Learning from Nature for Diné Head Start

Abstract

Teaching young Diné children in school is understanding the many different ethnicities, cultures, and beliefs worldwide. Helping students identify their core values, beliefs, and traditional practices to help the community maintain their cultures. Teaching the Diné language in the classroom as a second language for the Diné children to maintain who we are as Diné people to keep our traditions alive and support the Diné Tribal Sovereignty. “The federal government has special trust obligations cited in treaties: to protect tribal lands and resources, protect tribal rights to self-government, and provide services necessary for tribal survival and advancement. Tribal sovereignty refers to tribal rights to govern themselves, define their membership, manage tribal property, and regulate tribal business and domestic relations. Sovereignty is a non-Navajo word, but in Diné it has a related concept called Onni’ Inteego, Self-Responsibility” (https://www.etdinc.com/recent-news/navajo-tribal-sovereignty). The Military of the United States also recognizes the Diné language as a Code used during World War II to help win the war against Germany and its Allies. (www.history.navy)