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Navajo ABC: A Diné Alphabet Book
We are also called the Navajo.We call ourselves T'áá Diné, which means "The People."
And so begins this introduction to the largest tribe of Native Americans in the United States. Come and learn all about Navajo life through objects and words in this special alphabet book. Each letter represents an aspect of Navajo life -- A for arroyo, B for belt, C for cradle board. A unique glossary translates Navajo words into English, and vice versa, to open the door to tradition and convey the richness of the Diné culture and language.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1995
46 people want to read
About the author
Luci Tapahonso
19 books32 followersLuci Tapahonso, Navajo, is originally from Shiprock, NM, where she grew up in a family of 11 children. Navajo was her first language but she learned English at home before starting school at the Navajo Methodist Mission in Farmington, NM. She majored in English at the University of New Mexico, as an undergraduate and graduate student. She stayed on there as an Assistant Professor of English, Women's Studies and American Indian Studies for a few years. She has been an Associate Professor of English at the University of Kansas and is now Professor of English at the University of Arizona in Tucson where she teaches Poetry Writing and American Indian Literature.
Luci serves on the editorial board of wicazo sa review and was on the edtorial boards of Frontiers from 1991-1996 and of Blue Mesa Review from 1988-1992. She has been a juror for the Poetry Society of America, the Associated Writing Program Awards, and the Stan Steiner Writing Awards. She serves on the Advisory Boards of the Telluride Institute Writers Forum and has been a member of the New Mexico Arts Commission Literature Panel and the Kansas Arts Commission.
Luci writes for popular magazines as well as for academic and poetry journals, writing often for New Mexico Magazine. Among the journals where her work has been published are Diné Be Iina, Frontiers, Caliban, Sinister Wisdom, and the Beloit Poetry Journal.
In 1999, Luci was names Storyteller of the Year for her readings and performances by the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers.
Luci has received a 1998 Regional Book Award from the Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association, , a Southwestern Association for Indian Affairs Literature Fellowship, an Excellent Instructor Award at the University of New Mexico, a New Mexico Eminent Scholar Award from the New Mexico Commission of Higher Education, the Hall Center Creative Fellowship Award, a Southwest Book Award for Saánii Dahataal from the Border Regional Library Association, an Honorable Mention in the American Book Awards in 1983 for Seasonal Woman, and the 1995 Frost Place Poet-In-Residence.
She has also been named a Woman of Distinction by the American Girl Scout Council in 1996, Influential Professor by the Lady Jayhawks Faculty Recognition panel in 1994, an Outstanding Native American Woman by the City of Sacramento in 1993, the Grand Marshal of the Northern Navajo Nation Fair Parade in Shiprock in 1992, and one of the Top Women of the Navajo Nation by Maazo Magazine.
Luci serves her community at all levels, from her local community and university department to the national level. She has served on numerous English Department committees and reads her poetry in classes. She serves on University-wide committees, boards and task forces; she gives poetry readings in the local community and speaks to local groups. She has served on the board of Habitat for Humanity and the United Way Allocations Panel (both local). On the state level, Luci has served on the state Art Commissions, delivered Commencement Addresses at high schools on the Navajo Reservation and in Santa Fe and judged the Miss Navajo Nation and Miss Indian New Mexico Pageants. On the national level, Luci serves on the Board of Trustees for the National Museum of the American Indian, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution, and has served on the Board of Directors of the American Indian Law Resource Center, as a Review Consultant for the Cultural Diversity Development Division of American College Testing and reviews manuscripts for the University of Oklahoma Press, the University of Arizona Press, the University of Nebraska Press, and Cornell University Press. She is also a consultant to American Playhouse for the movie The Lady Chieftans. She was on the Planning Committee for the Returning the Gift Writers Festival from 1989-1992, worked in collaboration with David Noble, Rich Rollins and Krista Elrick on the Phoenix Art Commission Project Hohokamki: The Pueblo Grande Project from 1990-1992
Luci serves on the editorial board of wicazo sa review and was on the edtorial boards of Frontiers from 1991-1996 and of Blue Mesa Review from 1988-1992. She has been a juror for the Poetry Society of America, the Associated Writing Program Awards, and the Stan Steiner Writing Awards. She serves on the Advisory Boards of the Telluride Institute Writers Forum and has been a member of the New Mexico Arts Commission Literature Panel and the Kansas Arts Commission.
Luci writes for popular magazines as well as for academic and poetry journals, writing often for New Mexico Magazine. Among the journals where her work has been published are Diné Be Iina, Frontiers, Caliban, Sinister Wisdom, and the Beloit Poetry Journal.
In 1999, Luci was names Storyteller of the Year for her readings and performances by the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers.
