Reverberations of a loss and dismay echoed across northern Arizona last week after Klee Benally, Navajo activists, musician and Indigenous and environmental advocate died in a Phoenix hospital Dec. 30.
Benally, 48, was from Black Mesa, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation and lived in Flagstaff where he based his work. He was from the Tódích’íi’nii and Wandering People clans.
The cause of his death has not been disclosed by his family. He is survived by his parents Jones and Berta Benally, sister Jeneda, brother Clayson and wife Princess.
“We are profoundly sad to announce the departure of Klee Benally — Indigenous land defender, agitator, warrior, artist, child of mother earth,” Jeneda Benally wrote on social media.
The Benally family have been a familiar presence in northern Arizona for several decades, if not longer.
Jones Benally is a world champion hoop dancer and traditional healer. Berta Benally was a folk singer-songwriter of Russian-Polish Jewish descent.
In 1989, Klee and his siblings started the Native American punk rock band Blackfire. Blackfire served as a means of sharing messages through traditional music and alternative rock. The band focused on political messages about government oppression and human rights.
Benally was a self-described Diné anarchist and undisciplined agitational propagandist, according to his website.
He was among the most vocal opponents of snowmaking at Arizona Snowbowl ski resort in Flagstaff. At least 13 tribes consider the mountain on public land to be sacred.
He protested police violence and racial profiling and was among activists who gathered outside metro Phoenix’s NFL stadium in 2014 to denounce the offensive team name previously used by the franchise from Washington D.C.
Benally advocated for the cleanup of abandoned mines, where uranium ore was extracted from the Navajo Nation over decades to support U.S. nuclear activities during the Cold War.
He also spoke out against an ordinance that, in a bid to address the problem of homelessness, had banned camping on public property in Flagstaff.
“There is no compassionate way to enforce the anti-camping ordinance,” Benally said in 2018 when officials declined to alter the 2005 ordinance. “Life is already hard enough for our unsheltered relatives on the streets.”
To commemorate his legacy and life work, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren declared Jan. 5 a day of remembrance in honor of Benally, whom he called “a fearless champion for the Diné.”
“Klee Benally used his powerful voice to amplify causes for justice and equity, seeking to uphold the dignity and sovereign rights of all Indigenous peoples,” Nygren said. “His advocacy for the protection of Mother Earth and all life within the Diné lifeway has left an indelible mark on our efforts to protect Dook’ó’ooslííd — the San Francisco Peaks — and Bidáá’ Ha’azt’i’ — the Grand Canyon.”
The proclamation called for a day of remembrance to reflect upon Benally’s enduring legacy, to express gratitude for his life’s work, and to commit to the principles and causes of Indigenous sovereignty and the protection of the Diné worldview that he believed in.
In November, Benally released a book, “No Spiritual Surrender: Indigenous Anarchy in Defense of the Sacred.”
“Direct and effective action is essential if we desire a healthy and sustainable existence,” he wrote about the book. “Entire eco-systems are being destroyed to maintain unsustainable lifestyles. Where there is an environmental crisis there is a cultural crisis because we are people of the earth.”
He released the game, “Burn the Fort,” a Diné designed board game of Indigenous resistance in July 2023.
Benally’s family held a celebration of life for Benally Jan. 6 at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Flagstaff, which was widely attended. During the event, donations were accepted for warm clothing and gear for unsheltered indigenous people. A drive-thru art show was also held to highlight new murals on local buildings.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Reverberations of a loss and dismay echoed across northern Arizona last week after Klee Benally, Navajo activists, musician and Indigenous and environmental advocate died in a Phoenix hospital Dec. 30.
Benally, 48, was from Black Mesa, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation and lived in Flagstaff where he based his work. He was from the Tódích’íi’nii and Wandering People clans.
The cause of his death has not been disclosed by his family. He is survived by his parents Jones and Berta Benally, sister Jeneda, brother Clayson and wife Princess.
“We are profoundly sad to announce the departure of Klee Benally — Indigenous land defender, agitator, warrior, artist, child of mother earth,” Jeneda Benally wrote on social media.
The Benally family have been a familiar presence in northern Arizona for several decades, if not longer.
Jones Benally is a world champion hoop dancer and traditional healer. Berta Benally was a folk singer-songwriter of Russian-Polish Jewish descent.
In 1989, Klee and his siblings started the Native American punk rock band Blackfire. Blackfire served as a means of sharing messages through traditional music and alternative rock. The band focused on political messages about government oppression and human rights.
Benally was a self-described Diné anarchist and undisciplined agitational propagandist, according to his website.
He was among the most vocal opponents of snowmaking at Arizona Snowbowl ski resort in Flagstaff. At least 13 tribes consider the mountain on public land to be sacred.
He protested police violence and racial profiling and was among activists who gathered outside metro Phoenix’s NFL stadium in 2014 to denounce the offensive team name previously used by the franchise from Washington D.C.
Benally advocated for the cleanup of abandoned mines, where uranium ore was extracted from the Navajo Nation over decades to support U.S. nuclear activities during the Cold War.
He also spoke out against an ordinance that, in a bid to address the problem of homelessness, had banned camping on public property in Flagstaff.
“There is no compassionate way to enforce the anti-camping ordinance,” Benally said in 2018 when officials declined to alter the 2005 ordinance. “Life is already hard enough for our unsheltered relatives on the streets.”
To commemorate his legacy and life work, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren declared Jan. 5 a day of remembrance in honor of Benally, whom he called “a fearless champion for the Diné.”
“Klee Benally used his powerful voice to amplify causes for justice and equity, seeking to uphold the dignity and sovereign rights of all Indigenous peoples,” Nygren said. “His advocacy for the protection of Mother Earth and all life within the Diné lifeway has left an indelible mark on our efforts to protect Dook’ó’ooslííd — the San Francisco Peaks — and Bidáá’ Ha’azt’i’ — the Grand Canyon.”
The proclamation called for a day of remembrance to reflect upon Benally’s enduring legacy, to express gratitude for his life’s work, and to commit to the principles and causes of Indigenous sovereignty and the protection of the Diné worldview that he believed in.
In November, Benally released a book, “No Spiritual Surrender: Indigenous Anarchy in Defense of the Sacred.”
“Direct and effective action is essential if we desire a healthy and sustainable existence,” he wrote about the book. “Entire eco-systems are being destroyed to maintain unsustainable lifestyles. Where there is an environmental crisis there is a cultural crisis because we are people of the earth.”
He released the game, “Burn the Fort,” a Diné designed board game of Indigenous resistance in July 2023.
Benally’s family held a celebration of life for Benally Jan. 6 at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Flagstaff, which was widely attended. During the event, donations were accepted for warm clothing and gear for unsheltered indigenous people. A drive-thru art show was also held to highlight new murals on local buildings.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.