Teachings from a Diné youth: Representing Hozho through story

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 3:45 pm - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Storywork, Healing, and Creative Sovereignties: Indigenous Pedagogies of Resurgence Across Lands, Languages, and Generations

Abstract

As wholistic and healing centered scholars, we seek to understand how Native youth enact Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination through their digital storytelling. In this paper, we are guided by the teachings of a Diné youth and their process in creating and sharing a story that weaves identity and Hozho. We utilize Hozho, a Navajo word describing a wholistic way of living in beauty and balance, as our analytic framework. This frame helps us recognize the Native youth storyteller's nuanced process as a natural approach that is complete, healing, harmonious, and beautiful. Insights from this youth’s teachings contribute to current understandings of youth digital storytelling practices and processes through the life-giving framework of Hozho.

Authors

• Tifiny Mills, Utah State University

• Christina Morgan, Utah State University

• Eileen Quintana, Nebo School District

• Breanne K. Litts, Utah State University

• Dallas Haws, Utah State University

• Analysa Allison, Nebo Title VI Indian Education

• Natalie Billie, Nebo Title VI Indian Education Program