V - Navajo

Navajo, a Southern Athabaskan language belonging to the Na-Dené family, is predominantly spoken in North America. While UNESCO categorizes it as vulnerable, the lowest rating for endangered languages, Navajo still faces a wide variety of challenges. Despite existing revitalization efforts, the language has often struggled to keep a consistent, healthy speaker count. However, the future looks bright for the Navajo language, as extensive educational opportunities have been implemented in recent years; you can even go to Duolingo and learn it yourself (I know I’ve tried). Throughout history, the Navajo Nation’s culture and language have often been cast aside. There is no better time than the present to recognize their contributions and appreciate their linguistic diversity and beauty.

Geography

Navajo is predominantly spoken within the confines of the Navajo Nation, or the Navajoland. As a result of the expansion of the United States in the mid-late 1800s, the geographic zones of Native American languages are often limited. The Navajo Nation consists of the states Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. It is considered a sovereign Native-American Nation, outlining the constant and passionate push for the expansion of Native American rights.

History

Despite overwhelming challenges such as forced assimilation, diseases, and massacres, Native Americans persevered. The speakers of Navajo are no exception. In fact, students in the 1800s would have their mouths washed out with lye soap if they were caught speaking the language. However, World War II brought an unlikely but outstanding opportunity. During the tensions of combat, the Navajo language was utilized as a secret code by Navajo “code talkers,” which contributed largely to the war effort. The history of Navajo detailed a journey of barriers, but it teaches us that change is imminent if we push for it.

Language

Navajo, an intricate member of the Athabaskan language family, shares a close linguistic kinship with Western Apache. Notably, Navajo boasts a concise vowel inventory, comprising four distinct vowel sounds. Navajo follows the Subject Object Verb (SOV) order, yet some speakers order based on "noun ranking." This feature dictates that the subject or object with the highest rank takes precedence in sentence structure; humans and lightning are considered high-ranking elements in the syntax of Navajo sentences. Such linguistic nuances and contextual intricacies contribute to the unique nature of the Navajo language.

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