09/21/2024
"This movie and LucasFilm helped us become part of something global. As Native people, we often feel forgotten and even intentionally left out of the story that is now the USA. ๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐จ: ๐ผ ๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ (๐วซสผ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฃ๐๐สผ: ๐๐๐๐ ๐รก๐รก๐จ๐๐กฤฏฤฏ) was a huge acknowledgment of our place as equals in the WORLD. It said, โYes, you and your language are important."
๐ซ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ ๐๐ | ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐๐ญ ๐
๐๐
"๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฃ๐จ ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ: ๐ ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐"
๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ
The Center of Southwest Studies and are so excited to host ๐๐๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ซ next Thursday for a special (FREE) community presentation about the process of developing a Navajo translated Star Wars film! Following the presentation the Center will host an outdoor screening of the movie out on the courtyard, approx. 7:30 PM๐ฟ
"The goal was to bring awareness to the loss of Native languages. My wife [Jennifer Wheeler, PhD] is a Navajo language teacher, so we were constantly thinking up ways to help our language. In the mid-1990s the idea of dubbing a major motion picture was discussed often around our dinner table. "
Born and raised in the Navajo Nation, Manuelito Wheeler is the former director of the Navajo Nation Museum where he worked with staff to advance innovative exhibitions and projects that influenced and preserved Navajo language and culture. With many years in the museum field, he developed a keen sense of how museums can be more effective as places of understanding and wonder. Wheeler earned a BA in art history from Arizona State University and, in 2023, was appointed by President Biden to the American Indian Arts Board of Trustees.