Why Am I Learning Navajo Language?

Ha’át’íísh Biniyé Diné Bizaad Bohoosh’aah?

Why Am I Learning Navajo Language?

By: Millicent Michelle Pepion (00:00) Image1: Title shot (00:08) Image2: Opening credits (00:12) Video1: Engineering Building (PAN UP) Yá’át’ééh shik’éí dóó shidiné’é.

Hello, my relatives and my people.

Shí éí Millicent Michelle Pepion yinishyé.

I am called Millicent Michelle Pepion.

Tódik’ózhí nishlí áádóó Ké Kl’aashzhiin báshishchíín.

I am Sour Water and I am born for the Blackfeet Nation.

Shimá éí Susan Perry wolyé.

My mother is Susan Perry.

Shizhé’é éí David Pepion wolyé.

My father is David Pepion.

Shimá bik’éí éí Be’ek’id Baa Ahoodzánídi kééhat’í.

My mother’s family lives in Whipper will.

Shizhé’é bik’éí éí Browning, Montana-di kééhat’í.

My father’s family lives in Browning, Montana.

Shí éí Hozdodéé naasha ndi Hozdo Sánídi kééhasht’í.

I am from Phoenix but am living in Tucson.

Akót’eego Diné asdzaa nishlí.

This is how I am a Navajo woman.

(00:58) Video2: Wildcat Statue on Campus Mall University of Arizona-di ííníshta’.

I am going to school at the University of Arizona.

Kwe’é atah ííníshta’go American Indian Studies bohoosh’aah.

I am going to school here learning American Indian Studies.

T’áádóó éí amá nishli.

I am also a mom.

Sha’alchíní éí Lila Mavis dóó Choctaw Leonard Lowery dawolyé.

My children are Lila Mavis and Choctaw Leonard Lowery.

Shí éí adááh doo baa íínísht’ada.

In many ways I am not just graduating for myself.

Sha’alchíní dóó shidine’é dóó shi olta biniyé altso adeeshliil nisin.

I am finishing for me, my children, and our people.

(01:29) Video3: Diné classroom Shee oltadi saad la’ ba’iidíílta shidooniid.

My degree requires that I take a language course.

T’áádóó Dine bizaad ba’iidééshta’ niizíí.

I chose Navajo language.

Díí éí koné’é dine bizaad bohoosh’aah at’é.

This is where I learn Navajo.

Nihí da’ólta’í dine bizaad bidahwiil’aah.

We students are studying together.

Shí éí dine bizaad bohoosh’aah ndi ayóo shil nantl’a.

I am learning Navajo Language, but it is very hard for me.

(01:48) Video4: Harvill Wall Statue Shimásání Susie bitsóóké diné bizaad bil nidaantl’a.

Navajo language is hard for all my Grandma Susie’s grandchildren.

Shimásání yéé ániid naagháago Sherman Institute-góó naayá.

When my grandma was young she went to Sherman Institute.

Sherman Institute-déé naadzaago baa alchíní diné bizaad dooda, yil ní.

When she came back she told her children Navajo language was bad.

Washingdoon Olta’igii éí shimásání Diné bizaad ba’ dayilch’ó.

Federal school ruined learning the Navajo language for my grandma.

Akoogoo éí bininaa shimásání bitsook’é doo yee yadalt’i da.

As a result, most of my grandma’s grandchildren don’t speak Navajo language.

Diné bizaad nihá nantl’a.

Navajo language is hard for all of us.

Díí t’áá’át’é baa ntseeskeesgo baah shiní’.

When I think about all of this I worry.

Díí bizaad nihaa deet’a.

This language has been given to us.

Shí dine bizaad naasgo bohoosh’aah ndi alch’i’ yájílti’go t’éíya bee bóhojiil’aah.

I am working at learning Navajo, but one learns by talking to each other.

Azhá dine bizaad biniyé yádeiilti’ leh ndi diné bikeyahgóó ndikaah.

To speak Navajo language like this I must go back to the Navajo Nation.

(02:56) Image3: Leaving Tucson Sha’alchíní doo shí abínígóó deekai.

My children and I leave in the morning.

(03:00) Image4: Phoenix Kodóó nléíji’ t’áadi neeznádiin tsinsitá.

From here to there is 300 miles.

(03:06) Image5: 7000 feet sign T’áádóó tsostis’id mííl adées’eez’aah dah.

And seven thousand feet up.

(03:10) Image6: Painted desert Doo nihaltingóó haalgáígóó nideikai.

We travel across the desert.

(03:15) Image7: Tuba Atiin áhoodlézhí hóteelgo doo yá’áhoot’ééh da álahji’.

The wide, paved road is not all good all the time.

(03:23) Image9: Night driving Nihil ch’aa haleeh.

We are becoming unconscious.

(03:27) Image8: Evening driving Kóó diné bikeyah éí dine bizaad bídin hóyée leh.

Here on the Navajo Nation there is a scarcity of Navajo language.

(03:34) Image10: Tunnel near Black Mesa Alk’ídáá bilagáana bizaad doo kóó bee yat’ida nt’éé.

There didn’t used to be the English language around here.

(03:42) Image11: Black Nat’aa baa ntséskeesgo doo baa shil akot’é da.

When I think back I don’t feel happy; I don’t like it.

(03:49) Video5: Navajo Code Talker Statue Nihí dine’é bich’i nidahwiinaagóó yich’i dabidziil.

Our people are resilient.

T’áá ahayoi ch’il azee’ kóódi nidaantse.

There are many medicines here.

Diné bizaad éí azee’ at’é dóó nizhóní.

The Navajo language is medicine.

Díí bizaad nihaa deet’a.

This language has been given to us.

