Indigenous Thinkers

Rodgerick Begay, 1996

Orginal citation from url address: http://www.asu.edu/lib/archives/biblio.htm

This bibliography is composed of books on the Diné tribe, and is an attempt to extend Dr. Peter Iverson's Navajo Bibliography, which was published in 1976 by Indiana University Press. Selections made for this bibliography are intended to introduce students to the Diné and cover Navajo tribal government, arts and crafts, ceremonies, legends, languages, Code Talkers, education, etc.

Readers should be aware that there often is a translation problem between Navajo and English languages. Therefore, authors who attempt to describe any aspects of the Navajo culture, philosophy, and way of life, should be looked upon from a critical standpoint. For example, there is no Navajo "religion" but there is a practice of religious ceremonies. There are no words in the English language to describe Navajo "religion" but it is the closest translation equivalent. I want to stress that Navajo creation stories are considered real to the Navajo people, and students should be aware that there are many versions of them.

The bibliography was written for an Internship in American Indian Justice Studies Certificate Program under the direction of Dr. James Riding In, Asst. Professor, Justice Studies, and Patricia Etter, Curator of the Labriola National American Indian Data Center at Arizona State University. I hope that Navajo students and those not familiar with the tribe will also benefit from this bibliography.