A Seventh-day Adventist Boarding Academy Serving Native American Youth Since 1946
Diné: Preserving the Culture
N
ovember is most widely known in the U.S. for Thanksgiving and the start of the shopping/giving season, but November is also Native American heritage month. If you follow Holbrook Indian School (HIS), you get a glimpse into Native American culture (particularly as it is currently) throughout the year. Every November, however, the school goes a little deeper into sharing aspects of the culture of its students—primarily the Navajo. This year, the focus is on four aspects of Diné or Navajo culture: Navajo farming, food, and diet; Native neighbors of the Navajo; the Navajo homestead; and Navajo government. We will explore these aspects and their relationship to what students at HIS learn and reinforce in their classes. Navajo farming, food, and diet This semester, high school students in the HIS Navajo language class have created food menus for their fictitious restaurant businesses. Senior Ariana and junior Jenesis have come up with Grandma’s Strong Stuff as their food business. On their menu is a list of traditional Navajo beverages, along with some more modern options like various mutton
66 Pacific Union Recorder
Holbrook Indian School