Thunderbird Jewelry celebrates 50 years in business

Don Cosper already had a lot on his plate as the Thunderbird Motel owner in the 1970s when he decided to take on a new challenge: selling turquoise stones out of the motel. Local artists began selling their jewelry to him, and thus Thunderbird Jewelry was born.

His business grew so much, that soon he had to move it out of the motel. Then, in 1974 the company moved again to the building it’s in now at 1923 W. Hwy. 66. And now, the business’s employees are getting ready to celebrate the store’s 50th anniversary.

Many of the employees have been with the store for almost 50 years themselves.

Danny Thomason initially thought...

Gallup’s famed Summer Indian Dances are returning to the Courthouse Square in Historic Downtown Gallup.

The program will be held from 6 pm to 8 pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between June 4 and Aug. 29 at the Courthouse Square, located at 215 W. Aztec Avenue. Dances will not be held on July 4 or Aug. 8, to avoid conflicts with the July 4 Stars and Stripes Celebration and Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial activities, respectively. All dances are open to the public with free admission.

Visit Gallup, the tourism and marketing division of the City of Gallup, has commissioned 13 Native American performances from throughout New Mexico for the series. Themes for the program will...

Project part of Innovative Readiness Training

After multiple stalls due to criteria challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic putting a pause on many parts of life, the Malone family is a step closer to having a home finished for them free of charge.

The home comes courtesy of a collaboration between the Southwest Indian Foundation and the U.S. Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training. The IRT is a military training opportunity that provides joint training opportunities to increase deployment readiness while also providing key services including healthcare, construction, transportation, and cybersecurity for American communities.

 

COLLABORATION BACKGROUND

As part of the...

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren thought of language revitalization and the Code Talkers when asked how could the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints help.

LDS Church members traveled to the Office of the President and Vice President on May 29 to follow up on Nygren’s visit to Salt Lake City a few months ago and ask the President what they can do to help.

“You guys have always been good to me,” Nygren said.

One priority Nygren wanted to bring to attention was the possibility of getting started in a museum for Navajo Code Talkers to preserve their history.

Immediately, the church members shared that they could jump in and help the best they...