Navajo Language: From Past to Present

This video was made for educational purposes.
***UPDATED***

The main purpose of this video was to show that language in the Navajo community has changed from the past to the present, and to realize that there were environmental factors that have influenced this change. There is an apparent difference between the number of people who speak the language and who can't. This is concerning because English only speakers have surpassed those who speak Navajo only, or are fluent in Navajo.

Those interviewed are taking personal steps to learn how to speak the Navajo language, whether through books/dictionaries/classes.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Navajo
• Dine
• Langauge
• Revitalization
• Native
• American
• Tradition
• Indian
• Heritage
• History
• Education
• Past
• Present
• Boarding
• School

[MichaelSammler]

Thanks for the great video! It is really interesting and provides good insight.

It is sad to see so many negative comments below. I will keep reading about the Navajo people online. It is a very interesting story of a people.

[stlouisramsfan03]

We need to save the Navajo language it's a duty of us Navajo people. Haa'ish beniina doo bihdawiilah da? We must learn we can not lose a part of ourselves. Please we must.

[Johnnybomb1]

the chick at 4:29 is freakin hott.

[lumbanraja2]

if i did not go to europe then i woupd had never spoken english and even in holland i speak my own language and chinese.english is not of great importance for me it's only to know language but honestly normally use english just javanese,malay and chinese fuck english

[lumbanraja2]

Noneed to speak english think about your ppl your own race.Other races are not relevent,My family are Indonesian Buddhist we speak an ancient Javanese language and write with our own alphabet called hanacaraka and we preserve buddhism and our language i learned english only because i went abroad

[angelrocky1]

Wow....more younger generation need to speak Navajo.....there is no shame to speak Navajo.....I speak Navajo, my parents and grandparents taught me to speak Navajo.

[charkee1]

We spoke Spanish one week and then English the next week to our children. They learned both languages without accent.

[hellotheir04]

Navajo population: Around 300,000. Not knowing the Navajo language is like something is missing in my life, a void, but not a loss. I have read some of the comments posted here, very selfish, because they dont understand. Navajo language is rare as it is delicate. Chinese, English, Arabic, etc, etc, etc. are mainstream (millions of people) so it would be 'ok' for those people not to know their language. Going into the mainstream has been like going backwards of the my spirit.

[Virija10]

My dad was a native from south america. I always thought that being idian there was very different from being idian here in the US. Down there idians do not have ANY benefits from the state, NONE.. in the US at least the gov. provides certain benefits. However, I can relate when it comes down to language. My dad never teached me and never wanted to teach me "guarani". I wished I did speak the language. It's really a shame that traditions are being lost.

[Menative123]

19Truth53 hey so your saying celt, italian, german maybe they don't have pride

but i have pride and I know that all navajos have pride