Students from as far away as Cuba, New Mexico; Window Rock, Arizona; Montezuma Creek, Utah, and the San Juan School District in Blanding, Utah, and as close as Aztec High joined Central Consolidated School District students in CCSD’s 21st Annual Middle and High School Navajo Knowledge Bowl, held March 31, 2016 at the District’s Phil Thomas Performing Arts Center in Shiprock, New Mexico.
Approximately 150 students from 13 schools participated in one or more events, which were Navajo language, writing and speaking; Navajo reading; Navajo singing; a Navajo spelling bee, and the Navajo Knowledge Quiz Bowl. The Navajo Knowledge Bowl was sponsored by CCSD's Heritage Education Center and the Johnson O’Malley Program.
The CCSD schools that participated were Kirtland Middle, Kirtland High, Career Prep High, Tse’ Bit Ai’ Middle, and Shiprock High.
There were approximately 20 judges. The coordinator judge for Writing and Speaking was Newcomb Elementary bilingual teacher Lillie Begay; for Spelling was Newcomb Elementary bilingual teacher Lorraine Lansing; for Reading was Exceptional Programs Office secretary Loretta Francis; for Knowledge Bowl was Tsé Bit A'í Middle School teacher Herman Gleason; and for Singing was Newcomb Elementary bilingual teacher Terry Denetdale.
THE INTERVIEWS
What was the significance of students participating in the District’s Navajo Knowledge Bowl?
Career Prep Navajo Language teacher Joseph Chee (pictured in the top photo): The main thing is to help them discover their culture, their language, their heritage, and a lot of traditional values as well. That becomes part of their thinking process as maturity kicks in through time. It will really benefit them whether they find a job or pursue a post-secondary competition.
CCSD Knowledge Bowl facilitator Shanon Henderson: The Knowledge Bowl lets the students take pride, finding out where they’re out language wise. It’s a competition. They’re all about the same. They’re all novices. You don’t have that many that are fluent. But when you do, it’s interesting to hear them speak. The Knowledge Bowl brings everyone together. It makes them bring back the language. They’re proud of their culture. You can see that.
How do you feel about your students performing on the stage, and being in a showcase, a competition?
Chee: I never spoke to them about it as a competition or a showcase. I just told my students ‘You have fun. See what you know, and what you have to offer. Just go out there and see what you have.’ That’s the only way they’ll learn—to be able to develop some tools for them so they are able to participate in social gatherings, community events, academic events, school events… as well as becoming part of their networking process as they grow.
How do you feel the students did?
Henderson: When they’re getting ready backstage to perform, they are nervous. But when they go out there man it’s like another person. They just sing. I love the Knowledge Bowl because you can see the competitiveness.
Why did you chose a veterans song to sing in Navajo?
Career Prep High student Ryan Yazzie (pictured on stage in the top photo): Our land here in America, home of the brave and land of the free. That’s the way it is. Meaning our ancestors. That song, the way I think about it is for the Code Talkers and the ones who are fighting, the native warriors out there today, and back then. We are getting into it, that was the strength to keep them strong out there. That song was for them. I wish they could have heard it, so they can get a blessing from it and keep them safe out there.
Do you believe that if students know their Navajo language they will understand themselves better?
Chee: When they’re here they are able to develop and exercise their language to develop some kind of confidence. Recognize your identity, discover who you are, and build off of that. That’s when you’ll discover that language is important. Because you’re going to have to understand some of these practices that are done, whether it is seen as rituals or ceremonies. And that’s when it starts making sense.
What were you thinking when you were singing?
Career Prep High student Lardell Lewis (pictured on stage top photo): When we sing like that we carry on what our ancestors had done for us. That song was a veterans’ song to give them a blessing so they know we’re praying to them, we’re singing to them.
As far as stepping out into the world, can you do both?
Chee: You always need to try to balance your thoughts with your planning and with your application in life with what the world has to offer and try to walk that fine line. And it’s a hard thing to do.
What’s the hardest part of walking that fine line?
Chee: The students not knowing enough. There are different parts of the region of the Navajo Nation. We have cultural differences even within the Navajo Nation. Not just culture, but language as well. There are language differences. We all speak Navajo but in different ways. Some of the things we say have different meanings as well. Therefore the students need to know it, they need to live it. So when something comes up, you can say you already know it. You can connect that.
The language cannot live without the culture, and the culture cannot live without the language. If you know the language fairly well, but not know the culture, the understanding of it cannot go any deeper. When you know the culture, and live it, it takes you to a different dimension. You make that paradigm shift.
Originally published on April 5, 2016