Canku Ota - Mar. 24, 2001 - Keeping Culture Strong

Canku Ota

(Many Paths)

An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America

March 24, 2001 - Issue 32

Keeping Culture Strong

by Sasheen Hollow Horn The Navajo Times

Over 700 students compete in Diné language arts fair

Mary Jean Nez sings solo at the Dine' Language Arts Fair. (Times photo/Paul Natonabah)
TSAILE, Ariz. (March 8) - It is an event to perpetuate the use of the Navajo language at a time when - according to the Office of Diné Culture/Language - only about half of all Navajo children start school with at least some ability to speak Navajo.

Over 700 students from 24 schools across the reservation converged on Diné College in Tsaile this week to take part in the Fifth Annual Diné Language Arts Fair.

The three-day fair began on Tuesday and is a chance for kindergarten to college-age youth to show off their linguistic skills and compare themselves to other students, organizer Terri Becenti said.

Sponsored by the college's Diné Teacher Education Program and the Center for Diné Teacher Education, the fair is part of an ongoing effort to emphasize Navajo language and culture, of which a K-8 teacher on the reservation would ideally have knowledge.

"This helps our students to appreciate the Navajo language," said Becenti, who is an academic advisor at the college. "We try to invite schools on the reservation and in the border towns. We've gotten a good response from the participants, it's a good thing."

The seven categories of competition were individual poem reading, choral (group) reading, solo and group singing, storytelling/joketelling, reader's theatre and original works.

Reader's theater consisted of choral readings of stories and poems. In the first six categories, students had the option of using either their own or someone else's poems, stories, songs and jokes, while only original poems and stories could compete in the last category.

The junior high/high school and college competitions took place on Tuesday. Wednesday saw third grade through sixth grade students performing and the competitions ends today with the kindergarten through second graders' performances.

Prizes are awarded to the top three performances in each category for each age group.

For her performance on Tuesday, Tse Ho Tso Middle School seventh grader Kanasta Stewart introduced the cradleboard. She explained what each element of the structure was, and its traditional purpose.

"In fifth grade, I was second runner up (in a contest, doing a similar presentation), and my mom encouraged me," Stewart said. "How I learned about it was my teacher talked about it and I thought it was interesting, so I stayed after school and learned about it."

Cymbre Lauing, also a seventh grader at Tse Ho Tso Middle School, sang about clans and read a poem about frybread.

"She did good," Stewart said of her friend, Lauing's, song. "She didn't mess up. But she was nervous."

"I wasn't nervous," Lauing said. "There's not a lot of people here, so...."

Lauing said that she learned of the competition when her Navajo language teacher asked her if she wanted to sing poetry.

For some students, the competition was their first time performing in public. For others, it was a different story.

Albert Nelson III Times Photo/Paul Natonabah
J.T. Willie, a sophomore at Window Rock High School, wrote and read a poem entitled "My Land." A member of WRHS Native American Club, his teacher had asked him to represent the school at the fair.

Carrying on a family business spanning three generations, Albert Nelson III, from Atsa Biyazh Community School in Shiprock, sang a two-step song for his performance.

Nelson said that he started by listening to his dad's group, the Todi Neesh Zhee Singers, sing traditional song-and-dance songs when he was six years old.

Students came from Diné College and Rock Point, Window Rock, Newcomb and Chinle high schools; Atsa Biyazh, Lukachukai, Rock Point, Wide Ruins and Ch'ooshgai community schools; Round Rock, Window Rock, Tsaile, Many Farms and Pinon elementary schools; Tse Ho Tso Primary, Intermediate and Middle schools; Jeddito Public, Ganado Intermediate, Chinle Primary, Red Rock Day School, Newcomb Mid and Rock Point Lutheran Mission.

"We'd like to thank everyone that participated in our Fifth Annual Dine Language Arts Fair, and a special thanks to our judges," Becenti said. "We look forward to seeing you again next year."

Dine Language
http://www.spottedeagle.com/dine.htm

Canku Ota is a free Newsletter celebrating Native America, its traditions and accomplishments . We do not provide subscriber or visitor names to anyone. Some articles presented in Canku Ota may contain copyright material. We have received appropriate permissions for republishing any articles. Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monetary gain to those who have expressed an interest. This is in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107.

Canku Ota is a copyright © 2000, 2001 of Vicki Lockard and Paul Barry.

The "Canku Ota - A Newsletter Celebrating Native America" web site and its design is the

Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2001 of Paul C. Barry.

