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Orson John III’s Three Principles Led Him From Navajo Nation to NASA

Native American man with black hair and tan skin wears glasses and a navy dress shirt. He stands in front of a poster that says "ICESat 2" with a satellite with green lasers beaming down.
Orson N. John III, Reliability engineer
NASA/W. Hrybyk

Name: Orson N. John III
Formal Job Classification: Reliability engineer
Organization: Code 371, Reliability and Risk Assessment Branch, Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate

What was it like growing up in the Navajo Nation?

I was born and raised in New Mexico, the best state in the union. My grandparents raised sheep and crops. Life on the reservation has its challenges: unemployment, poverty and living conditions.

In the midst of all that, I was very fortunate to be able to listen to the teachings of my elders and to see the importance of education. In the history of the Navajo people, after our 1868 treaty with the U.S. government that provided the Navajo reservation, one of our prominent leaders encouraged future generations to pursue education by telling us, “Education is the ladder.” To make it in a “white man’s world,” we needed to be educated. Education is the way to make a difference for your people in this world.

The Navajo Nation is one of the largest tribes in the country. The US government recognizes 568 Native American tribes each of which has its own language and culture. We all work to benefit our people, both within our tribe and for other tribes.

What three principles did your grandparents and elders teach you?

Through the teachings of my grandparents and my elders, I learned three fundamental principles. The first principle is to remember who you are. The second principle is to never forget where you come from. The third principle is to know where you are going.

The first principle relates to your identity as a Native American, a Navajo or, in my language, Diné. The first principle relates to your identity, you are a representative of your people.

The Navajo community is based upon kinship originating from clan affiliations. When introducing oneself, you would first state your mother’s clan name, father’s, maternal grandfather’s, and paternal grandfather’s clan names in order. My clan is Tódik’ǫzhi nishłí̜, Tódich’ii’nii bá shíshchíín, Tsi’naajinii dashicheii, Tł’ógi dashinálí (I am from the “salt water” clan, born from the “bitter water” clan, my maternal grandfather is from the “black streak people” clan, and my paternal grandfather is from the “weaver-zia” clan.) My grandparents on both sides and their elders raised sheep and used the wool to weave rugs. They used natural dyes from the native plants local to the area. As a child, we would go into the hills with my grandmother who collected plants and herbs. She knew the type of plants and their medical purposes plus the colors each could create. When we returned to her house, she would soak them in water and they turned different colors, creating dyes. She would take the wool from the sheep and dye the wool different colors to make different colors of yarn which she would then weave into rugs.

My paternal grandfather was drafted into World War II. He only had a Navajo name. Once drafted, he needed a name for the Army so he chose Peter John, which were names from the Bible. I am the third generation with the last name of John. That is the reason I have two first names for my formal name.

The second principle is to never forget where you come from, which relates to your family and the challenges and hardships your family endured, the environment in which you were raised and the teachings you were given. I grew up part of my life without electricity and the rest without running water (until I went to college). Situations like that shape and mold you not to take certain things for granted. My family struggled and I am here today only because of the struggle they endured. You are not here on your own, you stand on the shoulders of those who came before you. Basically, this teaches you not to be selfish, arrogant or too prideful.

The third principle is to know where you are going. This essentially means to have goals, to have a vision and a purpose. These can change over time, but you should never just aimlessly wander.

My grandfather told me, “If you go to the big city, ask a stranger which way is north. Most people may not know, they may not have that sense of awareness or be too busy to acknowledge. But if you know where you are going in relation to where you came from, you will always know which way is home.”

My elders used to tell me that even if you do not necessarily have a goal, you should have a sense of awareness of which way is north, which will help you know how to get home. Remember that wherever you are, you are there to represent your people so that you can help your people.

In addition to the three principles, what is the overarching teaching of your elders?

Resilience. Being able to withstand. Not being forgotten. And not forgetting. Despite everything that happened to our people since the arrival of the Europeans, our people are still here today.

What do you have here in Maryland to remind you of your home?

I do not have any of my grandparents’ rugs. I do not need any objects from home to remember.

I remember my home by remembering the importance of serving my Navajo community. I have been placed in a position which has given me the opportunity to bring positive change to our community. This is what reminds me of home, it is what motivated me to come to Goddard and is also gives me the ability to use this motivation to help my community. It is the understanding that our people are in need.  

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In 2009, Orson N. John III started at Goddard as a summer intern in the same branch where he currently works, the Reliability and Risk Assessment Branch, under an American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES) program. After receiving a B.S. in physics from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, he began working full time at Goddard.

As a reliability engineer, John “looks at the physics of failure.” He categorizes and analyzes potential failure modes of spacecraft and instrument components and recommends redundancies, fault detection and management for the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) ATLAS instrument, a laser altimeter that will measure the changes in the elevation of the ice, the sea and vegetation canopy globally.

As the chair for Goddard’s Native American Advisory Committee, John encourages and recommends opportunities for center management to engage with the Native American community on center and at large. He “found his passion doing outreach at tribal colleges,” making students aware of NASA’s opportunities, telling students about his journey from growing up on a Native American reservation to working as a NASA Goddard engineer.

By Elizabeth M. Jarrell
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center