Navajo Nation: Summer 2021

Due to pandemic restrictions, travel plans for all future seminars are subject to change. With a commitment to the health and safety of students and faculty, and to the communities that host our groups, we continue to monitor conditions and restrictions for travel. Please check for updates on programs of interest as you make decisions for upcoming terms.

The primary focus of our seminar is to experience what it means to live, work, and worship as a Dine (Navajo) person by participating in daily life and by hearing from many different people who will introduce us to the rich history and culture of the Dine and the ongoing social realities that affect them.

We will take a close look at their history of forced relocation from ancestral homelands, eventual settlement on reservation land and then forced assimilation through boarding schools and other means. We will hear about how the Dine way of life was radically changed over the centuries to accommodate the demands of settlers and then the federal government of the United States. Plan on visiting museums and Navajo tribal sites as well as State political offices and hearing from Navajo representatives, senators and other leaders.

We will also explore environmental justice issues on the reservation, particularly related to uranium mining and water. We will look at contemporary social issues including socio-economic realities, land and resource management and climate change.

We will take a specific look at the history of Navajo and Hopi engagement with each other and with Christians (including Mennonites) related to mission, schooling, and native religions.

Finally, we will explore Arizona’s impressive natural landscape. Among other sites, we will visit the Grand Canyon, Canyon de Chelley and other points of interest.

NN2017 Blogs and photos

Information

Seminar Leaders: Jim Yoder, Biology and Kathy Yoder
Location: Navajo Nation and Flagstaff, AZ
Dates: July 23 - August 13, 2021
Estimated Cost: $4,500 - summer seminar fees include tuition, R&B, and travel

Coursework
CCSSC 201 Cross-Cultural Social Science: Navajo Nation 3 SH

Immunizations

Routine – MMR, DPT series with last booster within 10 years, IPV or OPV, Hep B and Hepatitis A as required for EMU enrollment.
In an effort to maximize the safety of our hosts and our students, EMU Intercultural Programs requires all employees and students who plan to travel for cross-cultural immersion, both domestic and international, to have completed their vaccination regimen for COVID-19 more than 14 days prior to travel. This requirement is in addition to standard immunizations required for enrollment and those recommended for the travel destination, effective Mar. 1, 2021. If you have any questions or concerns, please email beth.good@emu.edu for more information. For registering to obtain the vaccine in Virginia, visit https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/covid-19-vaccine/ .