An American Indian charter school plans to teach Navajo language (...

Wed Apr 26 00:38:59 UTC 2006

Hi, Ann, 

I think your questions are fair. The issues are simply complex. It is
probably true that people are teaching Navajo to Navajo children (myself
included, except that I teach mostly adults). 

Here, at least in the Southwest and possibly in all areas of the country,
Indigenous peoples are taking control of what’s theirs. There is an enormous
sensitivity to having been ripped off, and people don’t want to spend their
scarce resources teaching language to non-Tribal members. This is a
reasonable way to go, I think. First, there are not many fluent speakers,
comparatively. Second, Indigenous languages have been ignored,
under-appreciated, and colonized, especially by the curricular materials in
schools. Third, Indigenous peoples have different views of sharing their
language and culture. Diné is published; Cochiti is protected. There is no
“general” or stereotypical approach to the language and culture issues. Some
tribes have a broad, technology-based approach, like the Tsalagi (Cherokee),
and some, like the Puebloans, frequently keep what’s theirs to themselves. 

Also, there was an enormous battle here in New Mexico to have a place for
Indigenous languages in schools. Tribes had to fight very hard for that, and
now they are fighting to certify their own teachers. The typical educational
requirements for teachers that are enforced to not provide good language and
culture teachers. Tribes have been fighting, and are still working out the
details, for the rights to identify and certify their own teachers. 

This is all happening in a complex world where some languages, like Puebloan
languages, are not written. Others, like Diné, have limited font,
spell-check, and grammar checking. 

If you want a really good, insider-participant’s view, contact Joseph Suina.
He was at UNM. I heard he retired. But you should be able to find him. 

Good luck and don’t hesitate if you have more questions. 

Mia

  _____  

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
On Behalf Of Ann Rowe
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 6:19 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] An American Indian charter school plans to teach Navajo
language (...

I took the reading I took from those statements which I have put in bold
text from the articles.  Those all seemed to indicate that the intention was
to teach Navajo to Navajo children.

I am still interested in learning why the approach seems to be to restrict
the teaching of what are, after all, local area languages only to children
of a specific cultural heritage.  What is the motivation?  What are the
goals related to that kind of restriction?

I realize this may all sound a bit peculiar, now that I stop and think about
it.  My intention is not to offend anyone, so perhaps a little detail on me
might help?  

I am working on preparing my prospectus for my Ph.D and it deals with
sovereignty issues among indigenous, native peoples in the territory of the
present-day United States.  As you can imagine - that covers a lot of
ground.  But it has come to be my opinion that, historically, one of the
definitive ways that any sovereign nation defines itself is through its
language.  Among native peoples, this is coming to be more of an issue for
all the reasons noted in the articles that stimulated this discussion.  As a
consequence, language revitalization has become a vital part of the
revitalization and sustenance of all native cultures in the Americas.

I would simply like to find out how people think about restricting or not
restricting training in a language to members of the native population of
the language.  It seems a key point in building any thorough thesis of any
sort about connections between sovereignty and language.  

I hope I am making sense.  For example - I would love to know how and why
the choice about Cochiti was made, Mia...how all of the people involved in
the choice felt about the choice.

If I have blundered somehow - please accept my apologies.  
Ann

I read both articles twice, and I didn’t see where they said they were only
teaching the language to Native students. 

However, I was present in the ongoing discussions between the State and
Cochiti, and yes, for Cochiti, ONLY Cochiti members learn Cochiti in the
schools. 

Mia

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
On Behalf Of Ann Rowe
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 2:19 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] An American Indian charter school plans to teach Navajo
language (fwd)
are they serious about only teaching it to Navajo students?

what are your opinions on that idea?  Should indigenous languages only be
taught to persons of the respective blood heritage?  If so, what problems
are there with the idea?  If not, why not?
Ann 

-----Original Message-----
From: phil cash cash <cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU>
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Sent: Tue, 25 Apr 2006 13:11:25 -0700
Subject: [ILAT] An American Indian charter school plans to teach Navajo
language (fwd)

An American Indian charter school plans to teach Navajo language

By Susie Gran <javascript:parent.ComposeTo('sgran at abqtrib.com');> 
Tribune Reporter
April 25, 2006
....
NAVAJO TEACHERS IN CITY SCHOOLS 

Navajo children in these schools are learning their native language: 
La Mesa Elementary 
Lowell Elementary 
Painted Sky Elementary 
Manzano High 
Rio Grande High 
West Mesa High 
Cibola High 
In August, the new Native American Academy, to be located at Wilson Middle
School, will also offer Navajo language instruction. 
Source: Albuquerque Public Schools ...

Johnson's goal for her Navajo kindergarteners at La Mesa is that they speak
Navajo fluently by the time they leave fifth grade. 
...

"They are asking us for our best and brightest," said Joseph Suina, director
of a 2-year-old program designed for American Indians who want to teach in
their tribes or pueblos. "We have identified people we'll recommend highly."

...

The scholarship program receives $900,000 annually from the Public Education
Department for scholarships to encourage American Indians to pursue teaching
careers. Those enrolled must spend at least three years teaching in their
pueblos or tribes. 
...

At Sandia Pueblo, two teachers are bringing the Tiwa language to about 80
children in preschool and after-school programs at the pueblo. 
...

Only one Navajo parent in the past two years did not sign the permission
form required to enroll children in Johnson's language classes. 
...

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