Zonnie Gorman
Zonnie Gorman speaking about the First 29 Navajo Code Talkers. Photo: Navajo Nation Times
is the daughter of the late Dr. Carl N. Gorman and his wife Mary. She is also the youngest sister to the legendary and renowned Navajo artist, the late R.C. Gorman. Zonnie has appeared in several documentaries including the History Channel documentary, In Search of History - Navajo Code Talkers; the MGM double DVD release of Windtalkers (historical documentary section); and the PBS documentary, True Whispers. Zonnie earned her M.A. in History from The University of New Mexico and her thesis, The Navajo Code Talkers of World War II: The First Twenty-Nine, inlcuded interviews with several of the First Twenty-nine Navajo Code Talkers. She is now working on her Ph.D.
Zonnie is a past board member with the following organizations: Navajo Studies Conference and Eve’s Fund for Native American Health Initiatives. In addition, Zonnie is an alum of Up With People, Leadership McKinley, and Leadership New Mexico.
Lastly, Zonnie is a current member of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA), American Historical Association (AHA), the Organization of American Historians (OAH), the Western History Association (WHA), the Society for Military History (SMH), and the Navajo Studies Conference Inc.
Career Highlights
Exhibitions
Consultant; National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C. and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), Consultant concerning Navajo Code Talkers and story of my father, Carl Gorman featured on supplemental educational website for “Native Words, Native Warriors” traveling exhibition.
Consultant; Japanese American National Museum - National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, Los Angeles, CA. Exhibition: Fighting For Democracy, 2005. Carl Gorman Section.
Co-Curator: “Our Fathers, Our Grandfathers, Our Heroes…The Navajo Code Talkers of WW II”, 2001 (traveling exhibition version, 2007)
Awards
National Archives Regional Residency Fellowship, 2013
J. Blanton Belk Award (Outstanding Alumni Award), Up with People, 2009
Additional
Administrative Services Officer II, Department of Human Resources, Navajo Nation, October-December 2001
Zonnie was hired to assist with development and coordination of the Congressional Silver Medal Awards ceremony for the Navajo Code Talkers, Saturday, November 24, 2001, and post-production.
Liaison/Coordinator, Gold Congressional Medal Ceremony, July 2001
Zonnie served as liaison for Senator Jeff Bingaman’s office between the Navajo Code Talkers Association and the Navajo Nation. She assisted in locating and coordinating the First Twenty-nine Navajo Code Talker families to travel to Washington DC, July 25-27 to receive the Gold Congressional Medal.