Michaela Gaffke/Winonan

Winona State University hosted the Navajo Oral History Project movie premiere on Thursday, Sept. 10 in SLC 120.

The Navajo Oral History project was part of a summer travel study, where students went to Arizona to collaborate with Diné College and create a short film about a Native American Navajo elder (SEE PAGE 2 FOR MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT).

The premiere opened with a speech by Tom Grier, Mass Communications professor and the Navajo Oral History Project coordinator.

“Tonight is the night to celebrate and congratulate the students,” Grier said.

Grier spoke about what the students did throughout the nearly three week long trip. He said they took classes to learn about the Navajo culture, did service projects for the elders and filmed the elders.

Ralph Townsend, the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, also spoke. Townsend said that the project gives students a chance to engage in a broader world, and bring back their knowledge to Winona State.

Winona State University Foundation trustee Chops Hancock spoke as well, and said funding will continue for this project.

Paul Johnson, Chair of the Mass Communications department spoke briefly about how the hard work came for the students in the months following filming.

After the speakers, the four films that were made by the students were played. The first film, about elder Louva Dahozy, was filmed by Winona State junior Raegan Johnson, graduate Tobias Mann and senior Casie Rafferty, and Diné College students Kaitlyn Haskie and Anna Shepherd.

The film portrayed how Dahozy is an activist and an educator, raised through many hardships. She went to school until eighth grade, then later returned to school in Tucson, Ariz. Dahozy noticed many of her people didn’t go to school, so she had a radio station for 10 years where she would educate people. For this, she received a Lifetime Award.

“Louva taught us about the culture and how beautiful it is,” Johnson said about her experience.

The next film was about Tony Goldtooth, a Navajo language professor. It was filmed by Winona State junior Nathaniel Nelson, junior Taylor Nyman and senior Kim Schneider from Winona State, and Diné College  student Shelly Wheeler.

In the film, Goldtooth discussed how he served in the United States Army Medical Training Center and decided he wanted to learn Navajo and then teach others. He spoke about the Hopi/Navajo land dispute, and was speechless about how difficult it was to relocate. He said Navajo like to live where their roots are, and that their land is their home.

Goldtooth said the Navajo language is the vehicle that carries on a culture and its history.

Nyman laughed after the film, recalling her experience creating the project.

“[We] didn’t even ask him a question yet, and he had already spoken for an hour,” Nyman said.

The next film was about Peggy Scott, a retired educator and community activist. The film was done by Winona State senior Jordan Gerard and  senior Ben Strand from Winona State, and Diné College student Brandon Tayah. Scott attended a private school, where her dad reminded her to never forget she is a Navajo woman. She studied Navajo Astronomy, and traveled across the reservation to get astronomy stories from elders.

In the film, Scott stressed the importance of teaching children Navajo, and how parents should practice the culture, traditions and language in the home.

“She’s a lovely person to know,” Tayah said after the film.

The last film was about Bill Toledo, a Navajo Code Talker in World War II. He was filmed by Winona State senior Jacob Hilsabeck, senior Kacie Mann and junior Samantha Stetzer from Winona State, and Diné College students Kyle Brown and Stephanie Tsosie.

In the documentary Toledo was raised by his grandparents after his parents passed away when he was 14 months old. He spoke about having his hair bun cut off, and how he was forbidden to speak Navajo at school. Toledo became a code talker when the government wanted to use Navajo during World War II. He talked about how it was hard to learn the codes. Toledo has traveled to almost every state to talk about his code talker experiences.

To wrap up the premiere, Mass Communications Teaching Assistant Robbie Christiano spoke. He took the trip in 2010 and 2011. Christiano ended the program by thanking the students and their families.

“Every year the videos get better.” Christiano said.