Guest Column – Shirley: ‘We need to keep our traditional words alive’

Posted by Navajo Times | Jan 14, 2016 | Guest Essay |

By Alyson J. Shirley
Miss Navajo Nation 2015-2016

Alyson Jeri Shirley

Ya’at’teeh. Greetings. I, Alyson Jeri Shirley, am of the Áshįįhí Clan, born for Kinlichíi’nii, my maternal grandparents are Tódích’íi’nii, and paternal grandparents are Kinyaa’áanii. I am very proud to say I am from Tolani Lake, Ariz. and am 20 years old.

As the ambassador for the great Navajo Nation, my greatest contribution is promoting the Navajo language and culture. Some of the challenges our youth are facing today are appreciating and understanding our unique language and culture. I truly believe that spreading knowledge and words of encouragement to our youth is most important to me. This will help our youth in understanding the importance of value and pride in our Diné identity through K’e’.

It will help produce a strong and stable foundation that our youth of today greatly need. My main focus is to remind our youth we have a beautiful language, a beautiful culture and a beautiful way of life as being Diné and we should be proud. Our Nation has an amazing legacy that stems from our language; our language is valuable, as the Navajo Code Talkers have proven. We cannot lose our language. We are only stronger in our culture with our language. We have to preserve our language. Without our language we are nothing, we are no longer the Great Navajo Nation.

As the scholar, Dr. Evangeline Parsons Yazzie says: “The Navajo language is the heartbeat of the Navajo culture.” That is a saying that holds true, especially if we are to thrive in the future.

My generation has grown up in a time when we have accepted the modern world, but we need to keep our traditional words alive.  At one point in history, our language was forbidden to speak, and punishments to do so were harsh and severe. But we have rebounded, and we can’t let that dark time hurt our future. Our cultural DNA is embedded in our words and it is important for us to keep our language alive. It is through our words and descriptions that we keep our history intact. We need to maintain the stories of our ancestors, of how we came to this world.

As the holidays have passed, the winter weather has now taken its toll. I advise you all to please take care of our grandmothers and grandfathers. Make sure they are in a warm place with enough wood, food, and water. I cannot say enough on our elderly; they’re truly the reason we are living today, their prayers are what keeps us going on a daily basis. So please look into the elderly in your area. They may need your help, or just a good visit from you. To care for those who once cared for us, is the best way of showing love and respect.

Ahe’hee.