Diné deaf scholar performs at Super Bowl LVII pre-game show

By Chael Moore
Special to the Times

PHOENIX

Accessibility and inclusivity for the same events hearing people get to experience comfortably have been limited historically for the deaf and hard of hearing community, but the 57th Super Bowl attempted to change that.

The 2023 Super Bowl took place Sunday, with the Kansas City NFL team defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in a final score of 38-35 at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. To kick off the game, three well-accomplished deaf performers were invited to perform their interpretations of songs chosen for the Super Bowl pre-show and halftime performances.

Colin Denny, who is Tó’aheedlíinii, born for Mą’ii Deeshgiizhinii, and maternal grandfather from Táchii’nii, and paternal grandfather from Tł’ízíłání, is a Diné deaf performer from Piñon, Ariz.

Denny currently works as a research assistant at the University of Arizona where he is studying North American Indian Sign Language and pursuing a master’s in sign language education from Gallaudet University, a university for the deaf and hard of hearing based in the District of Columbia.

Other performers included academy award-winning actor Tory Kotsur who is originally from Arizona. Kotsur is well known for his performance in the Oscar-winning film CODA and provided the ASL performance for the national anthem. Justina Miles, originally from Philadelphia, provided the ASL performance of Lift Every Voice and Sing and the Apple Music Super Bowl halftime show for Rihanna, making her the first Black deaf woman in history to do so.

Super Bowl, but make it Indigenous

On Sunday evening Denny made history by representing the Navajo Nation as a deaf performer, but also with his performance where he blended American Sign Language with North American Indian Sign Language (also known as Plains Indian Sign Language) in his interpretation of “America the Beautiful” sung by BabyFace on national television with millions to witness.

The Super Bowl was hosted in Arizona, which is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, pressuring a common theme to emerge during many of the festivities and celebrations that occurred at Super Bowl weekend, highlighting Native representation in various ways.

Those included but were not limited to the NFL partnering with the first Indigenous and Chicana woman, Lucinda Hinojos, to create the 57th Super Bowl’s theme art and the NFL collaboration with locally owned, Diné-owned clothing brands, OXDX Clothing, to create limited edition Super Bowl merchandise doused in creative designs inspired by their Native culture.

This representation extended to the NFL and the National Association of the Deaf, or NAD, seeking an Indigenous deaf performer to be part of the Super Bowl performances. Leaning into the theme, Denny wanted to represent Indigenous peoples in Arizona, the U.S., and the world, especially those who are deaf, from a language perspective.

Denny chose to incorporate North American Indian Sign Language into his performance to remind people that it still exists today and that there is a rich history of it having been used by his and other tribe’s ancestors. Bringing awareness of its current and past existence would not only shine a light on the need to honor spoken languages but sign languages that our ancestors used as well, said Denny in an interview with the Navajo Times.

Preparing for the big day

According to Denny, his days leading up to his pre-game show consisted of multiple press interviews and hour-long practices where he rehearsed matching his chosen signs with the lyrics as they were sung. He worked closely and extensively with his ASL interpreter, Justin Maurer, to make sure that he matched the song’s beat and that his signs were accurate.

North American Indian Sign Language, or PISL, isn’t super common, therefore extensive work to blend ASL and PISL and working with multiple certified deaf interpreters were completed. Denny additionally spent time deciding how to make his performance more personal to his background and experience as a Native who is deaf, using signs that referenced the land and the resources that he comes from and what makes America beautiful.

Because he is deaf, Denny’s family played a vital role in his preparation for the big day he said. He shared that his mother and father, Kerri, and Victor Denny have been learning ASL and assisted him with figuring out when to sign as a lyric was sung before traveling down south. Additionally, his family drove him to the Valley, and were all in attendance to support his performance.

On Sunday evening, Denny dressed in his traditional attire wearing moccasins and turquoise jewelry that were passed down or gifted by his elders and family members. Denny strategically wore a black velvet shirt, finishing with a scarf headband tied across his forehead.

“I wanted to make sure that the sign language would be visible for everyone, so I was wearing black to make sure you could see my signs,” Denny elaborated. “It was also meaningful for me to wear all the jewelry from each of my family members and my partner. The ASL community gave me the foundation in ASL, and that was a gift, so now I feel like I’m able to give back to the deaf and hard of hearing communities as well,” Denny said.

