Great Seal of the State of New Mexico Navajo Preparatory School
Bronze memorial statue of a Navajo Code Talker kneeling with a field radio handset raised to his mouth, rifle at his side, with the United States, Arizona and POW/MIA flags flying behind him.

The Navajo Code Talkers Museum

A state-supported, Indigenous-led sanctuary honoring the legacy of the Diné Marines, preserving Diné Bizaad, and inspiring the next generation of leaders.

Over 400 Navajo Marines served as Code Talkers during World War II, utilizing their native language to create the only military code in modern history that was never cracked. This facility will stand as a permanent home to honor their service, foster language immersion, and cultivate transformative youth leadership.

400+ Diné Marines
Never cracked The WWII code
December 2026 Groundbreaking
Read the Executive Summary Share Your Perspective
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Executive Summary

A Shared Path Forward

The Project's Heart

The State of New Mexico and Navajo Preparatory School have unified under a formal Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to bring the Navajo Code Talkers Museum to fruition. Constructed directly on Navajo Prep land in Farmington, New Mexico—held under a 99-year lease with the Navajo Nation—this project represents a permanent cultural asset rooted in living history, educational excellence, and sovereign partnership.

Through interagency coordination across state departments and local stewardship, capital outlay appropriations and legislative support are fully aligned to deliver a state-of-the-art facility for generations to come.

400+

Diné Marines served as Code Talkers

99-Year

Lease with the Navajo Nation

6,500 sq ft

Core exhibit space

Community gathering coming soon

The Cultural Framework

Guided by the Diné Philosophy of Learning

The entire interpretive layout, architectural design, and educational programming of the museum follow this four-part cycle.

01

Nitsáhákees

Thinking

Grounding the historical narrative in deep reflection, cultural knowledge, and context.

02

Nahatʼá

Planning

Designing bilingual pathways and structured spaces for dialogue and learning.

03

Iiná

Living

Living the values of courage and service through active community and youth engagement.

04

Sihasin

Assuring / Reflecting

Building long-term sustainability, peace, and continuous growth for future generations.

The Strategic Vision

Core Pillars of the Space

Grounded in Yideeskáágóó Naatʼáanii — Leaders Now and Into the Future

1 Pillar One

LegacyHonoring the Code Talkers

Bringing depth, reverence, and technical accuracy to the stories of over 400 Diné Marines. By centering the lived experiences of Code Talker families and Navajo Nation communities, the exhibit space provides an authentic home for oral histories, artifacts, and living memory.

2 Pillar Two

LanguageThe Diné Bizaad Institute

Housing a dedicated institute for language learning, practice, and revitalization. The museum is intentionally designed from the ground up as a fully bilingual (Diné/English) immersive environment, celebrating the very language that altered the course of world history.

3 Pillar Three

LeadershipThe Student Leadership Institute

Cultivating a new generation of leaders through specialized youth programming. Expanding outward from the Navajo Prep student body to engage tribal schools, Native education networks, and youth across the region, this pillar connects historical legacy with future service.

Unified Partnership

Combining State Resources with Local Governance

Two partners, clearly defined roles: cultural authority and community connection held at Navajo Preparatory School, with the State of New Mexico providing executive, fiscal, educational, and construction support.

Navajo Preparatory School

Navajo Preparatory School's Stewardship

Cultural authority · Host institution

  • Authority & Direction

    Holds final authorization over site selection, cultural representation, and linguistic accuracy to ensure authentic representation.

  • Community Connection

    Integrates the direct perspectives of local students, Diné language experts, and Code Talker descendants into the museum's core concept.

  • Institutional Home

    Host institution embedding museum initiatives directly into student life, International Baccalaureate (IB) integration, and regional outreach.

Great Seal of the State of New Mexico

The State of New Mexico's Support

Executive · Fiscal · Educational · Construction

  • Executive Leadership & Advocacy Office of the Governor

    Under the direction and leadership of Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, the administration provides overarching executive support, prioritizing capital outlay allocations and legislative coordination.

  • Intergovernmental & Fiscal Oversight IAD & DFA

    The Indian Affairs Department coordinates tribal governance relations and capital fund distribution, while the Department of Finance and Administration oversees capital budgeting and statewide fiscal controls.

  • Educational Alignment & Pathway Development NM HED

    The New Mexico Higher Education Department supports dual-credit alignment, post-secondary leadership pathways, and higher education initiatives connected to the Diné Bizaad Institute and Student Leadership Institute.

  • Project Delivery & Construction GSD

    The General Services Department serves as lead agency for procurement, structural engineering, site planning, and physical facility construction.

  • Exhibition Design DCA

    The Department of Cultural Affairs leads the development, procurement, fabrication, and installation of the core 6,500-square-foot exhibit space while offering operational capacity support.

Site plan of the Navajo Preparatory School campus in Farmington, New Mexico, showing the property boundary, residence halls, BOSC, the Hogan, Eagles' Nest Gymnasium, the fitness center, and the athletic fields.

Navajo Preparatory School · 1220 W. Apache St., Farmington, New Mexico Museum site will be on Navajo Prep land, held under a 99-year lease with the Navajo Nation.

Partner agency lockup: the Great Seal of the State of New Mexico with the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department, Higher Education Department, General Services Department, and Department of Cultural Affairs.

Community Voice & Contact Portal

Share Your Perspective

Public leadership, state partners, and project coordinators invite community input as this sanctuary takes shape.

Please sign up to receive updates regarding meetings, committee developments, oral history initiatives, and milestone events.

Sign Up for Project Updates

Your information will be used only to share updates about this project. It will not be sold or shared outside the partnership.

Community gathering coming soon

Submit a Public Comment

Your comments help guide this project. Tell us what matters to you.

e.g. Community Member, Code Talker Descendant, Educator, Student

Comments may be reviewed by the project team. Your information won't be sold or shared outside the partnership.

Press Releases

News & Announcements

Media Contact for Navajo Code Talkers Museum Project

Daniel Zillmann

(505) 670-4404 Daniel.Zillmann@dca.nm.gov

Yideeskáágóó Naatʼáanii

Leaders Now and Into the Future

The Navajo Code Talkers gave everything so that others might live free. This museum is our promise to never let the world forget.