Navajo President Nygren Returns to Alma Mater USC, Addresses Need to Preserve Indigenous Languages

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By Native News Online Staff

December 04, 2024

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren highlighted the importance of Navajo language and history during a visit to his alma mater, the University of Southern California, where he participated in a children’s book reading event.

Joined by First Lady Jasmine Blackwater-Nygren, President Nygren attended the USC Rossier School of Education’s monthly book club as part of November’s Native American Heritage Month. The event focused on the role of education in preserving Navajo culture and language.

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The book club featured Dzani Yazhi Naazbaa’: Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home, an emotional historical children’s novel by the late Dr. Evangeline Parsons Yazzie. The story recounts the harrowing journey of a young Navajo girl and her family, who were forcibly marched 450 miles from Black Mesa to the Bosque Redondo internment camp during the Long Walk of 1864. Written for children in grades 1–6, the book has resonated with audiences of all ages for its powerful storytelling.

“It’s intense,” President Nygren said of the book. “It might even be better for an older audience, but it’s a story everyone should know.”

He said hearing the story in Navajo made it more meaningful for him, accentuating the importance of preserving the Navajo language.

“The people who signed the Treaty of 1868 knew no English,” he said. “Sharing this story in our language honors their resilience and ensures our ancestors’ experiences are remembered.”

The President and First Lady were welcomed by USC Rossier School of Education Dean Pedro Noguera. Both are avid readers of Navajo language children’s books to their two pre-school daughters.

“Language is not just about culture,” Dean Noguera said. “It’s about knowledge. When we lose a language, we lose a way of understanding the world.”

First Lady Blackwater-Nygren echoed these sentiments, highlighting the vital role of Navajo language immersion programs. She acknowledged the historical traumas faced by Navajo people, such as the boarding school era, where children were often punished for speaking their native language.

“While it’s important to share these stories, we also need to teach resilience and pride in our heritage,” she said.

President Nygren expressed deep concern about the declining use of the Navajo language, noting that while nearly half of Navajo people speak it, the number is decreasing with each generation. His administration has made language preservation a priority. To illustrate its significance, he read excerpts from Little Woman Warrior in Navajo, connecting the audience to the language and its historical roots.

He also emphasized the importance of creating resources like Native American centers at universities to support Indigenous students academically and culturally.

The featured author, Dr. Evangeline Parsons Yazzie, was a longtime professor of Navajo language at Northern Arizona University and an acclaimed writer dedicated to preserving Navajo heritage. Her textbook Rediscovering the Navajo Language was the first American Indian language book adopted by a state education department and remains a cornerstone of Navajo language education.

Dr. Yazzie’s literary contributions earned her numerous accolades, including the International Reading Association Children’s Choices Book Award and the Independent Publisher Book Awards for Non-fiction. Her work continues to inspire efforts to maintain and celebrate Navajo culture and language.