One group had to be up at 4:30 a.m. so they could make it to a 6 a.m. groundbreaking ceremony for a new building at Rough Rock Community School. They then conducted more interviews to continue to build the oral history of Ruth Roessel, a founder of the school and a major proponent and founder of Diné College.
Another group travelled to Chinle, Arizona, to visit the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) operation there which was envisioned and started by Beulah Allen, the Navajo elder that is the focus of the group's journalism piece.
(Above three photos by Stephan Chase)
(Above three photos by Sarah Botzek)
A third group interviewed Diné College president, Dr. Ferlin Clark, as he discussed the Diné Studies program in general and the teaching of Dr. Wilson Aronilth in particular. Aronilth, who has taught at Diné College for more than 30 years, is another of the Navajo elders featured in our oral history documentaries.
(Above three photos by Danny John)
While meeting with the president, I presented a gift to him from WSU President Judith Ramaley. The gift was an afghan-style blanket featuring many of the WSU campus buildings. I also accepted a gift from President Clark to bring home to President Ramaley which included a metallic coffee mug featuring the Diné College logo, and a homemade Navajo pottery bowl.
(Photos by Kim Streblow)
In the afternoon, Cory Hinz and I made time for an ad hoc game of disc golf arond the Diné College campus.
(Above two photos by Matt Wandzel)
Matt and Cory put their "SurvivorMan" skills to use starting a fire using small tinder, a flint and a pocketknife. Chops Hancock would be proud.
Later in the day, most everyone in our collaborative class could be found hanging around the common area of the dorm building talking, working on their laptops, and preparing for the final interviews or news gathering activities that must happen in the next two days.
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