Day 8 - Canyon Del Muerto

Day 8 was the beginning of our weekend with Navajo Cultural Specialist Harry Walters. He taught Diné Studies at Diné College for 35 years and was director of the Ned Hatathli Museum at the College. Diné is the Navajo word for "The People;" that's how they refer to themselves.

(photos by Tom Grier unless otherwise noted)

(photo by Chops Hancock)

(photo by Jessica Larsen)

(above two photos by Chops Hancock)

Canyon Del Muerto is the north fork of Canyon de Chelly. It is the site of hundreds of Anasazi ruins and Navajo rock art from the 17th and 18th centuries. Many Navajo families live and farm in the canyon, which is also designated as a National Monument. 

Harry took us to a seldom visited part of the canyon that required a four mile hike down about 900 feet (then back up, of course). About halfway down the precarious rock path, we stopped at a cave that had stars painted on the ceiling. National Geographic did a film on Canyon de Chelly in the late 1980s that featured Harry describing this cave. Since then, only a very few non-Navajos have seen this star cave. This is because you must have a Navajo guide to go into the canyon, and most Navajo guides won't do this hike.

(Entrance to the Star-Ceiling Cave, by Cindy Killion)

(photo by Chops Hancock)

(above two photos by Cory Hinz)

(Photo by David Busse)

At the bottom, the canyon widens into a meadow with a couple large cottonwood trees and a small stream. Our group encountered a small herd of horses and spent some time coaxing them to come near. 

(photo by Matt Wandzel)

(above two photos by Jessica Larsen)

(photo by Chops Hancock)

(photo by Brandi Hagen)

(photo by Matt Wandzel)

We saw rock art on the walls, and heard Harry describe life on the canyon floor.

(photo by Cory Hinz)

(photo by Katie Boone)

The hike up took a lot longer, allowing for more resting and drinking lots of water. At the top, we enjoyed sack lunches, then went back to the dorms for showers before heading out to the Walters family sheep camp.

(photo by Chops Hancock)

Dorm Hogan "H" at Diné College:

Camping in the Chuska Mountains

NEW UPDATE (Sunday 3 p.m.)

We're all back from the Mountains to Diné College, some tired people (Me included) have been napping for a couple hours. It's 3 p.m. and we're heading to dinner -- they have a different schedule here on Sundays.

Tonight, expect a new update with few words, and many great images!

Quick Update: Our group had a very cool, but strenuous hike into Canyon Del Muerto on Friday. This is the northern fork of Canyon de Chelly. Our hike was about 4 miles, but included about 1,000 foot descent into the Canyon, and the requisite climb back up. While in the Canyon we saw a Star-Ceiling Cave that was once home to Anasazi (or Ancestral Puebloan) people. We also saw petroglyphs and pictographs, rock art from the Anasazi, and from early Navajo settlers to the area.

Everyone did fine during that rigorous hike. There are some aching muscles and bones today.

Last night we had Navajo Tacos around the campfire near Cove, Arizona, in the Chuska Moutains, while our host, Navajo Cultural Specialist Harry Walters told us stories and explained much about Navajo culture for several hours. Everyone listened intently. What an honor to be able to sit and listen to such a wise man.

There's no Internet or Phone service at the camp. So, how is this blog being updated you might ask? One of the vans had some odd shimmying in the front end while driving down the mountain through Buffalo pass. It was serious enough that I thought it needed to be checked. So, while everyone else is hiking today, following the route of a Mexican-Navajo battle, I drove to Farmington, New Mexico, and spent $120 to have the brakes checked and rotors turned. All is well now, and I'm heading back so I can make it in time for Mutton Stew for supper.

The next update will probably not come until Sunday evening. No pictures today since, I'm borrowing Internet access from the parking lot of a local motel.

I'll write again soon.

-- Tom Grier

Day 7- Window Rock

I think we succeeded in tiring-out everyone in our group today. 

