University of New Mexico, Native American Studies, Master of Arts (M.A.), Focus in Indigenous Leadership, Self-Determination, and Sustainable Community Building
Graduate students’ culminating experience in the Native American Studies (NAS) Master of Arts (M.A.) Program at the University of New Mexico is the completion of their Project of Excellence (POE) in the graduate course, NATV 590. NAS M.A. students earn 6 credit hours over the duration of one academic year through the guidance of their NAS faculty advisor. In the NATV 590 course, graduate students “demonstrate accumulation of a theoretical foundation that can be successfully applied to address a target topic or issue relevant to a particular Native community, inter/national audience or Indigenous group/organization.”
Zunneh-bah Martin, Diné and Modoc
Zunneh-bah is from Tohłakai, New Mexico. She graduated with her M.A. in Native American Studies from UNM in May 2021.
Healing from Socionatural Trauma in Diné Bikéyah
This project examines the Diné way of life, socionatural trauma, and socionatural health/healing in Diné Bikéyah through an Indigenous research framework. I explore how the Diné way of life can offer healing from socionatural trauma to Diné people and to the environment.
“One thing I learned from my POE [Project of Excellence] was how to use Indigenous research to contribute to positive change for our Indigenous communities and peoples. This is one way to continue to stay active in helping address community needs/issues and to also continue to work for, with, and by our Indigenous Peoples.”
“I would recommend the UNM NAS MA program to anyone who is interested in wanting to gain more tools/skills in Native community building, advocating for Indigenous rights, and supporting the Indigenous Peoples of this land. There is so much to learn from this program and you have the support from the department in whatever topic you choose to focus on for your research project.” (Zunneh-bah Martin, Diné & Modoc)
Erla Sagg, Diné
Erla is from Hardrock, Arizona. She graduated with her M.A. in Native American Studies from the University of New Mexico in May 2021.
Utilizing Traditional Gardening as Restorative Justice within the Navajo Nation
How can the Navajo Nation utilize traditional gardening as a form of restorative justice within the Navajo Juvenile system?
Within this project, a decolonized research paradigm was utilized to identify the gaps in research on the use of restorative justice within the Navajo Nation and recognize underlying challenges on the use of traditional gardening methods with Navajo communities.
Through the research for this project, it is found that more rehabilitation programs are necessary for cultural revitalization and community building efforts and to create traditional and holistic solutions for criminal behavior of young Navajo males. This project utilized community input, which had been collected through two forms of data collection. The use of two interviews from males in various age groups, two behavioral health specialists within the field of juvenile justice, and 17 online survey responses from community members across the Navajo Nation showed that traditional gardening projects as restorative justice has the potential to successfully operate in Navajo juvenile detention centers.
The results showed that community engagement was desired, and the Navajo community want to see more programs for Navajo male youth such as the traditional gardening project. This report highlights supportive evidence on peacemaking circles, and the benefits it holds for revitalizing traditional methods of tribal governance.
From this Project of Excellence, Erla learned, “that more attention needs to be given to our growing warrior’s mental and physical wellbeing, that we need more decolonized research, and that we need to not just talk about traditional healing but to actively engage in healing with our mental and physical spirits.”
Join the NAS family! (Erla Sagg, Diné)
Cheryl Yazzie, Diné
Cheryl is from To’hajiilee, New Mexico. She graduated with her M.A. in Native American Studies from UNM in May 2021.
Saad K’idilyé - Planting Our Language
We have a duty to develop critical language consciousness that will provide a context for individuals and communities to address Diné language loss (Lee, 2014, p. 159). Establishing a Diné language nest in an urban setting will create a resurgence of power to shift thinking and action that allows a community to recommit to their Native language, culture, and tradition.
This project examined Indigenous approaches to language revitalization from other tribal nations that have been successful and determine which practices would best suit our proposed language nest initiative. Language nests have a key role in language revitalization as one of the most direct ways to create a new generation of first language speakers. A language nest in an urban setting will support our ancestors’ visions of sovereignty over the education of our young children. The children will learn the value of kinship, identity, family, and culture which reinforces their educational sovereignty through nation building that continues to highlight our growth as we continue the fight to decolonize our future.
Our language is sacred and deserves respect, relevance, and protection. We must do all we can to ensure that our Diné bizaad continues to flourish and we raise young, vibrant, and fierce first language speakers.
Cheryl highly recommends the NAS M.A. degree program at UNM and says, “Don’t think about it, just DO IT! I promise that you will not be disappointed with the program. You will gain a family with the NAS staff and fellow peers. I look forward to seeing more cohort members.”
University of new mexico
Credits:
Photos of individuals were provided by each M.A. graduate student. Other photos provided by Catherine Montoya.