NTU confers first master’s degree in Diné culture, language

Posted by Alysa Landry | May 26, 2016 | People |

Navajo Times | Submitted
Perry James

CROWNPOINT

Forty-one-year-old Perry James made history on May 13 when he received the first-ever master’s degree conferred by Navajo Technical University.

James, of Continental Divide, N.M., received a standing ovation as he accepted a master’s of arts degree in Diné Culture, Language and Leadership. A pioneer in the program, James spent three years probing the nuances of his culture and learning to articulate in academic terms what it means to be Navajo.

“The foundation of my Navajo culture, our way of life, language, ceremonies and songs, I learned from my grandparents already,” he said during an interview after graduation. “But when you read about language and culture in a textbook, it’s different. Textbooks aren’t written from our perspective.”

An Army veteran who served a tour in Iraq, James earned a bachelor’s degree in Native American Studies from the University of New Mexico in 2012. He decided to pursue a master’s degree as a way to learn more about his culture and help preserve it.

Navajo Technical University got approval three years ago to offer its first master’s degree. James was the first to enroll – and he was the only graduate student in the Diné Culture, Language and Leadership program for the first year.

“I like learning about my culture, but I think a lot of people ask what can you do with this degree,” he said. “Getting this program started took vision, and now that it’s a reality, I think we’ll have these perspectives about why our culture is valuable and why we need to keep it from dying.”