Developing the Diné Language Teacher Institute: A Path for Diné Language Revitalization and Continuity

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Education Toward Indigenous Futures (Table 21)

Abstract

In this paper, we summarize a collaborative educator preparation project and demonstrate the state of Diné language today, particularly as a result of western schooling practices, followed by a strong justification for language immersion education as a remedy for addressing historic and current racist policies that oppress the role of Diné language in schooling practices today. We conclude with a reflection of current successes, challenges, and aspirations for the program. The collaborative project is an initiative informed by language experts and practitioners, not policy makers. This project called Diné Language Teacher Institute (DLTI) is aimed at increasing the number of Diné language immersion teachers through a teacher preparation program at a university in the southwest United States.

Authors

• Tiffany S. Lee, University of New Mexico

• Vincent R. Werito, University of New Mexico

• Melvatha R Chee, University of New Mexico