Films are complete... Premiere events in mid-September

The 2015 Navajo Oral History Project films are complete. Four teams of student journalists from Winona State University (Winona, Minnesota) and Diné College (Tsaile, Arizona) spent nearly three weeks not eh Navajo Nation in May-June 2015, then spent the rest of summer working on documentary films about the lives of Navajo elders.

Their films are now complete and will be premiered at both higher education institutions in mid-September.

Put these events on your calendar, and invite anyone you think might be interested in attending:

2015 NOHP Premiere at Winona State University

Thursday, Sept. 10
- 5 p.m., reception and refreshments, Science Laboratory Center Atrium
- 5:30 p.m., program, Science Laboratory Center Auditorium

2015 NOHP Premiere at Diné College, Tsaile, Arizona, Campus
Monday, Sept. 14
- 5 p.m., reception and Navajo meal, 4th Floor Museum, Ned Hatathli Center
- 5:30 p.m., program, 4th Floor Museum, Ned Hatathli Center

2015 NOHP Premire at Diné College

This year's films focus on:

- Louva Dahozy a community leader, educator and broadcaster from Ft. Defiance, Arizona; 

- Tony Goldtooth Sr., a Navajo language and culture professor from Shiprock, New Mexico; 

- Peggy Scott, a retired teacher and community activist from Chinle, Arizona; and 

- Bill Toldeo, a Navajo Code Talker during World War II, from Torreon, New Mexico.

The films are very well done. The involved students can be proud of their efforts. The films will stand the test of time and be important historical documents. Following the premiere events, the films will be archived at the Diné College Library, The Winona State University Library, The Navajo Nation Museum and Library, and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian.

The Winona State University students involved in the 2015 Navajo Oral History Project are:

Jordan Gerard, a journalism major from Spring Grove, Minnesota

Jacob Hilsabeck, a photojournalism major from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin 

Reagan Johnson, a transmedia major from Randolph, Wisconsin

Kacie Mann, a public relations major from Maple Grove, Minnesota

Tobias Mann, a journalism major from Thief River Falls, Minnesota

Nate Nelson, a computer science and mass communication major from Corvallis, Oregon

Taylor Nyman, a photography and digital imaging major from Monroe Center, Illinois

Casie Rafferty, a journalism major from Winona, Minnesota

Kim Schneider, a journalism major from Roseville, Minnesota

Samantha Stetzer, a journalism major from Holmen, Wisconsin

Ben Strand, a journalism major from Burnsville, Minnesota

The Diné College students involved in the 2015 Navajo Oral History Project are:

Kyle Brown, Lukachukai, Arizona

Kaitlyn Haskie, Lukachukai, Arizona

Anna Shepherd, Chilchinbeto, Arizona

Brandon Tayah, Chinle, Arizona                                

Stephanie Tsosie, Low Mountain, Arizona

Shelly Wheeler, Lukachukai, Arizona

The documentaries were part of the sixth year of a collaborative project led by Dr. Tom Grier and Robbie Christiano of Winona State University and Dr. Miranda Haskie of Diné College. To date, students in the program have completed 23 documentary films on the lives of Navajo elders, including nine World War II Navajo Code Talkers.

Plans are already underway for the 2016 Navajo Oral History Project, which will take place in May-June of 2016. Student participants in the program earn three college credits and a lifetime of experience.

Post-Travel Classes and Documentary Work

The students on the 2015 Navajo Oral History Project are continuing to work on their documentary films. After nearly three weeks in the field interviewing Navajo elders and gathering photos and b-roll video, the students are hard at work on refining and editing their projects.

In several post-travel ITV classes, they review the drafts of their films and accept constructive feedback from classmates, then make even more edits.

Three ITV classes were held this week (June 15-19). Next week the students will work on their projects all week, with an eye toward viewing a final draft on Friday, June 26.

In the end, the projects will be burned to DVDs to give to the featured elders and their families. Then, the films will be premiered at receptions in mid-September at both Winona State University and Diné College.

Hagonee

The 2015 Navajo Oral History Project is nearing completion. 

The first phase of the project was ITV Classes in mid-May during which the participating students from Winona State University and Diné College met each other and began building understanding before the field work began.

Phase 2 consisted of the fieldwork at Diné College in Tsaile, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. For nearly three weeks students from both schools worked together in teams to interview Navajo elders and create documentary films about the elder's lives. Phase 2 ended on June 11, as the WSU group loaded its van and large SUV with all their gear and luggage and drove back to Albuquerque Airport for the return to Minnesota.

Bringing Phase 2 to a close was difficult. On Thursday, June 11, the WSU Group gathered in the parking lot outside the residence hall at Diné College and loaded their gear while saying goodbye to their Diné College faculty and fellow students.

Above photo by Ben Haskie.

