My journey into Diné philosophy began with the aim of improving my teaching methods for Diné students in my classes. I learned profound lessons about the value of Nitsáhákees (thinking) and Nahat’á (planning) in the classroom (Benally, 1994, Fowler, 2022, Secatero, 2022, Yazzie et al. 2007). I initially approached education with impatience, emphasizing results over process. Diné teachings have transformed my understanding of education into a balanced, reflective practice.
In teaching Spanish, I often heard from the students was that the Spanish language was beautiful and deserved respect. In using the word “beautiful”, they were conveying the notion of hózhǫ́—the spiritual value of harmony and balance. Being beautiful was much more than an aesthetic judgment, it brought spiritual value as well. Spanish is the language of the naakái diné’, the people who walk around, the Mexicans (and all Hispanics in general). Naakái diné’ are part of the clan system (Yazzie, 2007), but not the white Americans called bilagáanaa. The Spanish language was viewed as an object of respect. In conversations with students at the classroom, Diné students were hesitant to perform active language production with fear of disrespecting the language with errors. However, as a language professor, errors play a vital part in developing speaking skills.
In order to use a culturally-responsive strategy to normalize errors, I used intentionally the notion of Sihasin (assuring, hope) in my Spanish classroom. The syllabus explicitly framed Sihasin as: “Request extensions, redos, and exam retakes. Follow deadlines on retakes, make-ups, extensions. Attend office hours and email the professor when you need help. Incorporate feedback provided by the professor into your future work”. This explicit statement in the syllabus seemed to play a crucial role in supporting students through the language learning journey as they framed their struggle within indigenous students. I also used the word “sihasin” explicitely to tell the students that they were allowed to make errors during conversation practice. At the beginning I felt awkward saying a word in Navajo in front of my Navajo students, but I noticed they received it just like something natural to hear.
Another concept worth using was “Yéego”, which I incorporated by adding calques such as “hard” or “try hard”, which proved a powerful word supporting native students. Statements conveying “yéego”:
- I know this is hard, but you can do it.
- I know you are doing your best.
- You’re being strong to keep coming to class despite hardship.
- Today’s lesson was hard, but you accomplished the goal.
- If you ask me for an extension, that’s because you are trying hard.
- You accomplished a lot during today’s lesson. [I state examples of things students accomplished]
- I know it gets confusing, but if you try hard, you’ll get there.
- You were absent in class, but I know you are trying hard. Please keep trying.
- Even when you didn’t get the expected results, I know you are doing your best, and that’s why I want you to try again.
Reframing failure and overcome within Sihasin and Yéego may return value into trying again and requesting additional support. Also, clearly stated mechanisms for Sihasin ensures equal opportunity for Native Americans and whites. Native American students were showing full participation into the class conversational activities for the first time in my whole career.
Coming to a white school which was also a former boarding school, may be a trigger of generational trauma among indigenous students. Being away from home with all white professors may overshadow their College life. While starting College is not easy for any student, indigenous or white, the indigenous students may feel also the pressure that they have to make their families proud, and at the same time feeling that those challenges are because of their weakness. When they struggle to keep up with the school work, they may blame themselves for not being able to make their families proud. Inherited shame may make students more hesitant to seek for support from their professors.
The boarding school history may have created a pattern of survivor syndrome among Native American new generations. Carroll (2022), for example, mentioned how her grandma would shame the new generations’ weakness because they didn’t endure the “long walk” to Fort Sumner. Since their elders endured the peak of hardships, then the young are weak and easily breakable. This creates guilt and shame in facing failure. For this reason, recognizing courage in their ability to face classroom struggles reshapes those feelings of shame, and recognizes that, while they didn’t go to Fort Sumner, they are facing other challenges which may be difficult to overcome.
Flexible structures support Native Americans as long as they are explicit, state their own boundaries, and layout a clear protocol on how to access second opportunities. White Americans may handle communication under unspoken codes of communication, which puts them at an advantage when they need to request support. To speak within a similar code of flexibility, using Navajo concepts explicitely helps normalize error and requests for support.
In my experience during the Fall of 2024, using Sihasin also helped white Anglo-American students as well because I witnessed a greater attendance rate in general, not only among Native Americans. Setting up a protocol with clearer expectations seems a strategy that just promotes healthy communication in the classroom. At the same time, whites would feel their struggles legitimized by a spiritual concept from a highly respected culture.
Using the concept of Sihasin as a path to seek help may contribute to heal the generational trauma derived from the history of boarding schools. This validates their usage of voice in front of bilagáana ba’ólta or naakai ba’ólta as I am, speak up for themselves, and reestablish confidence in the educational system. A clear statement of Sihasin in the classroom would provide a foundation for indigenous students to move forward as active communicators and self-advocates of their educational process. Sihasin recognizes the historical significance of a traumatic past that should be transformed into a renewed usage of indigenous voices.
Bibliography
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