Language revitalization

My son is half navajo and half Kiowa. Starting in the late 1900’s to the 1960’s, Native American children were put into boarding schools to Americanize them away from their traditions. Children were punished by being beaten or mouths washed with soap if they spoke their traditional language. Fortunately my side of the family are fluent speakers in diné (navajo) but there are only a few fluent Kiowa speakers left.

It is my responsibility as a mother to teach my son so that someday he’ll be a good relative to his elders and help his people. I do my best to speak little English to him and my parents only speak diné to him. Growing up with elders that didn’t speak English, I have felt the intimacy in our traditional language.