Media, Young People, and Language Revitalization

The last presidential election on the Navajo Nation raising the question of language competency in the Navajo language, reading a young Navajo’s response to the Navajo language requirement, and discussions with a colleague working on Scottish Gaelic proposes the question of how to get and keep young people involved in using their heritage languages. The importance of language as basic to identity is well acknowledged. Additionally, maintaining a heritage language in the case of both Navajo and Scottish Gaelic is a necessary element of sovereignty. Opposing this is  a modern, media-dominated world that persuades young people that they should abandon their heritage identities and join generation z: One’s heritage is simply not cool, hip, or in.

What I recall is that the Navajo Nation does have a TV station and several radio stations. And I also recall hearing hip-hop in Navajo from a group in Albuquerque. It seems that the Navajo Nation already has viable vehicles for involving their young people in the Navajo language.  I submit that the nation needs to consider programming for children, such as cartoons, and for adolescents, such as music videos in the Navajo language or programs involving teens using the Navajo language. The Navajo Nation is very fortunate to have these resources. Unfortunately, many native nations don’t have their own radio and TV stations. However, this problem can be overcome via internet podcasts. As media plays an important role in promoting the use of heritage/minority languages, especially among young people, groups need to invest more resources into media.