When NASA was preparing for the Apollo Project, it took the astronauts to a Navajo reservation in Arizona for training. One day, a Navajo elder and his son came across the space crew walking among the rocks.
The elder, who spoke only Navajo, asked a question. His son translated for the NASA people:
"What are these guys in the big suits doing?"
One of the astronauts said they were practicing for a trip to the moon. When his son relayed this comment, the Navajo elder got excited and asked if he could send a message to the moon with the astronauts.
A NASA official said, "Why certainly!" and told an assistant to get a tape recorder. The elder's message was brief. The official then asked the son if he would translate what his father had said, but he refused.
Finally, an official government translator was summoned. The translator relayed the message:
"Watch out for these fellows! They have come to steal your land."