Evangeline Parsons Yazzie

Evangeline Parsons Yazzie (c. 1952 – May 22, 2022) was a Navajo educator and author of the first textbook adopted by the U.S. public education system to teach the Navajo language.

Life

Yazzie received a Master of Arts degree in Bilingual Multicultural Education and a Doctorate in Education from Northern Arizona University (NAU) where she taught Navajo language courses for 24 years until 2014. In 2007, Yazzie co-authored a textbook for teaching the Navajo language titled Diné Bizaad Bínáhooʼaah: Rediscovering the Navajo Language along with Margaret Speas, a professor of linguistics at the University of Massachusetts.[1][2] In 2008, New Mexico adopted the textbook making itself the first U.S. state to officially use any text for teaching the Navajo language in its public school system.[3]

Following her retirement in 2014, Yazzie authored several novels about a fictional family's experience of the Long Walk of the Navajo.[4][5] Yazzie died on May 22, 2022, at age 69.[6]

Bibliography

Non-Fiction

  • Diné Bizaad Bínáhooʼaah : Rediscovering The Navajo Language (2007), ISBN 9781893354739, OCLC 156845819.
    • Diné Bizaad Bínáhooʼaah Audio Set 1 ISBN 9781893354760
  • A Study for Reasons for Navajo Language Attrition as Perceived by Navajo Speaking Parents (1995), OCLC 77536872.

Her Land, Her Love series

A fictional account of the Long Walk of the Navajo.

  1. Her Land, Her Love : Nínááníbaaʼ : the woman warrior who came home once again (2014), ISBN 9781893354968, OCLC 879377793
  2. Her Enemy Her Love : Dééd Yázhi : Little Girl Warrior Who Came Home (2016), ISBN 9781893354289, OCLC 927119745
  3. Her Captive Her Love : Dzánibaʼ : Young woman warrior (2018), ISBN 9781893354289, OCLC 927119745
  4. Their Land, Their Love : The Return Home (2019), ISBN 9781893354326, OCLC 1078778700

Other Fiction

  • Dzání Yázhí Naazbaaʼ : Little Woman Warrior Who Came Home : a story of the Navajo Long Walk (2005), ISBN 9781893354555, OCLC 57201776


References

  1. ^ "Navajo professor writes textbook to help save her Native language". NAU News. August 27, 2008. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  2. ^ Parsons-Yazzie, Evangeline; Speas, Margaret (2007). Diné Bizaad Bínáhooʼaah: Rediscovering the Navajo Language. Flagstaff, Arizona: Salina Bookshelf. OCLC 156845819.
  3. ^ "New Mexico first state to adopt Navajo textbook". NBC News. July 31, 2008. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2003.
  4. ^ Yerian, Loretta (April 1, 2014). "Local author takes new look at the Navajo Long Walk". Navajo-Hopi Observer. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  5. ^ Allen, Krista (December 19, 2018). "Beloved Navajo author receives warm welcome at Page book signing". Lake Powell Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 5, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  6. ^ "Diné author and scholar Dr. Evangeline Parsons Yazzie passes away at 69". Navajo-Hopi Observer. May 31, 2022. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2023.