We left the Diné College campus at 8:30 a.m. on our way to Window Rock, the capital of the Navajo Nation, for a day filled with tours to help us understand the media and government on the reservation, and a visit to the Navajo Nation Museum.

Our first stop was at the Tribal Government Center, where we met with George Hardeen, chief press secretary for Joe Shirley, President of the Navajo Nation.  George was a professional journalist for many years, both in print and broadcast. A few years ago, Pres. Shirley asked him to come to work for the Nation.

(photo by Stephan Chase)

George explained how he made the transition from journalism to a p.r./communications role. He also described some of the biggest challenges facing the Navajo Nation, how he works with the media, and a little about his frustrations with media professionals who don't do their homework and fact-checking. This was all excellent stuff for our journalism students to hear. 

Next, we visited The Navajo Times newspaper. Production Manager Bobby Martin showed-off their facilities and we about the operation of the paper from a variety of employees. On Navajo, many people still rely on the paper as a primary source of information. Unlike many newspapers in the U.S. that are suffering declining readership, The Navajo Times is still profitable and growing.

(Photo by Kim Streblow)

We gobbled a quick lunch and headed to our next tour at KTNN Radio, the voice of The Navajo Nation. Marsha, the promotions director, showed us the radio studios for both KTNN-AM and KWRK-FM and we listened while Roy Keeto produced a commercial in both English and the Navajo language. We learned about the station's listeners, programming, news and advertising.

(above two photos by Stephan Chase)

(photo by Pete Swanson)

We stopped next at the Navajo Nation Museum where Director Manuelito Wheeler introduced us to several of his staff members and discussed the camping trip the Museum is hosting for our group at Chaco Culture National Historic Park next week. The students toured several of the exhibits at the Museum focused on basket-weaving, Navajo traders, and the famous Navajo blanket weavers of Toadlena and Two Grey Hills.

(above two photos by Stephan Chase)

(photo by Kim Streblow)

Finally, we made a short stop at the Window Rock Park, and then back to Diné College where some students worked more on their documentary projects and others hit the sack.

(above two photos by Pete Swanson)

(photo by Derrick Harvey)

Here's a great look at the lobby of our octagonal hogan-shaped building.

(photo by Cory Hinz)

Friday morning, we hike Canyon Del Muerto with Navajo cultural specialist Harry Walters. Then we head to the Walters Family's summer sheep camp in the Chuska Mountains near Cove, Arizona. We'll camp two nights, hike, and listen to storytelling around the camp fire with Harry and his wife, Anna, an award-winning author. Because we'll be in a remote area, we may not have cellphone coverage or Internet access. We'll update the blog when we can.

 

Thanks for reading! It means a lot to our students (and faculty) that you care about what we're doing. We've had more than 1,000 page-views of this blog in the past week. The students are working hard and having fun. They're all very serious about doing quality work and faithfully telling the stories of the lives of the Navajo elders. 

Just yesterday we heard that a third Navajo Code Talker had passed away in the past two weeks. The stories of the elders are disappearing rapidly, and the students feel a sense of urgency in their work.

Related to this thought, I'm posting a BONUS Blog report. One of our students, Brandi Hagen, writes for a special section of the Albert Lea Tribune, and was asked to chronicle her work on this project. I asked for her permission to reprint her first article which will be printed soon-- you get the SCOOP here.

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Tomorrow may not come, listen to the story today

Text and photos by Brandi Hagen

(Tsaile, Ariz. -- Thursday, June 4, 2009)

Three Navajo code talkers have passed away in the last two weeks. Along with them, their stories have been laid to rest.

An article prepared by the Navy and Marine Corps WWII Commemorative Committee defines a code talker: "They took part in every assault the U.S. Marines conducted in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945. They transmitted messages by telephone and radio in their native language, a code that the Japanese never broke."

According to the same article, the first 29 Navajo code talker recruits attended boot camp in May 1942 and developed the Navajo code.

John Brown Jr., one of the original recruits, died on May 20. Thomas Claw died on May 22, and Willie Kesoli Begay died June 1. Claw and Begay were not part of the original 29.

