Demographics
School
Zooming onto earth, to a very small town in Arizona, where 3rd grade students are eager to study “life or existence” of other being, we see students who find fascination with the Marvel heroes, or characters of some sort as they are topics of their discussions or conversations. This unit is intended for the third-grade students of Tsaile Public School, but can be modified for other grade levels below or higher. Tsaile Public School is operated under Chinle Unified School District (CUSD). CUSD has a total of 7 other K-8 schools within the perimeter of Chinle, Arizona. Although, Tsaile is the only school that is isolated from the other schools by at least 30 miles out to the east. The school district has an enrollment of 3,300 students which makes it the largest school district in the Navajo Nation. The district encompasses the communities of Chinle, Many Farms, Tsaile, Luckachukai, Wheatfields, Nazline, Cottonwood, and Tselani. Tsaile is located on the Navajo Reservation in the upper four corners. The median income of a household average about $28,000 (2020 American Community Survey). Currently, one hundred percent of the students are Native American, distinctively enrolled with the Navajo tribe. All students, K-12, are on free lunch program. A grant allows all students to receive free meals based on qualifications.
Tsaile is based against the Chuska Mountain off of Route 12 and Highway 64. Tsaile Public School is nestled among the ponderosa trees stemming off the Chuska Mountain. It is a beautiful quiet area, with a population of 1,409 people.3 Tsaile Public School is also located near a Community College operated by Navajo Nation. Dine College is an accredited college that promotes college students to sustain their Navajo Language and culture alongside their required courses or follow the program of study to obtain an AA, AS, or BA degree. Its enrollment also declined due to the pandemic. The walk from Tsaile Public School to Dine College is about 15 minutes. Some of the Dine College students are parents of the students attending TPS. Tsaile Public School is a K-8 school with an average enrollment of at least five hundred students since I started my employment as a teacher 13 years ago. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the number of students participating in in-person school has declined. For the past 14 school years, 2021-2022, our enrollment for students’ online classes was about 200 students. Our district has decided to allow students to attend school online under, “Hozho Academy” for this past school year. Some of the students switched from the Hozho Academy to in-person schooling.
Lifestyle
On weekends, families often go fishing at a nearby lake or basically stay home. Most people, who are Navajo, live by the traditional values and beliefs of the Navajo culture. Some of the children are engaged in learning their own Navajo language and practicing the culture of Navajo 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.
Environment and Cultural Perspective
Almost one hundred percent of the students at Tsaile Public are Navajos. However, students’ cultural background knowledge depends on the exposure of their home life in regards to traditional views of Earth and the life beyond Earth. Students come from a range of cultures and traditions although they are of the Navajo tribal member. Since the time of colonized era, the Navajo people had been introduced or adapted to other ways of life. Some of the practices for families on the reservation are traditional and rich in cultural knowledge of the Dine way of life. Christianity is another. Those who follow Christianity are families that have been exposed to church or Christian religion led by different groups, such as Mormons, Christians (Jesus of Nazareth), Jehovah's Witnesses, and so forth. The other type of religious practice for some of the family members of the Tsaile school is the Native America Church. This church is somewhat aligned with the traditional perspective but has practices that are different from the actual Navajo traditional practices. This type of religious belief involves the use of teepee and peyote. This religion was formed in the 19th century. So, through these religions, students hear the belief and views of their Mother Earth, Father Sky, and the values of “life” itself as taught by their parents or grandparents.
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