A planned museum dedicated to the Navajo Code Talkers, the group of Marines who used their native language to create unbreakable codes during World War II, has become the subject of controversy in New Mexico. Descendants of the Code Talkers have characterized the state’s current development plan as an "overstep," raising concerns about how the project is being managed and whether the families of the veterans are being adequately included in the decision-making process.

While the project aims to honor the significant contributions of the Code Talkers, the criticism highlights a tension between state-led commemorative efforts and the desire for tribal sovereignty over the history of their people. The descendants argue that the state’s approach lacks the necessary cultural sensitivity and direct involvement from the families who hold the oral histories and personal artifacts of the veterans.

Currently, the project is moving forward despite this pushback. The core of the disagreement centers on the balance between state authority and the rights of the Navajo Nation to oversee the narrative of their own history. While the state government views the museum as a necessary tribute, the families involved suggest that the current trajectory fails to respect the legacy of the Code Talkers by sidelining those most closely connected to the history being preserved.