This issue has come to be very personal to a group of students from Winona State University.

We are in Tsaile, Ariz., on a travel study program emerging ourselves in the Navajo culture. Our mission here is to document oral histories of Navajo elders in order to preserve the stories of their generations.

The code talkers have become a large part of our learning experience, as one of the elders we are interviewing is Samuel Tso, a code talker from the Fifth Marine Division.

He took part in battles at Iwo Jima, Sasebo and Nagaski. Tso is not part of the original group of code talkers but is among the dwindling numbers of those who remain.

WSU students Matt Wandzel, Cory Hinz and myself have been assigned to gather and put together Tso’s story.

A quote in the Independent, a newspaper from Gallup, New Mexico, has made our job here more of a reality than it has ever been. The paper quoted Navajo Nation Council Delegate Amos F. Johnson.

In the article, Johnson said, "I wish the rest of the world and everyone could learn the history of their role and their time spent in the Pacific."

This statement spoke to us because this is what we came here to do.

"The situation makes me realize how privileged we are to have this opportunity and how important it is to get the story out about the code talkers so everyone can hear it," said Wandzel. It really is one of the most amazing stories I have heard in my life and just hearing it is incredible." 

The goal is to give back to the Navajo Nation, not to take for our own.

Through a day of helping Tso on his land by feeding the animals, moving logs and tearing down a clay oven, we feel we have helped Tso find trust in us. We are ready to get back out to his home and hear everything he is willing to share with us in order to get his story out to the rest of the world.

The group I am here with just happened to be at the right place at the right time and because we have the connections we feel highly responsible of recording this fading time in history.

Day 6 - Class and Photo Workshop

Kim Streblow started her day before sunrise and created some beautiful images.

The morning was spent in class, talking about the interviews with the Navajo elders conducted the day before. Students reflected on content they collected and what else they needed to find out about their interview subjects. They talked about sources to verify details, other secondary interviews to bring depth and breadth to the stories of the elders, and photos needed. They began to plan the second and third interviews. 

After another great lunch in the Diné College cafeteria, the afternoon was designated free time. Many students further researched their documentary projects. Others got into groups to share expertise with software or camera equipment and practice.

(photo by Matt Wandzel) 

Chops Hancock offered to lead a photo workshop in the late afternoon, searching for excellent "magic hour" shots with the beautiful landscape bathed in the warm glow and saturated colors of the late-day sun.

(Photo by Andrew Neumann)

(photo of "Butt Rock" by Brandi Hagen)

(Photo by Andrew Neumann)

(Photo by Danny John)

(Photo by Cindy Killion)

(The previous two images are by Chops Hancock. Earlier in the blog, I stated "unless otherwise noted, all photos by Chops, myself, or Cindy Killion." These two images are so stunning, Chops deserves specific credit.)

This was only our third full day here, but already many of the students from both Diné College and Winona State University feel comfortable in their surroundings and are becoming good friends and journalism partners. It's common to hear students helping each other with interview ideas, constructive criticism on images, tips on camera settings and more. 

This is what it is all about: faculty members get students together, give them tools and ideas and a framework in which to operate, and let them put their skills and abilities to good use. Then we stand back and watch them work and offer help when needed.

Some of the work these students are doing is very difficult. The interviews can be challenging, even moreso with a significant cultural or language barrier or both. 

I'm proud of these students. They're taking the challenge head-on and finding ways to solve problems and create meaningful documentaries. They have a sense of ownership in their projects. When they're done, they can look back at the process and be confident they found ways to be successful and to make a difference in the lives of their interviewees, in their own lives, and-- perhaps most importantly-- in the world, by virtue of sharing stories that might never have been told otherwise.

Each evening we have a fire in our dorm building's fireplace, which is in the center of our octagon-shaped building. The building shape and central position for the fire replicates a traditional Navajo hogan, where the fire holds a central place in the home, in life and in living healthy and spiritual lives in harmony with nature.

(photo by Matt Wandzel)