Demographics
Location
This unit is intended and developed for third grade students at Tsaile Public School as well as students all over the world of all ages. Tsaile Public School is located in the heart of the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation covers a vast area and is located mainly in a dry desert. Tsaile is located right along the base of Chuska Mountain where there are many trees and animals that inhabit the area. The outskirt of Chuska Mountain. or the base of the mountain, begins and extends into the dry desert area, and into the canyons and valleys which cultivates sage bushes, yucca or juniper trees. While the Chuska Mountain, rests at 2,700 above sea level, green grass, ponderosa trees, Spruce, fir, Douglas fir and aspen trees flourish there. Small lakes surround the mountain which many outsiders or local people go to fish or camp out. The community homes that people live in ranges from the traditional Hogan (octagon shape with one room) to more modernized homes of at least 3 bedrooms. There are buildings in suburb areas that have least 20 apartments. Then you have housing for school teachers with at least 24 apartments, all of which utilize electricity and have water hookups. In the surrounding area, the types of homes are Hogans, trailers, houses and even shacks. Some of the homes are without electricity or water hookups. Residents have to haul water from water wells and do chores before night fall hits. At night, most depend on flashlights or candles to light up homes. For those that can afford it, electricity from generators supports their home. About 1 out of 200 people will have solar panels. They basically rely on sunlight during the day.
The school
Tsaile Public School is an active school. It is one of the schools in the Chinle Unified School District. It is approximately 25 miles east of the 6 other schools: Chinle Elementary, Mesa View Elementary, Canyon De Chelly, Many Farms Elementary, Chinle Jr. High School, and Chinle High School. Tsaile Public School is an elementary and Jr High school combined, from preschool to eighth grade. The school’s yearly enrollment fluctuates from 420 to 450 pupils. There are several other schools outside the district within a radius of 10 to 50 miles where students can also enroll. It is a matter of concern for teachers across the Navajo Reservation that many students keep transferring between schools. They are not stable academically. They do not acquire all skills and reach required standards, and they are generally behind in their grade level. The ethnicity of the students is primarily Navajo people or descendants of other tribes. At least 50 % of the students speak their own language. The school is a low-income school. The school provides free meals for all students, K-12 that are enrolled that is funded through a grant.
The community of Tsaile is located on the northeastern part of the Navajo reservation. It is small and peaceful. An estimated number of 1,300 people live in Tsaile according to the 2019 United States Census Bureau report. At least 80 % Native Americans (predominately Navajo) and other race or ethnicity that occupy the area are White (12 %) and Hispanic (9%). 1 The nearest big town or city is about 75 miles toward east. Locally, there is only one convenient gas station, and a community college, known as Dine College, which is considered to be the main campus throughout the reservation.
Lifestyle
Many Diné homes are affected by having limited resources such as electricity and the lack of running water. The people of Tsaile have to start early to find water from wells, windmills or streams to supply their homes and animals in order to survive. Those people who do have water and electricity are the ones living in homes provided by the school, or the Navajo Housing Authority, as well as those that have structured their homes to be able to have access to resources. The younger generation are the main group of people who are more modernized and find it difficult to live out on the reservation with no electricity or water. The reason it is difficult is because it requires hard work. Schools have many of the Navajo children dependent on technology, access to water, electricity at school and that puts them in a bind because of the choices they have to make the choice to learn to live without electricity, or the choice to relocate to the city. I believe that children or younger generation need to start thinking about bringing the resources to them and help out their relative instead of going to the cities because this is where their parents and grandparents and their roots are.
On weekends, families often go fishing at a nearby lake or basically stay home. Most people, who are Diné, live by the traditional values and beliefs of the Diné culture. Some of the children are engaged in learning their own Diné language and practicing the culture of Diné which involves tending to livestock, especially sheep, hunting, fishing, and family events. Others choose to live in a more modern culture of the western civilization. Those families basically watch movies and be on the internet or video games and attend church. Older generations practice ceremonies to maintain harmony in their household. They often gather for ceremonial purposes or casual get together, for trips or social activities and events in the community. Younger families generally are not at home ¾ young parents have to work or live off the reservation to provide for their families, and grandparents often take care of their grandchildren. Some of these young parents live in the cities or town and cannot come home as often as they want or should. But the people in Tsaile seem to know each other very well. Extended families live nearby, or cluster by each other and usually support one another. Life in Tsaile reflects the lives on the Navajo Nation, as most families have livestock, or are farmers.
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