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Five-year-old
Harper Bowen colors in Hózhó: A Diné
Coloring Book, a Diné language tool created by
his mother, Vanessa Bowen and his maternal grandmother, Valencia
Spencer. (submitted photo)
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Window Rock, AZ A Diné coloring book created by
a Diné woman isnt just a coloring book its
a multimedia resource to learn the Navajo language. And not just
that, its a sought after resource at a school on the Navajo
Nation.
According to the creator of Hózhó: A Diné
Coloring Book, the book can be purchased as a print version
with Diné words and images on the page. However, another
version comes with access to an online section where readers
colorers? can hear the words spoken for pronunciation.
Its a coloring book, but we have two other versions,
said Vanessa Bowen, who is perhaps best known for creating the Make
America Native Again hat that came out during Donald Trumps
presidential campaign.
We have a plus edition, and then a premium edition, which
basically is if you want to hear the pronunciations, you can purchase
the access to it, she said. Then you can go online and
see the words, get the definitions, and then hear the voice recording.
Bowens mother, Valencia Spencer from Steamboat, Arizona,
recorded the audio for words like bilasáana and
chééhjiyáán to give
an idea what they sound like.
My mom is a former Navajo language and culture teacher,
so shes being recorded for the pronunciations of the words
that I illustrated, Bowen said.
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