Interview conducted by Miriam Singer
A few summers ago, my mother and I journeyed to Upper Antelope Canyon, a slot canyon located on the land of the Navajo Nation, known for its colorful striations illuminated by beams of light pouring into the tight chasm. I was looking forward to this adventure experiencing a wonder of the natural world, but what I didn’t expect to happen was to meet a new friend and colleague.
Since this earthly wonder is on the sacred land of the Navajo, only members of the nation are permitted to lead tourists through their land, so we arranged with a Navajo tour company to meet our guide. A young woman pulled up to our meeting spot in a white, open-air jeep, greeting us with a hearty Ya at eeh, which means both hello and it is good in Navajo, introducing herself as Winona. As we bounced over the uneven, desert terrain heading towards the canyon, Winona shared the history of the land of her people. The Navajo, who call themselves Diné, or “the People,” call Upper Antelope Canyon, Tsé bighánílíní, the place where water flows through, alluding the way the canyon was formed through erosion. When she shared that during the year she was a teacher, my ears perked up, and I shared that I too am an educator. As you may already know, it is an unspoken agreement among educators globally that when we meet each other there is an instant bond, and a curiosity to learn from one another. As interesting as the winding canyon proved to be, my conversations that started that day with Winonabeen even more engaging.
Recently, I was inspired to collect some of the fascinating learnings I have gleaned from Winona about the educational principles that impact the teachings of Diné, when I thought to myself, Why not let Winona share her ideas directly? When I called her, she was excited to collaborate, and also busy with her summer hustle leading tours. We agreed that I would record a conversation with her and share the transcript (with a pseudonym as she humbly eschews fame). The interview that follows reflects an edited version of my recent conversation with Winona.
M: Hi, Winona. It’s nice to hear your voice- it’s been too long! Thanks for sharing your knowledge about Navajo teaching practices with the Edcouragementor community. We are excited to learn from you.
W: Thanks for making the time to chat. I’m happy to share what I have learned from my elders and community with the larger world of educators.
M: Speaking of what you’ve learned, how did you become a teacher?
W: I grew up here on the land of the Navajo Nation, and what people don’t know is that we are our own sovereign nation within the US, with our own laws and president. There was very little separation between school and the outside: the world was our classroom, and every Elder was our teacher. In this way, we grew up to see ourselves as future teachers, and that learning was integrated into everything that we do, whether it was gathering herbs to cure a headache and learning tribal medicine, beading a ceremonial jacket, or listening to a dramatically told story about our ancestors around the fire. So in some ways, I’ve always seen myself as both a teacher and a student of the world. Moving to the classroom was a logical step for me in my mind.
M: That sounds like an amazing and aspirational mindset to grow up with. How does being Navajo impact your teaching?
W: Yes, absolutely, it was a beautiful way to grow up. And I see how I was raised influences my teaching decisions. In college, I learned about incorporating voice and choice into lessons to engage students, but that is already a practice I had ingrained in me from my youth. So much of how we learned from our native teachers asked us to use not just our minds, but our bodies to build, to discover, and to create. Everything was interconnected and connected to something that mattered in our world. This made our learning seem useful. I never forget that when thinking of lesson design for my own students. The textbook comes last, especially when we have the whole world to learn from.
M: Did you ever have a teacher growing up that didn’t resonate with this ideology?
W: Oh definitely. I remember in high school we had a non-Navajo math teacher who expected us to drill and kill one algebra problem after the next. It was connected to absolutely nothing except itself, and was so disengaging, especially compared to the other ways in which we were invited to learn. We were encouraged to honor our ideas and our own approaches to learning, something that this teacher couldn’t have been farther away from.
M: It sounds like that with time you’ve been able to reflect and discern that his teaching methodologies were not only unengaging, but also very different from the indigenous approach that you were raised with. Are there other principles that you feel are at the heart of indigenous teaching?
W: I think one thing that is really integral to our ancestral ways is recognizing the privilege we have in learning, that knowledge is a gift, a gift that supports not just one’s self, but also our families, the spirits, the community, our ancestors and the land that we live on. We don’t take for granted what we can learn from both the land and from others; it’s very relational in that way. Also, when we look at learning, it’s more than just factual knowledge: it also encompasses that whole being, including the body, soul, and spirit of a human. We were doing “the whole child” approach thousands of years before it became popular- we were the original native hipsters! (laughs).
M: (laughs) That’s funny, but we should take a moment to recognize that so much of what you’ve been referencing as key to indigenous teaching practices has only relatively recently become celebrated through progressive education. With that in mind, what are ways that you would encourage other educators to incorporate indigenous teaching principles into their teaching practice?
W: A few things come to mind. First, make the learning authentic and connected to the world. The more your students can learn from the land and natural world, their elders, the ancestral stories (whatever their ancestry might be), and each other, the more impact they will make. Speaking of stories, stories unlock our imaginations, teach us values for how we can live in harmony with each other and the earth, and are important building blocks of culture. Never stop telling stories, and invite others in to share their stories too. And like I said earlier, everything is interconnected; make sure your students see that through how you set up your classroom learning activities.
M: Is there anything else you’d like to share with the Edcouragementor educators?
W: (laughs) Come visit! Truly, even if you don’t visit Antelope Canyon, find the local people whose land you live on and try to learn from them. There is nothing like broadening your world by learning from the people who have been here for a long time.
M: Yes! I hope everyone will take up your suggestion. Thanks again for your wisdom.
What stood out to you from what Winona shared, Edcouragementor community? What other elements of indigenous education have you encouraged in your own learning journey? Let us know in the comments!
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