The "White Man's" Education. Good or Bad? Navajo Traditional Teachings

Added: 2026-05-15

[00:00:00]The purpose of life, we are told, is to become aware. And to become aware simply means to really to understand. The two boys that we talk about all the time called monster slayer and then the other boy is called born for the water. And as they made their journey, they were given a feather. And when that feather and the plumage moved and the holy people would give them guidance [music] and direction. We all have that, everyone of us.

[00:01:40]In the teachings of our people our old people always encourage us to learn.

[00:01:46]But to learn anything we had to listen.

[00:01:48]Listen is what they used to say. We hear things all the time. There are sounds constantly around us.

[00:01:55]Singing of birds or the uh different sounds that insects make, and the different sounds that come from different direction, and the voices of people.

[00:02:05]They can be in song, or words, or something, but they are sounds that we hear. And we learn from these things, but it is that we learn from by listening.

[00:02:14]And so, it was encouraged that we learn to listen. Learning is a very important thing. There are so many things to learn.

[00:02:23]This is a season that uh there are a lot of graduation and in com- commencement exercises taking place. So, it is a very important takes courage to learn good things. It takes discipline to learn.

[00:02:35]And it is that we apply those good things in our life. Some things to learn are not easy.

[00:02:42]And it is that it is our responsibility to to learn.

[00:02:46]And it is that uh the things that are not easy to learn are probably the ones that we need the most in our life. And so, the things that we are told when we are instructed to learn.

[00:02:56]As I remember the uh >> [clears throat] >> the time that I became of age to attend school, they didn't want me to go to school.

[00:03:05]They said, "You know, this boy is good with the uh the livestock. He's good with the sheep and the goats, and all of the other animals that we have."

[00:03:13]So, for 2 years, they kept me out of school.

[00:03:17]And then finally, they did finally find out that I hadn't been attending school, and so they came and and uh captured me and hauled me off to school.

[00:03:26]Um It was not a good experience for me in many ways, but uh that uh experience I needed. But, the thing about learning is that uh our Diné, they didn't want their children in in the past history to go to school, because they were told, "Your children need to go to school so they can learn how to provide for themselves.

[00:03:49]They need to have some career and some things that they need to know. Our people's argument was they already have things to learn and things to know that will provide for them. Taking care of the livestock, taking care of their home, taking care of their families.

[00:04:01]These are things that they need to learn. Yes.

[00:04:04]So, what can they learn in white man's school?

[00:04:07]But even Manuelito as a leader he sent his two boys to school, some boarding school back east and they both died.

[00:04:17]But it is that even that did not discourage our some of our people and to understand that learning was a very important thing. I shared the the teaching of my great grandmother.

[00:04:28]And she was the one that was 6 years old when she came back from Hesperus.

[00:04:32]But she knew how to speak the language of our of our people and also Spanish.

[00:04:37]Back in those days, Spanish was pretty much a second language for many of the the net. And so it was my great grandmother. She's the one that said, "In the future, you're going to look have to know how to speak English.

[00:04:47]You're going to have to do things using the language. So, learn it.

[00:04:51]Learn how to read it.

[00:04:53]Learn how to speak it.

[00:04:55]Learn how to write it.

[00:04:57]And learn to understand it.

[00:04:59]And so if that learning of the language is still very important. But I find out for myself that learning to speak other languages is just as important.

[00:05:08]And uh that's an opportunity that people sometimes neglect.

[00:05:12]It's a great opportunity and so many ways to learn, easy ways to learn.

[00:05:17]But I will say this about the language of our Dine.

[00:05:20]It is being lost, but it is very important because once we lose the language of our Dine, we lose our culture.

[00:05:27]Our whole traditional ways and the teachings of our people are based on the language of our Dine.

[00:05:33]And that is of great importance.

[00:05:36]The idea of learning.

[00:05:38]The purpose of life we are told is to become aware.

[00:05:43]And to become aware simply means it really to understand the things of making our life.

[00:05:49]And so the teaching of becoming aware is that we have many opportunities to be aware of such things that are going on in the world. We don't have to experience them, but we've been can become aware of them. And it is based on the teaching of Ahkwé:sashé:t eh got eh, which means if it's going to be something that you have possession of in making your life, you have to be the one to achieve it.

[00:06:15]You have to learn it. And you learn it by listening and and the sacrifices, the discipline, and the courage in that that it takes to learn certain things that are of great value.

[00:06:26]And the um teaching of our people about learning and the end, you have to understand the things you learn and apply them in your life.

[00:06:36]Now, there's the good things to learn and there are bad things to learn.

[00:06:40]And it is all based on the choices that we make. Ahkwé:sashé:t eh got eh.

[00:06:45]And you have the opportunity to learn it. And in the modern technology, so many things are presented in a way that they are made easier to learn.

[00:06:53]But also be very cautious on the voices that you listen to.

[00:06:57]That is so very important.

[00:06:59]In the teaching of our the ne there's a teaching about that inner voice.

[00:07:04]It's a very whispered voice.

[00:07:08]The two boys that we talk about all the time are the ones that uh call Monster Slayer.

[00:07:13]His mother is changing woman.

[00:07:16]So Na ye is the boy and the mother a son of the and then the other boy is called Born for the Water.

[00:07:24]Uh Tobadzistsini and his mother is the white shell woman.

[00:07:29]Yos ke esta.

[00:07:32]And as they made their journey, they were given a feather. And when that feather and the plumage moved, then the holy people would would give them guidance and direction.

[00:07:41]And um we all have that, every one of us. We have that inner voice. Sometimes people may call it a conscience.

[00:07:50]But it is understanding that there is a right and there is a wrong. So, when the boys ever came to a fork in the road, they had to rely on that feather, that plume.

[00:07:59]And that that was said, "This is the right way and that's the wrong way." And also along the way they met many mentors.

[00:08:05]People that they could uh confide in and they would give them information and some wisdom.

[00:08:12]And also the things that we have to do in making our life is we have to follow the good examples on that that are made available for us. So many things that we learn in life is by the examples that are set for us by other people.

[00:08:26]And it is that uh in life the teachings that come from the home are the most important. Very important.

[00:08:34]The home is a place of learning.

[00:08:37]You learn how to walk, you learn how to crawl, you learn how to talk.

[00:08:41]And you learn how to do very basic things within your family, how to treat one another.

[00:08:45]And that's where the learning begins.

[00:08:48]And those are the things that we are told.

[00:09:00]>> [music] >> Hey, thanks for watching our videos. If you like what you see, don't forget to uh subscribe and hit that notification bell so you never miss one of our uploads. Also, head over to our website navajotraditionalteachings.com, sign up for our email list. Okay.