NFL broadcasting channel misses the mark

Bridging the gap between the deaf and hearing communities has been a constant work in progress. The NFL and NAD have partnered together to deliver inclusive entertainment for the deaf and hard of hearing community in previous years, and this year was no different.

However, despite their attempt to make strides to close the accessibility gap for the deaf community, the NFL’s broadcasting network, Fox fell short.

Inclusivity is a major priority for those who identify within the deaf community, however, Denny expressed how misconceptions of the deaf community still cause the general population to miss the mark on inclusivity.

The NAD and the NFL’s broadcasting services provided a separate link for viewers in the deaf community to access the performances according to Denny resulting in very little screen time given to its deaf performers and more emphasis placed on the singers and team players, all hearing individuals.

Denny expressed this was unfortunate given that many viewers, including those from the deaf community, were excited to watch.

“They only showed the deaf performers for two seconds on national television and then they focus on the hearing performers. We have to have a separate link to watch the deaf performers on YouTube. I feel like that’s the concept of how the deaf community often is much lesser priority,” Denny said.

Picture-in-Picture technology, a feature that allows two screens to coexist side by side, is known to alleviate this, however, the NFL’s broadcaster, Fox failed to provide this feature for the three deaf performers and for those watching the event on national television.

Accessibility for all

Before he stepped foot on the field identifying as deaf, Denny was born hearing until he was 5 years old and was later diagnosed as hard of hearing until he was 13. Denny attended Piñon’s elementary and middle schools as a child. It was during these formative years that it became apparent there were very limited accommodations existing on the reservation.

For high school, Denny transferred to the Arizona State School for the Deaf and Blind in Tucson, where he was first introduced to American Sign Language, which he shared was a privilege to transfer to. In 2009, he graduated and took a gap year where he returned home and pondered what his next moves were.

Following his gap year, Denny enrolled at Diné College in Tsaile, Ariz., where he received an associate degree in fine art, and then his bachelor’s and media design from Gallaudet University shortly after.

Diné College was another time he felt feelings of isolation as he had to rely on handwritten notes whenever he needed to communicate with others daily. This was due to many professors and peers being unfamiliar with ASL. Denny was notified that a lack of funding for ADA accommodations at Diné College was another reason he was unable to receive an ASL interpreter. Denny was finally granted one for his graduation day, which was six years after he had enrolled as a part-time student.

When asked what he hopes for people from his community, the Navajo Nation, to take away from his performance is to realize members of the deaf community are just as capable of doing what hearing people can do, to increase awareness of the language that deaf people use, but also the accessibility issues they often face.

“Deaf people are not a monolith, and we all don’t have the same experiences, but that’s why I’m thinking that I have to share my story. I really wanted to share that positive message of accessibility, so we can feel included because in many cities, they have all of these accessible services, but on the reservation, quite often we don’t,” Denny said.

Despite a Navajo deaf community existing on and off the reservation and Navajo ASL improving and evolving, accommodations for deaf people in the Nation are still limited and low in priority. Resources such as ASL courses and workshops as well as qualified deaf interpreters remain in the limelight, according to Denny.

“Accessibility right now on the rez isn’t really ideal. It’s not what I would envision, and I would really like to see it vastly improved for the deaf and hard of hearing people. I’d like to see ASL classes, ASL programs, licensed or certified teachers who are teaching ASL on the rez and that’s what I’d like for this to lead,” Denny continued.

He shared his firsthand experiences growing up without these resources and the challenges that came with them. He encourages all families who have deaf and hard of hearing children to learn sign language for their kids to make them feel less isolated on the reservation.

Making history

Following his performance, Denny shared through his ASL interpreter, Justin Maurer, that he felt excited and felt the positive energy of everyone cheering him on.

“When they announced my name with the NAD and that I was performing ‘America the Beautiful,’ I thought about the fact that I was able to represent our community. I really felt the energy of everyone cheering and screaming and clapping. It was so different from rehearsal,” Denny said. “We made history right here in Arizona. We just have never seen deaf Indigenous people on that big stage, and I hope we will again.

Denny has dreams to revitalize schools on the reservation for youth in the deaf community and will continue to advocate for accessibility rights for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. He hopes to establish workshops and programs on the reservations for families to learn ASL.

Denny hopes his presence at this year’s Super Bowl and personal journey sparks a conversation surrounding the deaf community and encourages more people to learn about the culture and language moving forward.

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