Across the United States, there are over 575 federally recognized American Indian tribes. According to the U.S. Census, Native North American language use fell by 6% from 2013 to 2021, but among those who spoke a Native language nearly half spoke Navajo.
Albert Haskie, who is Diné, spent two years building the app Diné Bizaad with a group of Navajo employees.
“I'm making it for us, and that's the primary goal,” he said.
Haskie said he learned the Navajo language at a young age but in sixth grade he transferred to a non-Navajo language school and that it was a cultural shock for him.
“I kind of always missed it and always wanted to figure out how to reintroduce it into my life, but also try to reintroduce it to a lot of other people's lives,” he said.
Haskie said users can build their own curriculum and it includes fun tools like the word of the day. He said the app differs from other language apps because this one has richer content and a practicing Navajo speaker who consulted on every word and phrase.
Diné Bizaad was independently built without collaboration of the Navajo Nation.
“I've showed them multiple times, but they just couldn't find anything to work with me,” he said. “I was more than happy to try to figure out working with them. But the reality is, it would have probably not launched within the time I wanted it to be.”
A representative from the Department of Diné Education said Haskie talked with members within the department and that they are open to working with interested parties on preserving the Diné language.
Haskie said he’s in talks with other tribes to create language apps for their members.
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