Navajo Nation’s objection to landing human remains on the moon prompts last-minute White House meeting — CNN
The White House has convened a last-minute meeting to discuss a private mission to the moon — set to launch in days — after the largest group of Native Americans in the United States asked the administration to delay the flight because it will be carrying cremated human remains destined for a lunar burial.
Representing the Nation was Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren.
“The moon holds a sacred place in Navajo cosmology,” Nygren said in a Thursday statement. “The suggestion of transforming it into a resting place for human remains is deeply disturbing and unacceptable to our people and many other tribal nations.”
For Right-coasters, the Nation’s territory is 140,848 sq mi, with a population of 22,537 spirits. And, helpfully, that works out to 6.2 people/sq mi. (Ref: censusreporter.org not verified.) From a midnight trip from Winslow up to Second Mesa (Hopi Reservation), I personally surmise the people have a fair number more than 6.2 sheep/sq mi. The territory covers parts of Arizona northeast of Flagstaff, extends north into southeast Utah, and east into New Mexico toward Albuquerque. (D***! I spelled that correctly! Go ABQ!)
There are apparently at least two companies who offer “lunar burial services”, Celestis and Elysium Space (oh puleeze!). The CEO of Celestis, Charles Chafer said in a CNN interview
“We are aware of the concerns expressed by Mr. Nygren, but do not find them substantive,”
The Elysium Space website (Elysium Space) encourages you to “Remember a Loved One Through the Night Sky!”. Somehow, it seems there aren’t enough exclamation points in that slogan.
The Navajo Nation has a long history with the U.S. government regarding moon graves. In December of ‘23, the Nation sent a letter to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Transportation Secretary “Mayor Pete” referencing NASA’s Lunar Prospector mission which
. . . in 1999 deliberately crashed a spacecraft into the moon carrying the remains of former astronaut Eugene Shoemaker.
Nygren noted that former Navajo Nation President Albert Hale accepted NASA’s apology to the Nation at the time, and NASA’s promises of future consultation with tribes (a few of which are “aboriginal nations” recognized by the the United Nations, ya know. Please educate me if my terminology is from another century.)
Nygren is quoted a lot in the article, all of which reflects a Navajo breath of sanity into this global/murder/capitalist world we’ve blindly allowed to fester beyond our smartphones.
The article also offers more than a few insights into these Romanesque Elonus Muskus wannabe grifters. However, the most interesting knowledge I gained was from its final sections: “Dawn of the Lunar Economy” and “Who Controls the Moon?”. You lose three points if you guessed “The Illuminati”.
Referring to a meeting which occurred last Friday, 1/5/24 the article reports
Friday’s meeting convened by the White House is scheduled to feature representatives from NASA, the FAA, the US Department of Transportation, and the Department of Commerce. But Navajo Nation officials have little hope that they will be able to stop Monday’s launch.
Executive Director for the Navajo Nation’s Washington Office, Justin Ahasteen added “We’re saying be respectful. We’re turning the moon into a graveyard . . . At what point are we going to stop and say we need to start protecting the moon as we do the Grand Canyon?”
Note:
A headline at the Navajo Nation News Navajo Nation News (free), reports “Nygren expected to call for permanent ceasefire in Gaza”. Kinda illuminates how he rolls, neh?
For those interested, I also enjoy keeping up through Indian County Today Indian Country Today (also free).