The Year of the Native American, celebrated in 1995 as part of NAU's centennial festivities, culminated in the dedication af a statue crafted by NAU alumnus R.C. Gorman. The statue, dedicatid to the Navajo Code Talkers, specially-trained Marines who used the Navajo lanquage and its dialects to transmit Allied messages during World War II, is modeled on Carl N. Gorman, R.C.'s father and one of the thiry-two original Code Talkers. In the words of R.C. Gorman, "I chose to model a bust after my father because he has such a strong face. It's intended to be a tribute to Navajos."(Source: Program, Navajo Code Talker Sculpture Unveiling: A University Centennial Milestone, November 11, 1995.)