Diné Primer

[Andre Cramblit]

Navajo/English books help students with language arts

Pamela G. Dempsey Diné Bureau
http://www.gallupindependent.com/08-23-03languagearts.html

FLAGSTAFF — Who wants to be a prairie dog?

Bidii, (it means Greedy in Navajo), might be if he doesn't learn
to            hurry. This character, introduced in the book by the same
title, is            one of many from Salina Bookshelf, Inc., a
Flagstaff-based publishing company of Navajo-English workbooks and
children's books.

Hatched in 1994, Salina wanted to bring Navajo-language and education
together in a different way. They began by publishing, "Who Wants to be a
Prairie Dog?", a 1940's-story originally used by the Bureau of Indian
Affairs Boarding School system.

"Our primary focus on developing literature to be used in
schools            was trying to address, not all issues facing language
preservation,            but some, in offering an alternative, offering
something schools can use," said Eric Lockard, publisher of the company.

Several of their newer titles such as "Little Prankster Girl"
and "Red is Beautiful" continue with Salina's tradition of
teaching Navajo culture and language with memorable characters, detailed
art, and relevant story lines. This year, Salina introduced their first
baby books which "teach Navajo by association."

"We're expanding," Lockard said. "There's a real need for Navajo language
material in schools."

Authors, translators, and editors work on a project for at least a year
before its sent into production.

Authors such as Martha Blue and Roberta John spend time with their editor
working on the literal meanings of the phrasing in both English and Navajo.

"You have two authors conveying the same message in two different culture
to find a happy medium," Lockard said. "They get together to work on a
project, and make concessions in hope to make a better story."

Salina's illustrators are as just as diverse.

"We work with new and established artists," Lockard said.            "We
really like the diversity in illustrations."

Their next ventures include an interactive CD-ROM to accompany their "Learn
Along with Ashkii" series. So far, the project is half-way done and
includes characters familiar to some of Salina's titles. Once completed,
the user can choose to visit a hogan, a school, a deli, and a laundry to
learn Navajo words for everyday use.

Bahe Whitehorn, Jr., whose father, Bahe Whitehorn, Sr. worked as an artist
for the company, is the graphic designer on the project and found the work,
no matter how detailed, to be fun.

"It's real fun, it's something I'm really interested in," he said.

Salina also published tourism materials - "culture appropriate
material most representing Navajo culture as defined by
Navajos,"            Lockard said - and a Navajo Language Learning CD-ROM,
which teaches how to tell time, count, read a calendar, and learn to say
common Navajo words. Teachers can use them for tests.

As successful, though, as Salina is in bringing interesting and culturally
relevant teaching tools to the students who use them most, one event may
top it all.

"We're excited when books come back (from the printers),"
Lockard said. "It's like Christmas."