Teaching Diné Language and Culture in Navajo Schools
Teaching Diné Language and Culture in Navajo Schools: Voices from the Community
Introduction to the Mandate
In 1984, the Navajo Nation mandated that language and culture instruction be included in the curriculum at all grade levels in schools across the Nation.
This paper is based on an ongoing study assessing how various communities within the Navajo Nation are fulfilling this mandate.
The study utilizes responses from community members, including parents, teachers, teacher assistants, and school administrators.
Findings indicate differing beliefs regarding the nature and extent of content related to Navajo language and culture in education, influenced by community size, location, age, and personal educational experience.
Concerns About Language Preservation
Ongoing concerns regarding the access of Navajo people to their linguistic and cultural heritage persist.
According to the National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education (1999), there are about 148,530 speakers of Navajo amidst a Nation population ranging from 250,000 to 275,000 individuals.
A study by Paul Platero (1994) highlighted that only 18% of children aged three to five in Head Start Programs spoke Navajo, indicating a significant loss of language among young children.
Further, Holm and Holm (1995) reported that around 50% of students in schools on the reservation were still fluent in Navajo.
A major shift observed between 1980 and 1990 showed about 15% of the Navajo population became monolingual English speakers (Crawford, 1995).
Jon Reyhner's assertion: "Our languages contain a significant part of the world's wisdom. When a language is lost, much of the knowledge that language represents is lost" (1996, p. 4).
Joshua Fishman reinforces this view, stating that the essence of culture is predominantly embedded in language; losing a language corresponds to losing culture.
Key Topics Discussed in the Study
What aspects of Navajo culture should be included in instruction?
Who should be responsible for teaching language and culture?
How fluent in the Navajo language should students become?
To what extent should the school day be devoted to these kinds of studies?
What Aspects of Navajo Culture Should Be Included in Instruction?
Participants expressed sensitivity regarding the inclusion of certain cultural aspects in educational settings.
Many believe that Navajo religious and ceremonial aspects should not be included in school curricula and must be passed down through family and community.
Elders emphasized that important teachings about living in beauty and harmony should not be openly taught in a school context.
Some younger participants from larger communities felt that teaching traditional beliefs detracted from necessary preparations for future academic and professional success. They suggest that heritage should be pursued independently.
Others mistrust schools due to personal experiences where schools were seen as stripping away Navajo identity.
A larger number of participants from smaller, isolated communities believe that while certain elements (e.g., traditional stories, Navajo history, clan systems) can be included, religious and ceremonial practices should be omitted.
Who Should Be Responsible for Teaching Language and Culture?
Opinions varied significantly among participants.
Some advocated for local Navajo instructors in elementary grades, while others assigned importance to community members or non-indigenous educators based on students' age.
A segment believes that schools should not bear the responsibility for language and culture education; community and familial bonds should fulfill this role.
How Fluent in Navajo Language Should Students Become?
Responses to fluency expectations fell into three equal categories:
Fluency: Derived primarily from participants in smaller, isolated communities where Navajo is commonly spoken; fluency is seen as essential for community engagement.
Competency: Representing middle-sized communities, where basic conversational skills are emphasized, but full fluency is not deemed necessary for daily life.
Basic Knowledge: In off-reservation and larger communities, understanding foundational vocabulary (e.g., greetings, common nouns) suffices, with a preference for English proficiency for future success.
Conclusions and Implications
The study illustrates that community size and location significantly influence attitudes toward language and culture education.
Younger community members often prioritize schools' roles in connecting to the outside world, whereas older generations seek to preserve cultural identities within schooling systems.
Historical contexts reveal a lack of trust in schools as conduits for cultural education, necessitating alternative models that foster partnerships between schools and communities.
To maintain linguistic and cultural heritage effectively, a structured approach commencing at the home, extending through community engagements, and incorporating schools as supportive elements is recommended (Fishman, 1989).
Embedding schools deeper within indigenous communities could enhance the success of language and culture preservation efforts (Stephen May, 1999).
References
Batchelder, A., & Markel, S. (1997). An initial exploration of the Navajo Nation's language and culture initiative. In J. Reyhner (Ed.), Teaching indigenous languages (pp. 239-247). Flagstaff, AZ: Northern Arizona University. http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jar/TIL_20.html
Burnaby, B. (1996). Aboriginal language maintenance, development, and enhancement. In G. Cantoni (Ed.), Stabilizing indigenous languages (pp. 22-40). Flagstaff, AZ: Northern Arizona University. http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu/miscpubs/stabilize/i-needs/aboriginal.htm