I want to address the students from Monument Valley High School, Shiprock High School, Many Farms schools and other places of higher learning.
I know that you will be looking at the stories in the book, Navajo Spaceships which you are using in class. I want to apologize to you and all Navajo People for the poor grammar, mispelled words and poor way I used English in the book. The book was published as is, that is the stories are all first drafts that were taken as written from online discussion groups on the internet as I wrote them when I sat down at the computer. I did not forsee publication at that time and when the book was published it was done without any editing or proof reading and for thi sI am sorry. I want to you to know that proper use of the English language is necessary to achieve success in whatever you do.
I wrote the stories to portray life on Navajoland from the native perspective since there are so many misconceptions and hokey things written and hoped to provide some insight into the everyday life of our people, communities and how we get along.
Let me tell you something; I attended a gathering of Native Writers not too long ago, and there were people there representing various universities from the United States and Canada and they told me that because of the mispellings and grammatical errors in the book that it would prevent it from being used more widely at the college level.
I learned a bitter lesson that day that anything you send out should be well written and proper as it speaks for you and you are judged by it.
I monitor this site and will be making corrections to the stories you see online so that they may be more presentable to you for your English classes. I am sorry that the book went out that way as it represents how some perceive the Navajo People to be illiterate and backward which speaks more about me than the Navajo Tribe at large and for this I am sorry as I am Navajo and proud of my heritage.
signed "Johnny Rustywire"- Norman Cambridge, Author of Navajo Spaceships
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I am a belagana who taught English at Monument Valley High School for two years in the 90's. They were wonderful years and I miss the rez on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct that Navajo kids - no, all kids - should learn to speak and write English correctly if they wish to get far in life. It is important. But, don't apologize for your writing. I was not familiar with your book, but looked it up online and read Old Ned. Great stuff. And kids on the rez need to read, read, read. Every kind of writing - raw and perfect. And they especially need to be exposed to Navajo writers. They need to know that a kid from Kayenta or Many Farms can write about anything that touches their heart and there's a chance they, too, can be published.
You do your people proud. I'm glad to have found your blog.
I am belagana. I have spent time in Lucachukai and the surrounding communities. I was so happy to find your book as it brought into my life the memories of wonderful experiences in Navajoland. And one of the reasons it so resonated with me was the way you wrote as the people speak. Yes, there words misspelled and the grammar was not always correct English but the words sang with the hearts and tongues of the people and the land.
ReplyDeleteYou can republish the book with corrections and it can be used at college level if that is what the "standardss" demand.
However, it will lose some of the realness that for me has made the book a favorite.
I am happy to find your blog.