Another Great Class

Today we recited the Pledge of Allegiance and learned a new song, Dził Dadi Yinii (Four Sacred Mountains) song. We just received notice that we are no longer allowed to sing the Shoe Game Songs so we have removed it from the blog until next winter.

Special News
Congratulations to Jaime Nakai and family on the new addition to their family! A brand new baby boy was born on Monday, February 23rd! We wish Jaime and baby all the best!

Spring Events
We received other exciting news that we have been requested to sing at two events this spring. We are planning to attend the Phoenix Indian Center's annual Gala event in Scottsdale on Saturday evening, April 4. We will post more details as we get closer to the PIC Gala, so stay tuned but we encourage you to mark it on your calendars. We have also been requested to sing at the Alhambra School District's Native American parent advisory dinner. The time and date is being scheduled. These are great opportunities for the kids to demonstrate their talent and pride in their culture. We encourage everyone (both students and parents) to dress in your traditional outfits but if you need help obtaining something to wear, we will do our best to coordinate this as a group.

We are practicing some possible new song selections including Dził Dadi Yinii for this event. We encourage you to listen to the new song and practice before the next class. If you need a copy of the song, please email shtom@cox.net for a copy or leave a comment in the Comments section and we will email you a copy of the song.

Dahnaat'áí Bee Hodilzin (Pledge of Allegiance)
This is the Navajo version of the Pledge of Allegiance that is often recited in American classrooms. It is not an exact translation but the Diné interpretation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Pledge of Allegiance by Dine Class

Dził Dadi Yinii (Four Sacred Mountains)
This song explains the relationship of the Diné people to the Four Sacred Mountains (Sisnaajínii (Mt. Blanca), Tsoodził (Mt. Taylor), Dook'oo'oosłííd (San Francisco Peak) and Dibé Nitsaa (Mt. Hesperus). The knowledge of the Four Sacred Mountains is very important to the Diné people since we use it to identify our homeland and our place as Dine people within the boundaries of these mountains.

Dzilth Dadi Yinii2 by Dine Class

Baa Hózhǫǫgo Ninááhai (Happy Birthday)
Jolyana taught us this version to sing at our next birthday party. We hope you enjoy singing this version of the popular song.

Birthday Song by Dine Class

Feel free to practice the songs as much as you can and we'll see you next class!

I also just found the Navajo version of Wikipedia! The neat things you learn while surfing the web. Hope you enjoy seeing this. It looks like a basic starting page but needs editors who can write in Navajo.
Navajo Language Wikipedia

New Songs!

Today we had another Navajo Singing class. We went over previous songs we learned including Shi Naasha and Ne'ashjaa' (Owl) Shoe Game Song. We also learned a new one, Iina Baa Hozho. Everyone was enthusiastic to be part of the new recordings. We hope that those who were not able to make it, that you are able to listen to the songs. If you need a copy of the songs, please email shtom@cox.net for a pdf copy of the songs we learned and went over. Iina Baa Hozho is the new song we learned.

Shi Naasha:
Shi Naasha by Dine Class

Ne'ashjaa' (Navajo Shoe Game Song)
Note: Due to the change in the season, we are no longer able to provide this Shoe Game Song. We are sorry but we must follow our traditions and adhere to our beliefs that when the Spring season arrives, we no longer should sing Winter songs and or play Winter games (Shoe game and string games).

Iina Baa Hozho (Life is Good)
Iina Baa Hozho by Dine Class

We hope you have a great time learning these songs and please feel free to contact Jolyana if you have any questions or leave a comment in the Comments section. Thanks!

Rez Basketball Update

Just a little tidbit for those of you who love basketball and want to know about Arizona teams.

According to a recent email from community member Anthony Kahn:

The 3A boys and girls state basketball tournament starts on Friday. Six rez girls team made the 16 team state tournament. The boys bracket will be released soon, pending an AIA investigation of Globe for using a suspected ineligible player.

Chinle boys won the 3A North tournament, in front of 8,000 screaming fans. Monument Valley girls snapped Winslow's 30-game winning streak and won the 3A North girls tournament. Another tourney highlight/low light (depending where you are from) was Winslow boys beating Window Rock, despite trailing by 24 in the 3rd quarter.