Luci has received a 1998 Regional Book Award from the Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association, , a Southwestern Association for Indian Affairs Literature Fellowship, an Excellent Instructor Award at the University of New Mexico, a New Mexico Eminent Scholar Award from the New Mexico Commission of Higher Education, the Hall Center Creative Fellowship Award, a Southwest Book Award for Saánii Dahataal from the Border Regional Library Association, an Honorable Mention in the American Book Awards in 1983 for Seasonal Woman, and the 1995 Frost Place Poet-In-Residence.
She has also been named a Woman of Distinction by the American Girl Scout Council in 1996, Influential Professor by the Lady Jayhawks Faculty Recognition panel in 1994, an Outstanding Native American Woman by the City of Sacramento in 1993, the Grand Marshal of the Northern Navajo Nation Fair Parade in Shiprock in 1992, and one of the Top Women of the Navajo Nation by Maazo Magazine.
Luci serves her community at all levels, from her local community and university department to the national level. She has served on numerous English Department committees and reads her poetry in classes. She serves on University-wide committees, boards and task forces; she gives poetry readings in the local community and speaks to local groups. She has served on the board of Habitat for Humanity and the United Way Allocations Panel (both local). On the state level, Luci has served on the state Art Commissions, delivered Commencement Addresses at high schools on the Navajo Reservation and in Santa Fe and judged the Miss Navajo Nation and Miss Indian New Mexico Pageants. On the national level, Luci serves on the Board of Trustees for the National Museum of the American Indian, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution, and has served on the Board of Directors of the American Indian Law Resource Center, as a Review Consultant for the Cultural Diversity Development Division of American College Testing and reviews manuscripts for the University of Oklahoma Press, the University of Arizona Press, the University of Nebraska Press, and Cornell University Press. She is also a consultant to American Playhouse for the movie The Lady Chieftans. She was on the Planning Committee for the Returning the Gift Writers Festival from 1989-1992, worked in collaboration with David Noble, Rich Rollins and Krista Elrick on the Phoenix Art Commission Project Hohokamki: The Pueblo Grande Project from 1990-1992
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 17, 2018
This book would be great to introduce students to the Navajo culture. Since it has explanations of different words in the back we can talk about things that they are familiar with and things they aren't. I appreciated that it gives an easy yet authentic introduction to the Navajo people.
February 12, 2025
It's fine, it's efficient, and it has beautiful illustrations. But some words feel unexplored, and only have their Diné translations explained in the glossary at the end. I don't know, I guess I was just expecting a little more out of it.
June 28, 2012
Navajo ABC: A Diné Alphabet Book by Lucy Tapahonso and illustrated by Eleanor Schick is an ABC book that introduces children to the Navajo (Diné táá) culture and to lesser degree, their language.
The book goes through each letter of the alphabet and gives a word that represents a piece of the Navajo Way. Some words are English, some are Spanish and some are Diné bizaad.
What the book gives children is a glimpse of Navajo living, not an introduction to the language. Instead it shows how multi lingual the area is, being influenced by English and Spanish. It's really no different than how a California ABC would probably have a mixture of English, Spanish and maybe even some Chinese or Japanese.
The book goes through each letter of the alphabet and gives a word that represents a piece of the Navajo Way. Some words are English, some are Spanish and some are Diné bizaad.
What the book gives children is a glimpse of Navajo living, not an introduction to the language. Instead it shows how multi lingual the area is, being influenced by English and Spanish. It's really no different than how a California ABC would probably have a mixture of English, Spanish and maybe even some Chinese or Japanese.
February 21, 2015
This book is simple and yet has so much great information in it! Each page walks through the alphabet and introduces new objects or words that are used by the Navajo people. There are matching illustrations so that the students can truly understand what the words or objects mean. There are many words that are exactly the same as our English vocabulary, however, there are others that are very different and words our students may have never seen. This book would be an excellent way to learn about the Navajo language as well as their culture and how we can relate to it.
September 29, 2011
This book was an ABC book that really failed when it came to expressing the Navajo culture and every day life. It used words that could never be pronounced by elementary students (or the teachers) and only had one word on each page. The glossary in the back of the book gave the only explainations for the words and what they meant. It would be very hard to read this to students.
October 9, 2012
I really enjoyed the culture and illustrations of this book. It was simple and gave a word or two with each letter, with also showing Capital and lowercase letters, so to familiarize children with both. I did not enjoy how difficult some of the words are, because they were in Navajo. I understand that to Navajo children it would be words they understand, but as a young adult, I had to look it up.
February 25, 2022
I just found this confusing. The concept is an alphabet book, but some words are in English and some are in Navajo, and some, randomly (arroyo?!), are neither. Also, I know very little about the Navajo language, but I don't think the alphabetic translation over to English is exact, so this probably isn't completely accurate. Points for trying, though?
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July 23, 2009BR-Tap
August 13, 2009
ABC book of items of the Navajo people. From belt, to mocasin, to wedding basket. Would be good to use in a younger class studying Navajo people.
Picture book
Picture book
July 10, 2014
Beautiful and authentic. Thank you Luci Tapahonso for capturing the words of your People.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews