SHIPROCK, N.M. – Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley, Jr., Shirley, Jr., joined veterans representing the 19 chapters of the Northern Navajo Agency today to plant trees at the Northern Navajo Nation Veterans Service Office here in remembrance of the many sacrifices all veterans have made on the people’s behalf.
 
Some 19 trees representing each chapter and another 10 representing veterans, including one for the Navajo Code Talkers, were planted in front of the new Veterans Service office. BHP, Peabody Coal, and the Office of Surface Mining purchased and donated 79 trees to be planted around the Navajo Nation.
 
Meeting at the Navajo Engineering and Construction Authority building prior to the planting, President Shirley said he always appreciates being invited to veterans’ activities, saying he thinks highly of them, speaks highly of them, and is honored to be among them.
 
“Veterans are great people,” he said. “And even though there is a hailstorm of bullets in places, they still commit themselves to go into harm’s way. Some didn’t come home, and the ones that did may be having problems. Some lost their limbs, and we, as the Navajo Nation, still fall short on helping them. But they say veterans know that someday the people would benefit from the sacrifices they made. They would still have freedom that their parents, grandparents, children and grandchildren can enjoy.”
 
The President said planting trees is significant to the Navajo People. Since before the foreigners arrived from across the ocean, the People have used plants for food and medicine. He said he used them growing up and ever since.  
 
“The standing ones are made into our shelter, our housing,” he said. “They can be used for landscaping to beautify our dwellings. Some we use for ceremonial purposes as incense in our prayers.”
 
He said when a tree is planted
, the roots grow into Mother Earth to stabilize itself. In turn, our concern is that it will stabilize our government in the same way, he said.
 
“We can explain to our children about the re-planting of these trees, he said. “And this is our intent for our youth to one day acknowledge that our leaders have done this, and let us follow suit and do likewise, replanting trees. So I know what you are doing here is the right thing to do.”