Jennifer Nez Denetdale | |
|---|---|
| Born | United States |
| Occupation | Professor of American studies, University of New Mexico |
| Language | English, Navajo |
| Alma mater | Ph.D. in History, Northern Arizona University, 1999 |
| Relatives | Great-great-great grandparents, Manuelito and Juanita [1] |
| Website | |
| americanstudies | |
Jennifer Nez Denetdale is a professor of American studies at the University of New Mexico, where she teaches courses in Native American Studies with an emphasis on race, class, and gender.[2] She is the director of the University of New Mexico's Institute for American Research.[3] She also specializes in Navajo history and culture and the effects of colonization and decolonization as it has impacted the Navajo people.[4] She is the chair of the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission.[3] Denetdale is also an advocate for students who wish to pursue an education in Indigenous studies, Navajo women, and the LGBTQ+ community.[3]
Early life[edit]
Denetdale's parents had both attended Stewart Indian School, a boarding school in Carson City, Nevada.[2] Denetdale was raised in Tohatchi, New Mexico from childhood with her three sisters and one brother.[2] Her four clans are the Zia (or Weaver) Clan, and she was born for the Salt People Clan. Her maternal grandfathers are of the Red House clan and her paternal grandfathers are of the Water-Running-Together Clan.[5]
Mentors[edit]
Denetdale cites her former professor Luci Tapahonso and Louis Owens as her early mentors in her pursuit of higher education.[2]
Education[edit]
Denetdale earned her M.A. in English from Northern Arizona University (NAU). She later earned her doctorates in history from NAU in 1999.[6][7] Denetdale is the first person of Diné / Navajo descent to earn a Ph.D.[3]
Books, essays, and lectures[edit]
- Indigenous Leadership and Gender in the 21st Century
- The Long Walk: The Forced Navajo Exile
- Nation to Nation: 09 Bad Acts / Bad Paper - Jennifer Nez Denetdale
- Reclaiming Navajo History
- Reclaiming Diné History The Legacies of Navajo Chief Manuelito and Juanita
Awards and recognition[edit]
- Rainbow Naatsilid True Colors award
- UNM Faculty of Color Award
- UNM Sarah Brown Belle award (2013)
- Excellence in Diné Studies (2015)
- UNM Presidential Award of Distinction (2017)
In 2015 Denetdale was chosen to deliver an inaugural address for the 23rd Navajo Nation Council.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ Cook, Roy. "Reclaiming the Pride of the Dine' Culture". Navajo Times. Retrieved 2014-06-04.
- ^ a b c d Gonzales, Carolyn (October 11, 2011). "Denetdale Works to Reclaim Navajo History". Retrieved January 31, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "Jennifer Nez Denetdale :: American Studies | The University of New Mexico". americanstudies.unm.edu. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
- ^ Chantal Marie Norrgard (2008). Seasons of Change: Treaty Rights, Labor, and the Historical Memory of Work Among Lake Superior Ojibwe, 1870--1942. pp. 34–. ISBN 978-0-549-81007-0.
- ^ "Nation to Nation: 09 Bad Acts / Bad Paper - Jennifer Nez Denetdale". YouTube. September 23, 2014. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
- ^ "Jennifer Nez Denetdale". Archived from the original on 2010-06-28.
- ^ "American Studies at UNM".