


The purpose of the Diné Language Continuity and Resurgence (DLCR) community is to build a network of Diné language activists and educators in order to strengthen our relationships and plant seeds toward a cohesive movement of Diné language continuity and resurgence. We chose the term “continuity” to refer to maintaining the learning, understanding, and use of our Diné language. The term “resurgence” refers to the actions of revitalization, re-energizing, reinvigorating, restoring, and recovering the learning, understanding, and use of our Diné language.
DLCR's 2nd convening participants, October 2025, The University of New Mexico.
(James McKenzie, Cheryl Yazzie, Bennie Francisco, Lloyd Lee)

DLCR’s priority is to promote k’é and focus on our value and love for Diné language. DLCR has held two convenings with a diverse group of educators, health professionals, researchers, tribal leaders, and Diné students whose passions and work each includes Diné language (and cultural) advocacy. We held these these small convenings (about 2
DLCR’s priority is to promote k’é and focus on our value and love for Diné language. DLCR has held two convenings with a diverse group of educators, health professionals, researchers, tribal leaders, and Diné students whose passions and work each includes Diné language (and cultural) advocacy. We held these these small convenings (about 20 people) to initiate learning from one another and our diverse backgrounds which center Diné language continuity and resurgence.
This website will be a hub for sharing our work in our different spaces and places, but also for bringing awareness to our collective work towards our areas of priority that we identified during the convenings. We aim to contribute to Diné language continuity and resurgence, and hope to inspire you to contribute as well! DLCR does not have one path and can include small steps to large activities for achieving DLCR. Awareness building among Diné people and beyond is key for DLCR. Whether you understand and speak Diné is not important as everyone has a role. DLCR takes communal effort and action! We hope you will relate to and be encouraged by the efforts and actions shared here to engage in your own DLCR goals!

Our DLCR community held two convenings. The first convening in April 2025 began with building relationships and conducting a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis of Diné language continuity and resurgence. We then organized those ideas into sub-categories and themes that we called issues of prevalence. By th
Our DLCR community held two convenings. The first convening in April 2025 began with building relationships and conducting a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis of Diné language continuity and resurgence. We then organized those ideas into sub-categories and themes that we called issues of prevalence. By the end of the convening, the group identified 47 issues of prevalence affecting Diné language continuity and resurgence. The 47 issues were drawn from hundreds of specific experiences, understandings, and ideas the conveners mapped out through the SWOT analysis. Given the vast amount of knowledge and experiences of the conveners, it was not surprising their ideas of the issues were abundant. DLCR is complex, and it is necessary to sort through the complex web of historical and contemporary influences and impacts that traverse within, across, and outside of the Navajo Nation. We ended the convening with each participant completing a matrix of the impact and effort for each of the twelve priority issues that we selected from the 47 issues.
At our second convening held in October 2025, we identified 4 priority areas from the 12 issues to begin our individual and collective work. We engaged in action planning for the short and long term for each priority area. The action planning took into consideration the capacity and resources each convener has for this work ahead. For many DLCR conveners, their work already aligns with one or more of our priority areas, which we will share on this website. We are also engaged in planning new activities together to address each priority area. The work completed over the two convenings provides us a road map for our work ahead. Both convenings were highly fulfilling. It is exciting to now move forward with our plan.

I. Raising Visibility and Awareness
Goal: Establish a Diné (virtual) language campaign slogan
II. Funding Support
Goal: Successfully acquire funding to support the DLCR initiative & priorities
III. Teacher Pathways
Goal: Nihizaad noosééł: Create interactive learning opportunities for educators of Diné bizaad
IV. Náásgóó Hazhó’ó Ahił Ná’anish
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I. Raising Visibility and Awareness
Goal: Establish a Diné (virtual) language campaign slogan
II. Funding Support
Goal: Successfully acquire funding to support the DLCR initiative & priorities
III. Teacher Pathways
Goal: Nihizaad noosééł: Create interactive learning opportunities for educators of Diné bizaad
IV. Náásgóó Hazhó’ó Ahił Ná’anish
Goal: 1) Language coalition, 2) Center Language, 3) Interacting with Ké & ceremony
If you would like to learn more, email us.
Email: info@dinelcr.org

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