Navajos don't really say "goodbye." It's too final, and doesn't fit well with the circular feeling of Navajo spiritual life. Instead, they say "hagonee" (pronounced: Hah-go'-neh) which doesn't perfectly translate to English, but roughly means something like: be well until I see you again. 

So the WSU and DC students said "hagonee" to each other, and will see each other again via ITV and in-person when the students travel to each other's campuses for the film premieres.

Now, Phase 3 begins, with more ITV work and video-conferencing to complete the videos.

The final part of the project will be the reception in mid-September to premiere the student-produced films. The film premiere event at WSU will be held on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 5 p.m. in the Atrium of the Science Laboratory Center. The premiere at DC will occur on Monday, Sept. 14, beginning at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Building at Diné College's Tsaile, Arizona, campus. These events are free and open to the public.

Last Full Day on the Navajo Nation

It was kind of a melancholy day for the 2015 Navajo Oral History Project today (Wednesday, June 10), as the class met in person for the last time, and the Winona State University students and faculty prepared to leave the Navajo Nation and return to Minnesota on Thursday.

The day began with another heavy rain event. As mentioned on the blog before, there has been more rain here in the high desert of northern Arizona than anyone can remember for a long time.


During a morning classroom session, each documentary journalism group explained their progress on the film they are making about a Navajo elder. Groups showed snippets of their films, and constructive criticism was offered.

Groups then met throughout the day to further refine their projects, and to shoot more last-minute B-roll footage.

In the evening, some of the van packing was done. Then, trying to release some tension and nervous energy, the students played games, talked and laughed.

For 30-40 minutes the group got serious and did a Talking Circle, where each person held a talking stick and said whatever was on their mind, without interruption. What a gift in today's busy society, to be able to say what you're feeling honestly and without fear, knowing that 12 other smart and caring people will listen to you and not judge you or interrupt. That kind of thing happens very infrequently in everyday life. Here, sequestered away from the pressure of "real life," family, jobs, etc., it was a nice moment for the group to share with each other and to further bond as they prepare to go their separate ways.

Of course, the project isn't done, even though the field portion is coming to an end. Next week, the groups will continue to meet and refine their projects. The class will meet several times via ITV to view updated drafts of the films and to further tweak them to get as close to perfection as possible. 

Early in fall semester, the films will be premiered at receptions at both Winona State University and Diné College. The Winona reception and premiere is scheduled for Thursday, Sept 10, beginning at 5 p.m. in the Atrium of WSU's Science Laboratory Center. The Tsaile, Arizona, reception is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 14, beginning at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Building. These film premiere receptions are free and open to the public. Please come and help these students celebrate the product of their hard work.

Work, Work, Work

Groups are meeting, discussing, arguing a little, and coming to decisions about their documentary journalism films that are part of the 2015 Navajo Oral History Project.

Today (Tuesday, June 9), the students had class in the morning, then spent most of the day editing photos, editing video, editing transcriptions, etc.

One group went out on the road to shoot some B-Roll for their film. They needed some shots of a lonely old road on the Navajo Nation, and a mission-inspired church-- mission accomplished.


Above photo by Nate Nelson.

Groups are also helping each other by sharing photos, and sharing knowledge and ability with a variety of computer software related to film recording and creation.

In the evening, lots more editing, and working on films, and some laundry.

One more class day is planned for Wednesday, then the group will pack all their gear and get ready for Thursday flights back to Minnesota. The class will meet several times over the next two weeks via interactive television as they continue to edit and tweak their films about Navajo elders.

Class, B-Roll, Editing

For the 2015 Navajo Oral History Project, Monday, June 8, was a work day. Class started at 8 a.m. and each of the four journalism groups reported on their progress so far, and showed the whole class a few segments of their video project. Constructive feedback was offered and notes were taken.

(Editor's note: All four groups made presentations. The blog photographer-editor was so engrossed in the presentations, he forgot to take photos until Jake Hilsabeck showed the fourth group's raw video footage.)

After class, the groups got together and worked on other aspects of their projects. Some finished transcribing interviews. Others began shooting B-Roll video to add character to their story lines. Still others began editing video into logical narrative structures.

The group enjoyed the quality food in the Diné College Cafeteria for lunch and dinner. While this may sound like a back-handed compliment... it's not. The food in the cafeteria really is good: plenty of variety, healthy options, excellent taste, and reasonably priced.

As is usual with the WSU group, for a little relaxation break, several members played a short round of freestyle disc golf on the Diné College campus.

During "The Golden Hour" just before sunset, Jake Hilsabeck, Jordan Gerard and Sam Stetzer went to shoot aerial B-roll video footage using the WSU Mass Communication Department's Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-- what many people refer to as a drone.
The next two photos are by Jake Hilsabeck-- the second one shot from the UAV.

Tuesday will be much the same, with more work occurring on projects. Then, Wednesday is the last full day on the Navajo Nation for the Winona State University students.