Liberty Bell replica a high note for Navajo
Curran Hannon, a council delegate from Oak Springs and St. Michael's, touches an exact replica of the Liberty Bell at the Navajo Veteran's Memorial Park on Wednesday afternoon. The bell is on a cross country tour of the United States. "You sure it's not going to crack again?" Hannon jokingly said before ringing the bell. — © 2008 Gallup Independent / Brian Leddy

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — Freedom was ringing at Navajo Nation Veterans Memorial Park on Wednesday afternoon as the Navajo Nation welcomed a replica of the 1753 Liberty Bell carried by the Pony Express organization.

The Pony Express raises funds for children of fallen warriors to attend college and is known for its replica of the original Liberty Bell, which is rung in honor of fallen warriors when requested.

This was the first visit for the organization to the Navajo Nation. The replica of the famous bell representing freedom and liberty was escorted from the Arizona-New Mexico border to the park by Navajo Police and the Navajo Nation Honor Riders.

A crowd of locals and tourists was present as the Liberty Bell arrived at the park. The Twin Warrior Society opened the welcoming ceremony with the posting of colors and one of its members, Robert Wiliams, gave the invocation.
Charles Long from the Office of the Speaker welcomed the Pony Express to the Nation’s capitol and reflected on the meaning of freedom for the Navajo people.

“The Navajo Nation has had warriors dating back before European contact,” Long said. “Our Navajo warriors have always defended our way of life. Our warriors were there fighting for our freedom.”

Long said that Navajo and Native American veterans have made tremendous sacrifices for people to be able to live life the way they do today.

With so many Navajo and Native American veterans, Long said the Navajo people deserve better services and treatment than what they are currently receiving from the federal government.

David Hall, “belladier” with the Pony Express advocacy group which brought the bell to the Nation, agreed with Long.

Though it was his first visit to Navajo, Hall said he was aware of the large number of Native Americans who have served in the military.

“We ignore Native Americans and the sacrifices they’ve given to America ,” he said.

Hall observed several Navajo people bless themselves after ringing the bell and said it was the first time he had seen that.

“It was symbolic,” he said. “When the Navajos grabbed the bell of Liberty, it showed they wanted a society that is lawful and they recognized the freedom that comes from a lawful society.”

Navajo Nation Council Delegate Larry Noble, Jeddito/Low Mountain/Steamboat, who helped to escort the Pony Express organization, said that the bell is a reminder that freedom is not free.

“For it to come to the Navajo Nation, it is significant,” Noble said.

He added that thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those who were killed in action.

“They sacrificed a lot for our freedom. They deserve this in their honor,” Noble said.

Council Delegate Larry Anderson, Fort Defiance, concluded the event with an honor song.

The Pony Express organization often coordinates with other veterans’ advocacy groups to bring attention to issues affecting veterans and active-duty military personnel and travels in conjunction with the Run for the Wall, a national veteran’s advocacy organization.

The group was organized nearly three years ago to raise money for children of soldiers who have been killed in action, according to the speaker’s office. A trust fund formed by the organization has raised nearly $1.5 million for these children to help cover the cost of college.

Lelia-Help Tulley, legislative staff assistant, said, “There’s a definite interest to raise funds for our children who have become fatherless and motherless from the war.”