Bicultural Diné (Navajo) Education
(November 1 - November 15, 2007)
In support of Native Peoples Heritage Month, and of the visit and presentation by four generations of Diné women on November 5 @ 7pm in Hindle Auditorium (image below), this new Wallace Library exhibit explores the history of traditional and western education of the Diné through artifacts, books, and videos.
In June of 1744, the commissioners of Maryland and Virginia sought to entice the Six Nations of Iroquois into a treaty by offering to educate a number of Indian boys at William and Mary College. The next day, Iroquois leader Canasatego, speaking for the Iroquois, gave the following reply:
"We know that you highly esteem the kind of learning taught in those colleges and that the Maintenance of our young Men while with you would be very expensive to you. We are convinced, therefore, that you mean to do us Good by your Proposal; and we thank you heartily. But you who are so wise must know that different Nations have different Conceptions of things and you will, therefore, not take it amiss if our Ideas of this kind of Education happen not to be the same as yours. We have had some Experience of it...
"We are however not the less oblig'd by your kind Offer tho' we decline accepting it; and, to show our grateful Sense of it, if the Gentleman from Virginia will send us a Dozen of their Sons, we will take great care of their Education, teach them all we know and make Men of them."
This page is maintained by Elliot Brandow.
Questions about this page? Use our query form.