2012 Navajo Oral History Project Begins May 29

On May 29, the day after Memorial Day, a group of Winona State University and Diné College students will begin their summer journalism experience: the 2012 Navajo Oral History Project. The students begin meeting via Interactive Television (ITV) between the two campus locations: Diné College in Tsaile, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, and Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota.

The students will meet via ITV three times that week as they prepare for nearly three weeks of field work on the Navajo Nation beginning June 3.

The Minnesota students will stay in residence halls at Diné College and will work in partnership teams with DC students. The teams will do a service project for a Navajo elder, and then interview the elder three times. The groups will produce documentary film projects about the elders.

The documentaries will be archived at the Navajo Nation Museum and Library and at the WSU and DC Libraries; and will also be archived at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of the American Indian.

While on the Navajo Nation, the Winona State students will participate in Navajo cultural activities including a camping weekend at a Navajo family's sheep camp in Canyon de Chelly and visiting the Navajo Tribal Government Center.

For the next several weeks, this blog will cover the Navajo Oral History project. I, and the students, will write blog entries about our daily activities including text and photos.

Bookmark or "favorite" this blog and check it often to stay up to date on this important and fun learning adventure. Feel free to look back through past years' blog entries for a glimpse at how the project has progressed, changed and improved over the years. Share the blog with friends, family members and anyone that may be interested.

Thanks for your interest.

-- Dr. Tom Grier

   Professor of Mass Communication

   Winona State University

--------------

The WSU Students participating in the 2012 Navajo Oral History Project (and their majors and hometowns) are:

Shannon Bolte, photojournalism, Rochester, Minn.

Joel Farber, communication studies and mass communication, Hastings, Minn.

Kelsey Foss, public relations, Sparta, Wis.

Emily Gust, public relations, Verona, Wis.

Liam Krause, photojournalism, Deerfield, Wis.

Kelly Kusilek, public relations, Cannon Falls, Minn.

Elena Lavorato, journalism, Oakdale, Minn.

Sammi Luhmann, journalism, Robbinsdale, Minn.

Laura McCormick, public relations, Apple Valley, Minn.

Rachel Rivers, photojournalism, Wabasha, Minn.

Stefani Schmidt, journalism and political science, Winona, MN

Elisenda XifraReverter, photojournalism, Girona, Spain

Diné College students are still registering for the course and will be introduced on the blog when the class begins.