'Truly historic': Navajo scholars will help teach their peoples' story in a new textbook
Navajo scholars will soon begin writing and editing a Navajo Nation government textbook to be taught at the high school level, the first such book written by Diné authors for Diné students.
In 2023, the Navajo Nation celebrated the centennial of its tribal government's formation, and during the tribe’s annual budget debate, the council allocated more than $170,000 the Department of Diné Education for the development of the textbook.
“The proposed textbook will be written by Navajo scholars and take the unique approach of governance from Navajo creation stories, traditional governance, and sovereignty — informed by Navajo concepts of land, history, and leadership,” said Claudia Edgewater-Russell, the Department of Diné Education interim superintendent of schools. “The general texts that schools and colleges use are outdated and written by non-Navajos.”
The textbook will be written in both Navajo and English, accompanied by a digital version to allow online learning.
An informal survey conducted among Diné teachers who participated in the Northern Arizona University Diné Institute for Navajo Nation Educators, along with discussions with Diné teachers throughout the Navajo Nation, revealed a significant gap: There is currently no tribal government textbook tailored specifically for high school students.
The survey revealed that the textbooks and resources used now include "The Navajo Political Experience," fourth edition, from 2013, authored by David E. Wilkins, a member of the Lumbee Nation. However, the book isn't intended for high school students and is outdated.
Wilkins' other book, "A Handbook of Navajo Government," from 1987, is also used, but it is currently unavailable and considered obsolete, according to Carolyn Calvin, a senior public information officer for the Office of Navajo Nation Scholarship and Financial Assistance.
Jennifer Denetdale, one of the project's two editors, said that, “All the high school teachers I’ve talked to, the Navajo students I’ve talked to, they’re using dated government textbooks from probably the 1980s or 1990s.”
Daryl Begay, a policy analyst with the Department of Diné Education, is the other editor and a key figure in initiating the project to garner interest from the Navajo council. Denetdale noted that Begay secured assistance from Council Delegate Andy Nez through his presentation and work on the legislation.
“We don’t have an all-Diné authored government textbook for high school students,” she said. “So this is truly historical.”
Denetdale is a professor and chair of American Studies at the University of New Mexico. She is a historian and the author of "Reclaiming DIné History: The Legacies of Navajo Chief Manuelito and Juanita," as well as essays and articles on Diné nation-building and its intersection with women’s leadership and gender. She is also the chair of the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission.
When applying for the highly sought-after Chief Manuelito scholarship, one of the requirements is enrollment in a Navajo government class, if offered. If such a class is not available, online alternatives are provided.
This scholarship, $7,000 per academic year, is awarded each year to high-achieving students. Denetdale recalled that years ago, as she assisted her grandson in studying for his Navajo government class, she was dismayed by the subpar quality of the available resources.
“I told him we have to do something about this,” said Denetdale.
'Navajo schools have not had a decent text book on Navajo government'
The project is set to unfold over three years, organized into three distinct phases. In the first year, the focus will be on hiring authors tasked with writing selected chapters. Navajo-language teachers will be brought on board to translate the two-volume textbook.
The project will also involve consultations with Navajo educators associated with NAU’s Diné Institute for Navajo Nation Educators to review the project and offer recommendations. To ensure accuracy, an academic editor will be hired to oversee the research, data and facts.
An education editor will ensure that the chapters are written and formatted appropriately for secondary learners, and a graphic artist will be brought on board to contribute.
During the second year, authors will present revised chapters for evaluation by the Department of Diné Education’s Office of Standards, Curriculum, and Assessment, in collaboration with NAU’s Diné Institute for Navajo Nation Educators. The selected chapters will undergo field testing with students, and the development of an online version will begin. Work will also begin to find affordable publication options.
In the final year, a comprehensive review of all chapters will take place, and necessary revisions will be implemented. The final versions of the chapters will be submitted to the book publisher, and the design of the digital textbook will be completed.
“I believe that Navajo schools have not had a decent text book on Navajo government,” said Wendy Shelly Greyeyes, Ph.D., associate professor of Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico. She is also the chair for the New Mexico Indian Education Advisory Council.
“Many of our teachers had to be creative in pulling together material for students in many Navajo government classes," she said.
Greyeyes is among the chosen authors for the textbook. She acknowledged that the Navajo Nation government development office has produced a helpful booklet, but she stressed the necessity for a standardized textbook that aligns with the Navajo Nation Diné Accountability Plan.
A graduate of Navajo Preparatory School, Greyeyes remembers her Navajo government class was taught using Bill P. Acrey's "Navajo History: Its land and its People."
New text will fill needs in schools, communities
Another listed author is Andrew Curley, Assistant Professor in the School of Geography, Development, and Environment at the University of Arizona. He said his focus is on the history of the Navajo Nation government.
“I think it’s important for our sovereignty, to recognize the power of our political institutions despite colonial limitations,” said Curley. “I want to educate Diné people about their institutions. My experience has been that people don’t know how their government works and where it comes from.”
Curley highlighted the absence of textbooks that effectively engage both students and community members. While there are history books written for college readers covering various topics found in the textbook, he emphasized that none are as specifically focused on the issues addressed in this book. Moreover, there are no textbooks tailored to a reservation-based audience.
“We are inundated with historical information about U.S. colonial institutions, and even some Navajo people know more about the king in England than they do about the president of the Navajo Nation, this has to do with curriculum,” said Curley. “We need to restore knowledge about ourselves and this is a useful first step.”
Along with Greyeyes and Curley, other Diné authors include: former Navajo Nation Vice President Rex Lee Jim, Miranda Haskie, Kara Roanhorse, Melanie K. Yazzie, Lloyd L. Lee, Byron Tsabetsaye and Farina King.
The two-volume textbook will focus on the roots of Diné sovereignty and the historical shifts in governance under cycles of colonial intrusions that have shaped the modern Navajo government.
The second volume will explore how American democratic governance principles were used to establish the modern Navajo Nation and the ongoing efforts to return to Diné governance and leadership principles as the foundation of government.
Denetdale anticipates the textbook will have broader applications beyond high school classrooms. She envisions its use in college courses for teacher education and across various disciplines such as Diné Studies, Native American Studies, and political science at both high school and college levels.
“The textbook will provide students a comprehensive view of Diné history and governance,” said Denetdale. “The original Dinétah and Diné Bikéyah as laid out by the Holy People and their teachings left with the Diné will be used as the standard for learning about Diné/Navajo government.”
Arlyssa Becenti covers Indigenous affairs for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send ideas and tips to arlyssa.becenti@arizonarepublic.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Navajo scholars will write a textbook about tribal history, government
