, we all get

that lump in our throats when we hear taps, as we remember the last moments and words, we shared with a fellow comrade who never made it home with us. Our hearts break when we see a U.S.

flag draped over a coffin in the back of a military truck as it drives past us on its way to the flight line before it's loaded up for its final departure home.”  Jozefiak also spoke

about her experience working in the emergency room while serving as a military professional.  “Service members from all military branches came through my ER, some with minor injuries, some

with life threatening injuries and once they were in stable condition, we prepared them for transfer to Landstuhl and Germany. I've also had the pleasure of meeting Native service

members out there. If they were Navajo, I'd greet them and speak to them in my language. In doing this, I provided them comfort in their scary situation. They would often tell me, ‘It’s

so good to hear our language, this far from home, thank you for that, shideezhi,’ meaning sister.  Deputy Medical Center Director Michael Welsh also laid a Phoenix VA wreath at the ceremony

with a member of the Pee-Posh Veterans’ Association.