I am a Navajo boy. Diné 'ashkii nishli. A Navajo boy describes his family's traditional way of life in the nineteen-forties of last century. It centers around a pastoral life with sheep and the processing of the wool by his mother and sisters. His father builds a traditional Navajo home, a hoghan, out of logs, and he takes part in a cleansing ritual in the sweat lodge. Beautifully illustrated by a Native Navajo artist, Gerald Nailor, the book reminds us of a slower, healthier way of life, almost all but gone now. It's a joy to look at and read with your children, yet is also perfect for a classroom environment, be it a monolingual English or bilingual Navajo/English setting. Originally published in 1940 as a black and white edition by the educational division of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Native Child Dinetah has colorized the illustrations to make it attractive again to a new generation of readers.
