Navajo teacher discusses language and the Beauty Way (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

Navajo teacher discusses language and the Beauty Way
http://www.cibolabeacon.com/articles/2006/05/26/news/news6.txt

GRANTS - Navajo speaker Leonard Anthony gave a talk on “Hozho Naa Has
Dlii” - The State of the Beauty Way” at Grants High School Tuesday.

Sponsored by the Office of Indian Education of the Grants/Cibola County
School District, the talk centered on the importance of language and
tradition in the Navajo worldview.

Anthony started by breaking down the phrase, “Hozho Naa Has Dlii” into
its component words. “Hozho means a state of well being and the path
before and after us,” he explained. “Naa indicates a complete circle,
Has is a term meaning working toward a new beginning and Dlii means
trust or long life. In its simplest terms, it means path plus direction
plus circle plus trust.

“Language is so important in distilling philosophical and cultural
concepts in a Native American context,” Anthony related. “Also very
important in the Navajo culture is the idea of clanship and kinship.
These relationships give a person a sense of who he is and what his
boundaries are. A Navajo can ask, what is my clan and what does that
mean? It gives an individual a sense of personal and family awareness.”

The educator went on to explain the origins of the clans from various
parts of Changing Woman’s body. “These were the First Clans and gave
rise to the importance of the maternal clan in our society. The mother
is the matriarch because she gives life and nourishment and so her clan
is considered the most important in the family. Maternal clans carry on
for generations,” Anthony said.

“The father supports the maternal clan and is responsible for practical
language development. I’ve learned how important home participation is
in the process of language skills acquisition,” he added.

Anthony described his journey into the appreciation of his cultural
heritage and language. “As a youth, I had no discipline or trust and I
wore my hair long and shaggy,” he recalled. “I felt lost until I had a
four-day ceremony in a hogan with a medicine man. He gave me lots of
instructions and I found that I wanted to change. That’s when I started
wearing my hair in a bun and it was seen as a traditional rite of
passage and an acceptance of adulthood.”

Anthony was so changed that he eventually took two years off work to
study his clan history. “When you’re familiar with your clan, people
will know who you are and what your values are,” he asserted.

He is very proud of the fact that the Navajo language has specific words
for thankfulness, positive feelings for others, belief in self, being at
peace, self-sufficiency, determination, a state of joyfulness, respect
and friendliness. “We also have phrases that express gratitude to our
relatives and ancestors,” he explained.

Anthony said he spoke on English as a child because of acculturation and
assimilation. As a Navajo-speaking adult, he is concerned with children
and the preservation of their language and culture.

“I have loved my journey,” Anthony said. “I’ve been able to sing songs
and learn language. I’ve visited over 50 schools in the past seven
months, including colleges and treatment centers.”

By Diane Fowler