A change in the state tournament locations has the first two rounds being played at the high school of the higher seed team. In the past, the first 2 rounds were played in the NAU Skydome to accommodate the thousands of fans from the reservation. So look for rez teams to be playing here (in small high school gyms) in the Valley on Feb 20 and 28. Final Four will be played at Jobing.com Arena on March 6; and finals on March 7.

Boys Hoops: Chinle Wins North Region

Boys Hoops: Winslow Storms Back for Upset

Boys Hoops: Holbrook Hangs On for Third Place

Breaking away from AIA's Control?

Anyway, I thought this would be of interest to you and hope you get a chance to support our Navajo teams as they come to the Valley! For more information, you can go to the Arizona Interscholastic Association's website: AIA.org website.

Hoop of Learning Program

I wanted to announce to any families who have 9th through 12th grade students that there is a program called Hoop of Learning that is coordinated by the Maricopa County Community College system. They are offering Navajo language and government classes through this program. If you want more information, please contact Lynette Jim at South Mountain Community College. She will be more than happy to answer questions about the program or enrollment. Hoop of Learning is a great academic enrichment program to help local Native American high school students earn extra credit and get an early start in their college studies. Programs and classes offered county-wide. If you want more information, see the requirements below and contact Lynette.

Click on the link below to see the website information.

Hoop of Learning

Hoop of Learning Spring 2009 Course Offering

NAV102 Section # 47172 1/21/09 - 05/15/09
Elementary Navajo II M/W 6:00 - 7:15 pm
(Student will need to speak with instructor for late registration admittance.)

AIS105 Section # 42831 2/14/09 - 5/19/09
Intro to American Indian Studies Saturday 8:30 am - 12:00 pm

AIS110 Section # TBA 2/17/09 - 5/12/09
Navajo Government Tuesday 5:30 - 8:30 pm

AAA150 Section # TBA 2/14/09 - 5/9/09
Strategies for College Success Saturday 12:15 - 3:15 pm
(This course is required for all New Hoop of Learning students.)


All students will be required to complete the following:

* Hoop of Learning application (PUHSD students must contact your Native American Advisor) & SMCC Student Information Form (SIF)

* Declaration of Citizenship Form - Accepted documents: Tribal Enrollment form, AZ ID/Driver License, Birth Certificate

* Request for Admission Students Under the Age of 18 form

* This forms requires a signature from your high school administrator and parent(s)

To obtain more information on assessment testing please visit our website @ http://students.southmountaincc.edu/Services/AssessmentServices/. You will need to bring a picture ID to take the test. Scholarship may be available for qualified students.

For more information, contact Lynette Jim at 602-243-8314 or by email at lynette.jim@smcmail.maricopa.edu.
Thank you for your interest!

New Spring Classes!

The 2009 Spring Navajo classes are underway. The Singing class has a lot of new students and it is really neat to see both parents and children learning new songs together. This week we learned Shi Naasha. One of the classic Navajo songs a lot were taught as children. It is a song commemorating the Dine people's survival and return from Hweeldi (Fort Sumner). Last week we started to learn a Shoe Game song since this is the season for Shoe Games and we are learning it before the weather changes.

Shoe Game Songs
In Navajo tradition, these songs are to be sung or played only in the winter or the Navajo will suffer misfortune and bad weather. In the original Shoe Game, the night animals, who wanted only nighttime, played against the day animals, who wanted only daytime. Fortunately, the game ended in a tie, and we now have both night and day. Today these Shoe Game songs, which tell of the animals and the giant, are featured in the gambling game in which members of two teams try to keep their opponents from finding an object hidden in a shoe or moccasin.
Navajo Songs from Canyon De Chelly liner notes

We are also learning the Pledge of Allegiance in our language and before you know it, we will be saying it before every class from memory

Please feel free to make any comments under any of the posts. Click on the Comment link, sign in your name and you can make a suggestion or comment at any time.

Beginning next week we will post a recording after the class so you can follow along or rehearse the songs you have learned at the last session.

Again, I want to thank Jolyana for her knowledge and making the classes a lot of fun!