Klee Benally was a Navajo activist, artist, writer, and musician who fought to protect sacred sites, battled for Native American rights, and co-founded the political punk band Blackfire.
- Died: December 30, 2023 (Who else died on December 30?)
- Details of death: Died in Arizona at the age of 48.
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Klee Benally’s legacy
Diné activist and musician Benally devoted his life to fighting for Indigenous rights, both through his art and his actions. The band he co-founded with his sister Jeneda and brother Clayson, Blackfire, helped amplify that message through politically charged punk rock.
Benally was part of 2014 protests against the NFL Washington Commanders’ former team name. He also protested uranium mining near the Grand Canyon and advocated halting the use of reclaimed wastewater at the Arizona Snowball Ski Resorts for snowmaking. He also fought against the anti-camping ordinance in Flagstaff, Arizona, protested police violence, and performed at the Farce of July, a Native American event held in Los Angeles.
Benally was the author of “No Spiritual Surrender: Indigenous Anarchy in Defense of the Sacred,” and released seven albums with Blackfire, including “One Nation Under,” “Woody Guthrie Singles,” and “Anthology of Resistance.” He was also a member of nonprofit organizations like Protect the Peaks, Haul No! and others.
On fighting for Indigenous rights and identity:
“I don’t see a beginning and end to it, I see it as an ongoing process.”—from a 2014 interview for Black Seed magazine
Tributes to Klee Benally
Full obituary: The New York Times
