WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – With his wife, daughters and grandkids around him, Navajo President Buu Nygren welcomed editorial cartoonist Jack Ahasteen as he signed a proclamation to proclaim today, June 12, ‘Jack Ahasteen Day across the Navajo Nation.”
“The Navajo Times is not the Navajo Times without Jack Ahasteen,” the President told the long-time political commentator and artist here Wednesday.
The newspaper reported Monday “Ahasteen departs Navajo Times” with a story that began, “The Jack Ahasteen Comics will no longer be printed in the Navajo Times.”
Mr. Ahasteen told his Facebook followers that he had asked the newspaper to renegotiate his pay.
“I recently became an LLC so I am now hosting Ahasteen Graphics, LLC,” he told his Facebook followers Tuesday evening. “I have a board of directors now and my board is advocating on my behalf for my increased pay.”
The President said if the Navajo Times was listening, he really hoped it would reconsider.
The President’s proclamation states, “Jack Ahasteen’s unique style, blending traditional Navajo symbolism with modern comic art, has become instantly recognizable and has earned him a place as an iconic figure in Navajo society. “On this day, we celebrate his achievements, express our gratitude for his dedication and reaffirm our commitment to supporting and nurturing the artistic talents within our community.”
The President said the proclamation is to honor Ahasteen’s outstanding contributions to the Navajo Nation and his enduring legacy as an artist, storyteller, and cultural ambassador.
He said seeing oneself portrayed in a Jack Ahasteen cartoon “is a good way to re-humble yourself.”
The President told Jack that his two favorites are one from September 2018 that caricatured him as “Buu Lightyear” and another from April 2022 of his black hat being tossed into a ring when he announced he was running for Navajo president.
President Nygren told Mr. Ahasteen and his family that he has assigned staff to begin the process to have his work nominated for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in the public service category.
“This award has never been awarded to a Navajo,” he said. “I’m very optimistic that the judges of the Pulitzer are going to see your work and they’re going to come away with appreciation.”
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