Code talkers

Alilee Bah Church, performs a traditional Native American butterfly dance during a ceremony Nov. 10, 2010, at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., honoring veterans and celebrating Native American Heritage Month. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Code talkers

Navajo Code Talkers Peter Macdonald (left) and Roy Hawthorne participated in a ceremony Nov. 10, 2010, at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M. to pay tribute to veterans and to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Balancing traditional, mainstream cultures as part of the Navajo Nation

Airman 1st Class Uriah Hale-Huskon is a cryogenics fuels technician assigned to the 435th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He is also an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation from Window Rock, Ariz., where he spent most of his youth growing up on the Navajo reservation before attending high school in Salt Lake City and joining the Air Force in 2004. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Scott Wagers)

Balancing traditional, mainstream cultures as part of the Navajo Nation

Glenda Shirley-Yellowhorse is a human resource advisor assigned to the 435th Mission Support Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. She is also an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation from the "Four Corners" region of the United States where she spent part of her youth growing up on the Navajo reservation before attending college at the University of New Mexico. Her brother, Dr. Joe Shirley, Jr. is the current elected president of the Navajo nation, representing nearly 300,000 enrolled Navajo indians throughout North America. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Scott Wagers)