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 The films will stand the test of time and be important historical documents.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

Big Day of Interviews

Eleven Winona State University students, along with six Diné College student partners were in the field today (Thursday, June 4) doing journalistic interviews with Navajo elders for the feature films they are producing as part of the 2015 Navajo Oral History Project.

Three teams left the Diné College residence halls in the morning, and returned late afternoon or early evening, tired and satisfied after a day well spent.

One team headed northeast to Shiprock, New Mexico, to meet with Tony Goldtooth Sr., a language and culture professor at Diné College's Shiprock Campus. While there, they also interviewed Tony's wife and daughter, and were treated to a fry bread and navajo taco meal.


In addition to teaching at the college, Tony is an accomplished silversmith.

Above two photos by Robbie Christiano.

Above four photos by Nate Nelson.

The group enjoyed navajo tacos for lunch: (left to right) Shelly Wheeler, Nate Nelson, Taylor Nyman, Cora Goldtooth and Kim Schneider; photo by Robbie Christiano.

Tony Goldtooth's daughter, Carol.

Tony displayed his handcrafted squash blossom necklace on his daughter, Carol.

Tony Goldtooth's wife, Cora.

Above three photos by Kim Schneider.

Another team went south to Fort Defiance, Arizona, to interview Louva Dahozy for a third time, and to interview her daughter, Katherine Arviso. They also enjoyed watching Louva and Katherine do a cooking demonstration focused on sovereign Navajo foods.

Above four photos by Josh Averbeck.

 Above photo of Louva Dahozy and Josh Averbeck by Reagan Johnson.

A third team went west to Chinle, Arizona, for an interview with Peggy Scott, a retired educator, community leader and activist.
 

Above three photos by Jake Hilsabeck.

While at the Scott home, the group also interviewed Peggy's husband, Eddie, a retired educator and principal in the Chinle School District.

Eddie Scott is also an accomplished silversmith. During the afternoon, WSU student Jake Hilsabeck watched Eddie work on a bracelet he's making for a customer in Japan.

Above four photos by Jake Hilsabeck.

In the evening, like most evenings, some of the WSU group played freestyle disc golf around the Diné College campus. It's a great way to blow off a little steam, relax, discuss, and get some exercise all at the same time. Several students had never played disc golf before this trip, and are already developing into competent disc throwers.

Tom Grier, NOHP founder and co-driector, and his wife, Julie, purchased commemorative disc golf discs and had them professionally printed with the NOHP logo as a gift for all the students.

The groups are now reviewing video, checking audio, editing photos, and beginning to write scripts and narrations. This work will continue for several days as drafts of the projects begin to come together.

And, a little late-night nourishment was in order.

The WSU group will be on the Navajo Nation until mid-week next week, gathering more b-roll video, and recording narrations, writing title slides, etc. After returning to Winona, they'll work remotely with their Diné College classmates through teleconferencing to perfect their documentary films.

Early in fall semester, the films will be premiered at receptions at both WSU and DC. 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 Multipurpose Room of the Student Union Building. Students from both schools will be present for both receptions and talk about their work. At the Diné College event, family and friends of the featured elders are invited to a traditional Navajo meal prior to the film showing.

These film premiere receptions are free and open to the public. Put them on your calendars now, and plan to attend to enjoy the students' work, learn from the films about Navajo culture and lifestyle, and congratulate the students for making their personal commitment of time and talent to do something truly meaningful and lasting.

Arriving on The Navajo Nation

Winona State University Mass Communication Professor Tom Grier and WSU Foundation Board Member Chops Hancock arrived on the Navajo Nation on Saturday evening (May 23) and began to set-up the residence hall space for the participants in the 2015 Navajo Oral History Project.

The WSU students arrive on Sunday evening and will have a day of sight-seeing and tourism around the reservation on Monday -- Memorial Day.

The class begins in earnest on Tuesday morning (May 26) when the WSU students will meet their Diné College counterparts in person for the first time. The group met via ITV last week for several class periods to get to know one another.

This blog will begin showing student activities in words and photos soon.

NOHP 2015 Begins with ITV Classes

The 2015 edition of the Navajo Oral History Project began on Monday, May 18, with an Interactive Television class connecting a classroom at Diné College in Tsaile, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, with a classroom at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota.

The 16 students enrolled in the class introduced themselves and talked a bit about their background and their interest in this advanced journalism class that will help to further preserve the Navajo culture.

The current students also heard from several alumni of the program from its first five years.

This year marks the sixth year of the successful collaboration between to two schools. Students in the program will do some research projects this week, focused on Navajo culture, and will learn some basic introductory concepts related to journalism, photojournalism and ethnographic research.

Next week, the Winona students will travel to the Navajo Nation and be involved in nearly three weeks of field work. While there, student teams, including students from both schools, will do a service project for a Navajo elder and then conduct several interviews with the elder to produce a documentary film about their life and stories.

Below are several photographs from the first class. This blog will be updated often including information and photos highlighting the students' activities during the class.
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The first students to arrive to the first class: Case Rafferty (left) and Kim Schneider.




Robbie Christiano (left), Teaching Assistant to the class, talks while Ben Strand, Taylor Nyman and Casie Rafferty listen.


Casie Rafferty (left), Kim Schneider, Jake Hilsabeck and Nate Nelson, in the ITV Class.


Nate Nelson (left), Kacie Mann, Reagan Johnson and Sam Stetzer, in the ITV Class.


Reagan Johnson (left), Sam Stetzer, Jordan Gerard and Tobias Mann, in the ITV Class.



Robbie Christiano helped Skylar Ogren, video consultant, introduce himself to the class via Skype session on IPad:

Tobias Mann (left) listened as Chops Hancock introduced himself to the class. Chops participated in the class during its first year in 2009, and has been a big supporter of the program through his work with the WSU Foundation. Chops is participating in the field again this year as a photographic consultant.

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The blog is kept and updated by Dr. Tom Grier, a professor of Mass Communication at Winona State University. It frequently will include student work: writing and photography. When student work appears, it will be connected to by-lines or photo credit text. Images and text not credited are by Grier.

Feel free to share this blog address with family members, friends, acquaintances, etc. -- anyone who might be interested in this unique journalism partnership.

Please use the comments section of the blog to offer suggestions or words of encouragement to the students who are spending a good part of the summer to do this important work. In the coming days, the students will all be introduced here in the pages.

Thanks of visiting the blog; Come back soon, and often.