Shil bééhózin. Háálá shicheii Diné bizaad éí yánaazíinii ákóshidííniid.

I know it because our elders told me so.

Díí Tségháhoodzání wolyé.

This place is called Window Rock.

Kodi t’áá’ííyisi nihil yá’ádahoot’ééh.

We really like this place.

Díí éí tse Diné bizaad yee naazbaa’ígíí bee alyaaígíí hóló.

There is a statue here of a Navajo Code Talker.

Azhá tó wónaanídi anaa’ hazlíí ndi éí Diné bizaad yee naazbaa’ígíí éí t’aa nihí Diné bizaad baa dahwiilyá doo dooleel.

When there was a war across the ocean, the Navajo Code Talkers used the Navajo language to help take care of us.

Nihi bizaad baa áhwiilyą́ą doo.

So we need to take good care of our language.

Diné t’áá bi bizaad hach’í’ yádaalti’go hazhó’ógo dzílists’áa’go bihwiizhdool’. Alahjí bínázhnítaahgo há yá’át’ééh.

When Navajo people talk to one another in their language and one listens well, one will learn. Trying it all the time is good too.

T’áádóó éí biniinaa sha’alchíní yíhool’aah.

That is why my children are learning Navajo language as well.

Daniidlíníí t’áadoo le’é bee ahil dahwiilne’.

We converse about a variety of topics.

Sha’alchíní dóó bil hajííjéé nakis’go bee da hozilni doo áádóó bee yadilt’igo dooleel nisin.

I want my children and siblings to learn to speak the language too and to carry it in the future.

(05:05) Image12: Lila, Choc, and Window Rock Éí bééjílniih.

One should remember.

Díí bizaad yaa baa ádahwiilyá.

We take care of this language for them.

(05:11) Image13: Lila in Luckachukai Díí bizaad yil hóló.

This is their language.

(05:14) Image14: Getting water in Luckachukai Yil béídeiilniih.

We remember for them.

(05:19) Video6: Elephant and eagle cliffs

Niha’alchíní bil daniidlí.

Our children think highly of us.

Niha’alchíní éí nihí da’íísíilt’áá’.

Our children are listening to us.

Tóó bínánítah, shí éí. Azhá shil nantl’a ndi bíníshtah.

Just try over and over, I say. Even if it is hard for me I keep on trying.

Sha’alchíní da’diné bizaadígíí aldo’ bíhool’aah, dine bizaad nihil yá’át’ééh. Bizaad nihil danizhóní, daaníi leh.

My children that are learning Navajo language say, we like Navajo. It is a pretty language to us, they usually say. Ábidííniid, yá’át’ééhgo láa’jí dine bizaad bídahwiil’aah. Éí nihí yá’át’ééh dooleel.

I told them, one day we will learn Navajo language well. It will be good for us.

Diné éí ha’át’íí daat’íigo béeso yaa ádeildiih?

Why should we not heed our ancestors?

Nihí bizaad íiyisi da’ílíí.

Our language is very valuable.

(06:01) Image15: Minnie’s House on the Perry Nihí éí kóó hooghangóó laanaa niidziin.

We wish to build a home here.

(06:08) Image16: Our little stove Nihí éí diné bizaad náádeshdáál índa bínáhwiidessh’áál.

We will come back and learn some more Navajo language.

(06:15) Video7: Picacho Peak Ndi altsé Hozdosánídi nisiikai.

But first, we must go back to Tucson.

Díí bikeyah éí Tohono O’odham Dine’é dahóló.

This is the home of the Tohono O’odham people.

Kodi hózhóníyee’.

It’s beautiful here.

Díí t’áá aaníí Tohono O’odham bichʼįʼ ahééh daniidzin.

We always want to be thankful to the Tohono O’odham people.

Nihinaalyéhé íiyisi baa ahééh koo daniidzin.

We are thankful about the things we have here.

Azhá kodi diné bizaad bohoosh’aah nda doo yóó adeesháal da.

Even though Navajo language is hard for me here, I won’t run away.

Dzil bigháá’góó déyá.

I’m going to the top of the mountain.

T’ah doo hwiistséeh da, ndi ashlééh.

I haven’t made it yet, but I will make it.

(06:52) Video8: Old Ma/in Shí University of Arizona-di íiyisi baa ahééh nisin nihíká íínílwodígíí.

I’m thankful that the University of Arizona helps us.

Oltadi éí dine bizaad bohoosh’aah shíká adoolwol.

School is helping me learn Navajo language.

T’áá’ákwííjí, táá’álahji’ tóó dzidiits’a’go índa bee yájilti’go éí bohóníedzá.

When one hears it and speaks it every day, all the time, then it is possible. Áádóó háadida dine bizaad dzidiits;ííhgo naaltsoos bikáá’ ájíléehgo yá’át’ééh.

And wherever one goes and hears Navajo and writes them down, that is good too.

Kót’éego bóhojiil’aah.

That is the way one learns.

T’áá’jigo ntséskeesgo t’áadoo le’é yá’át’ééhii shee hazlíí nisin.

When I think back it seems to me that a lot of good things have come my way.

(07:32) Video9: Navajo division Diné bich’I’ yáshti’go doo shil nantl’a da. Ndi bi shich’i’ yádaalti’go doo hózhó bik’i’diishtiih da leh.

It isn’t hard when I say something to the people, but when they talk to me I don’t understand very well.

Dr. Tsosie-Paddock, hazhóó’ógo bee shil hólne’.

Tell it to me slowly Dr. Tsosie-Paddock.

(07:47) Image17: Me and Dr. Tsosie-Paddock T’ah dine bizaad bohoosh’aah.

I’m still learning Navajo language.

(07:50) Closing credits