Talk:Binááʼádaałtsʼózí dineʼé bikéyah

Relationship to Binááʼ Ádaałtsʼózí Bikéyah

What is the relationship of this term to Binááʼ Ádaałtsʼózí Bikéyah? Yellowhair has used Binááʼ Ádaałtsʼózí Bikéyah to mean "Asia," although perhaps it better refers to "the Orient" (i.e., East Asia + Mongolia)? But if it is also specific to Japan, that seems confusing. 71.66.97.228 04:20, 9 August 2012 (UTC)

Navajo is a descriptive language. It is no different than most Westerners thinking every Oriental person is Chinese (or Japanese). It’s like American Sign Language...the sign for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean all mean slanteyed. They add a little flourish to try to distinguish them, but it reflects the way we see them. —Stephen ^(Talk) 04:38, 9 August 2012 (UTC)

OK, but there must be maps, textbooks, or other books in Navajo that make a logical distinction between Japan and all of East Asia, correct? I understand that there are scholars and serious educational institutions that teach the Navajo language and other subjects such as world geography. 71.66.97.228 04:57, 9 August 2012 (UTC)

The distinctions are what we have shown here. I have the word for Japanese entered, and the word for Oriental people entered, and those are the words. It does no good to complain that they are too much alike, that is what they are. —Stephen ^(Talk) 05:15, 9 August 2012 (UTC)

I wasn't talking about an entry for "Japanese," but for "Japan," which is the name of a nation. Are there maps in the Navajo language that could shed more light on this than either of us currently know? I've already looked at a map in Navajo, but it's in the only Navajo-language book I own. There must be others, correct? 71.66.97.228 05:23, 9 August 2012 (UTC)

The name for Japan is that which I have entered. There are no maps in Navajo other than Yellowhair’s and those on Navajo Wikipedia. Anybody could make a map on his computer, but he would have to get the words from Yellowhair or the Navajo Wikipedia. There are no great Navajo Universities, no publishers of Navajo language. During World War II, most of the existing books in Navajo or about Navajo were collected and destroyed, in order to keep the language secret. The few that survived are virtually useless, because the writing system was woefully inadequate. An adequate writing system was not developed until about 1950, and people could only learn it on their own, it was not taugh in schools. When I say that Navajo is virtually unwritten, it is not an exaggeration. —Stephen ^(Talk) 06:06, 9 August 2012 (UTC)

Thanks, I didn't know that. What about the Navajo language institute, as well as the teaching materials used in that institution as well as in schools that now teach Navajo? I'm sure there must be at least one map in Navajo extant. I don't live near enough to Arizona to check and the people at the language institute never wrote back to me (I wrote to several of the faculty members about a year ago). 71.66.97.228 06:13, 9 August 2012 (UTC)

The Navajo Language Institute is mainly to train Navajo teachers and create learning materials. It is part of the desperate attempt at Language Revitalization. They research the language, interviewing many different speakers to find out things are said, and then they write the teaching materials. Yes, there is a Navajo map, it is in Yellowhair’s book. We have also made maps on Navajo Wikipedia. There are no other maps, unless someone makes it himself on his computer, pasting in the names that he can find in Yellowhair or the Navajo Wikipedia. Most Navajo do not like to discuss their language or culture with foreigners, because when they or their parents were little, they were often punished or ridiculed for speaking or acting Navajo. Many tribes are far more secretive. The Taos people won’t divulge anything about their language or culture to outsiders. We managed to get a few hundred words by befriending a single informant, whose identity must be kept secret so that he won’t be punished by his tribe. You can take a course at the Navajo Language Institute, but they are not going to correspond with you. —Stephen ^(Talk) 06:32, 9 August 2012 (UTC)

OK, I just thought they would appreciate what we are doing at Wiktionary and Wikipedia, which seems like a beneficial way to document the language for everyone in the world. 71.66.97.228 06:35, 9 August 2012 (UTC)