All Rights Reserved.

	Canku Ota
	(Many Paths)
	An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
	March 24, 2001 - Issue 32


	Keeping Culture Strong
	by Sasheen Hollow Horn The Navajo Times

Over 700 students compete in Diné language arts fair

Mary Jean Nez sings solo at the Dine' Language Arts Fair. (Times photo/Paul Natonabah)	TSAILE, Ariz. (March 8) - It is an event to perpetuate the use of the Navajo language at a time when - according to the Office of Diné Culture/Language - only about half of all Navajo children start school with at least some ability to speak Navajo. Over 700 students from 24 schools across the reservation converged on Diné College in Tsaile this week to take part in the Fifth Annual Diné Language Arts Fair. The three-day fair began on Tuesday and is a chance for kindergarten to college-age youth to show off their linguistic skills and compare themselves to other students, organizer Terri Becenti said. Sponsored by the college's Diné Teacher Education Program and the Center for Diné Teacher Education, the fair is part of an ongoing effort to emphasize Navajo language and culture, of which a K-8 teacher on the reservation would ideally have knowledge.

"This helps our students to appreciate the Navajo language," said Becenti, who is an academic advisor at the college. "We try to invite schools on the reservation and in the border towns. We've gotten a good response from the participants, it's a good thing." The seven categories of competition were individual poem reading, choral (group) reading, solo and group singing, storytelling/joketelling, reader's theatre and original works. Reader's theater consisted of choral readings of stories and poems. In the first six categories, students had the option of using either their own or someone else's poems, stories, songs and jokes, while only original poems and stories could compete in the last category. The junior high/high school and college competitions took place on Tuesday. Wednesday saw third grade through sixth grade students performing and the competitions ends today with the kindergarten through second graders' performances. Prizes are awarded to the top three performances in each category for each age group. For her performance on Tuesday, Tse Ho Tso Middle School seventh grader Kanasta Stewart introduced the cradleboard. She explained what each element of the structure was, and its traditional purpose. "In fifth grade, I was second runner up (in a contest, doing a similar presentation), and my mom encouraged me," Stewart said. "How I learned about it was my teacher talked about it and I thought it was interesting, so I stayed after school and learned about it." Cymbre Lauing, also a seventh grader at Tse Ho Tso Middle School, sang about clans and read a poem about frybread. "She did good," Stewart said of her friend, Lauing's, song. "She didn't mess up. But she was nervous." "I wasn't nervous," Lauing said. "There's not a lot of people here, so...." Lauing said that she learned of the competition when her Navajo language teacher asked her if she wanted to sing poetry. For some students, the competition was their first time performing in public. For others, it was a different story.

Albert Nelson III Times Photo/Paul Natonabah	J.T. Willie, a sophomore at Window Rock High School, wrote and read a poem entitled "My Land." A member of WRHS Native American Club, his teacher had asked him to represent the school at the fair. Carrying on a family business spanning three generations, Albert Nelson III, from Atsa Biyazh Community School in Shiprock, sang a two-step song for his performance. Nelson said that he started by listening to his dad's group, the Todi Neesh Zhee Singers, sing traditional song-and-dance songs when he was six years old. Students came from Diné College and Rock Point, Window Rock, Newcomb and Chinle high schools; Atsa Biyazh, Lukachukai, Rock Point, Wide Ruins and Ch'ooshgai community schools; Round Rock, Window Rock, Tsaile, Many Farms and Pinon elementary schools; Tse Ho Tso Primary, Intermediate and Middle schools; Jeddito Public, Ganado Intermediate, Chinle Primary, Red Rock Day School, Newcomb Mid and Rock Point Lutheran Mission. "We'd like to thank everyone that participated in our Fifth Annual Dine Language Arts Fair, and a special thanks to our judges," Becenti said. "We look forward to seeing you again next year."

Dine Language http://www.spottedeagle.com/dine.htm






	Canku Ota is a free Newsletter celebrating Native America, its traditions and accomplishments . We do not provide subscriber or visitor names to anyone. Some articles presented in Canku Ota may contain copyright material. We have received appropriate permissions for republishing any articles. Material appearing here is distributed without profit or monetary gain to those who have expressed an interest. This is in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107.

	Canku Ota is a copyright © 2000, 2001 of Vicki Lockard and Paul Barry.

	The "Canku Ota - A Newsletter Celebrating Native America" web site and its design is the
	Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2001 of Paul C. Barry.
	All Rights Reserved.