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 The films will stand the test of time and be important historical documents.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.

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.

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.

Horseback Riding and Canyon Viewing

Sunday on the Navajo Nation was a day for the students participating in the 2015 Navajo Oral History Project to relax and rejuvenate before the last few days of class.

The day started with a sad goodbye to Josh Averbeck, who had to leave today (Sunday, June 7) to drive back to the Albuquerque Airport and return home to Minnesota. Josh was a student participant on the Navajo Oral History Project in 2011, and came back this year as an alumnus advisor. During his 11 days with the project this summer he used his knowledge and experience to help the students as a technical advisor. Josh also helped keep the stressful days light with his excellent sense of humor and timing.

 A few members of one of the journalism groups drove to Fort Defiance, Arizona, to attend an ecumenical church service at His Master's Ranch Ministry, a small church run by Louva Dahozy, her daughter, Katherine Arviso, and Katherine's husband, Juan. The service was nice and those in attendance asked the Minnesota group about their project, doing a documentary film about Louva's life. They sang several traditional hymns in the Navajo language.

The WSU group traveled to Chinle, Arizona, for lunch and to visit a Diné College alumnus of the program, Lionel Harvey.

Several group members took a horseback riding tour of Canyon Del Muerto, the northern branch of the Canyon de Chelly National Monument.

On the way back to Tsaile, Arizona, the NOHP group stopped at several of the canyon overlooks to view the amazing landscape and Anasazi ruins.

While hiking around the Massacre Cave overlook, Jake Hilsabeck shot this next image and called it "The Grier in its natural habitat."

Later, at the Diné College dorm, Robbie Christiano shot this next image: "The Jake in its natural habitat."