Session Three: Innovation in Diné History
“The Horse has been with Us since the Beginning” - Kelsey Dayle John, Ph.D.
This paper intends to outline why it is so important for Navajos and Native American tribes to hold tight to the origin of the horse on the North American continent. I describe how the idea that the horse came with colonization becomes an ideology of displacement in our community. Finally, I describe how the horse helps us imagine possibilities for Navajo Nation by highlighting research from different tribes that provide evidence for the horse's evolution on the North American continent.
“Navajo Nation Enrollment Criteria for the 21st Century and Beyond” - Lloyd L. Lee, Ph.D.
The Navajo Nation enrollment criteria was established in 1953. This article advocates for a change to the enrollment criteria to reflect an inclusive and a Navajo way of connecting to family, relatives, friends, and community members. The new criteria reflects a relations approach to life and identity.