Hozho Speaks

In this week's episode, Clayton talks about the 4 sacred colors of the Navajo people, White, Turquoise, Black and Yellow. Each coming from a different direction/ White Shell represents the East, or the dawn, Turquoise represents the South , or the Day, Abalone Shell represents the West, or the evening, and finally, Jet Black represents the North, or the night. Clayton talks about how each of these colors can help guide us in our everyday lives.Support the showFollow Us on Facebook and Instagram at @hozhospeaks

In this week's episode, Clayton talks about Navajo Core Values: Peace, Love, Joy and Harmony, he expands this way of thinking through 4 different stories. Each of these values can help us in our daily lives, with our school, our careers, and our families. Our people have endured a lot of adversity  from Monsters rooming across the land to being relocated away from our homeland, and fighting in wars to protect our country. It's important to keep these values close to us to help guide us to become who we want to be. Ahe'hee for listening and we are excited for Season 3. Support the showFollow Us on Facebook and Instagram at @hozhospeaks

In this week's episode, Clayton interviews Latoya Benally, who is a Manufacturing Engineer with the Boeing Company, based out of Mesa, AZ where she helps to build AH-64 Apache Helicopters that are used to protect and help our military personal here and abroad. Benally talks about her journey and how she decided to become an Engineer and what it took to get where she is today. She hopes to serve as an inspiration for other Native American students out there who want to pursue this kind of career. Thanks everybody for being here with us. Ahe'hee doo Ya'at'eeh Keshmish.Support the showFollow Us on Facebook and Instagram at @hozhospeaks

In this week's episode, Clayton talks to College Student Amari Pierce of Stanford University , originally from San Juan County, UT, who is currently working on a Keyboard software to help better utilize the Navajo language and making it easier to anyone to use on computers, and other devices. Amari talks about how she come up with the idea as well as some future plans to help the Navajo Language more accessible and more open for everybody to learn the language and help preserve our culture and way of life. Support the showFollow Us on Facebook and Instagram at @hozhospeaks

In this episode, Clayton talks about Ghąąjį' (which is also the name of the month of October) but is also celebrated in Diné Culture, as the beginning of a New Year, at the end of harvest and how we can take this time to think about how our lives are going and what kind of plans do we want to make for the next story. Clayton talks a little about a community group who used goal making to help change their lives. Special thanks to our newest Patron, Aiyana Upshaw. Ahé'hee!Support the showFollow Us on Facebook and Instagram at @hozhospeaks

In this week's episode, we interviewed Charlotta Lacy, who is currently a Navajo Language Teacher and Translation Specialist, she has worked for most of her life teaching and learning the Navajo Language, she discusses why its important to learn our language to preserve it. And shares her thoughts on some important Navajo words, that help connect us with each other, creating Ke' (Kinship). Yá'át'ééh (Hello) and Ahéhee' (Thank You). When she worked with SJSD as a Navajo Language Teacher, she and her students worked with Doulingo, a language learning app, for the Navajo Language, that is available for free. So please try it out. Photo Credit: grandriver from Getty ImagesSupport the show

Westwater is Diné community that resides outside of Blanding, UT in San Juan County. And for many years, this community lived without running water or electricity which is a current issue for many Native Americans across the US. Today we interviewed Albert Cly who has lived here for most of his life. He tells us a little about himself, and how he came to live in Westwater, and some of struggles and challenges they had  to get electricity to the families here. He talks about the progress the people have made here and what still needs to be done. And gives some advice to the next generation.Support the show

In this week's episode, Clayton interviews Aaron Yazzie, a Mechanical Engineer with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, where he designs mechanical systems for robotic space missions. He recently helped NASA work in collaboration with the Navajo Nation, to help designate some rocks and samples on Mars, based on the Navajo Language. Aaron tells us a little more about himself and what motivated him to make a career in one of the most prestigious  research and development centers.Support the show

In this week's episode, Clayton talks more about Hózhó and how it can leads us in our lives in different ways, he talks about how Hózhó can help us become a better person and in turn how we can help our communities. Clayton focuses on different aspects of Hózhó through 4 different stories which he tells. One about Prayers, one about Leadership, one about Personal Motivation and another about K'e (Relations).Support the show

This week we interviewed Reagan, who is the Extension Professor at USU helping different communities and tribes with agriculture projects and helping to teach science and nature to kids. Reagan is also one of the board members for our non-profit, Dine Nizhoni Incorporated. Reagan talks about some of her projects, and how she started on this journey to helping her people learn and grow. What keeps her motivated and why it's important for the next generation to start being motivated to help out their communities.Photo Credit: Erwin Declercq - Getty ImagesSupport the show

Welcome to our new season of Hózhó Speaks! Today we've interviewed a local man who has worked with our communities in different ways, one way is that he has worked with Navajo Nation Judicial Branch and Navajo Police as a Peacemaker Liaison for the past 13 years, he talks about how it is a different approach to dealing with conflict in the community or within the family. Stanley shares a little bit about himself and some words of wisdom to the next generation. Full Navajo Episode. Support the show

In this final episode for this season, Clayton talks a little bit more about Sih Hasin (Self-Actualization), what it means to us, our people and our community, and Clayton talks primarily to those who are graduating, this new generation who can uses two tools to help them achieve their goals and achieve Sih Hasin: Traditions and Technology. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/hozhospeaks)

This week, Clayton interviews Shaina Sagg and Racheal Holiday, from the Utah Navajo Health System's Hozho'go Iina 365 program, as Community Health Specialists working with people across San Juan County to help achieve their wellness goals whether its being more active and eating healthier. We learn a little bit more about Shaina and Racheal's background and education. They talked about how their program relates to cultural teachings, community outreach and behavioral health. We learn about some of the successes from community members who have participated in it, and how people can sign up for join.To learn more about the Hozho'go Iina 365 program, follow and reach out to them to their social media pages - @hozhogoiina365 on Instagram or Hozho'go Iina 365 on Facebook.Special thanks to Elaine & Arlen Borgen for supporting us this week.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/hozhospeaks)

In this episode, Clayton talks about Ázhi' or Names, names that people have had in the past like warrior names and from our legends, things in nature and animals, and why it is important to us as Diné to recognize this, because all things in the world have a special name. They are living beings like us and that we have something in common , and that we have a connection to them and that we should help them thrive and in turn, they will help us, with prayers , like Tádídíín, or feeding us, like Díbe or helping us, like Łíí'. And that we should reflect on our ancestors and how they used names to describe themselves, and that we should strive to be more like them and start to use or make names for our pets or even our children as a way to encourage our cultural ways. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/hozhospeaks)

In this episode, Clayton interviews Kristina Begay, a local Elementary School Teacher, who was awarded Teacher of the Year for 2021 in San Juan County, UT. Kristina is also our host Clayton's daughter, and they discuss about her childhood and her experiences about what drove her towards becoming a teacher, and some lessons that she's learned from following in Clayton's steps in teaching and talks about what our kids go through, and that with support from teachers, parents and each other we can help them succeed.  Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/hozhospeaks)

In this episode, Clayton interviews Arielle Platero, a recent graduate from Fort Lewis College with a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering and Minor in Mathematics, She's currently has an internship with Los Alamos National Laboratory and plans to purse graduate school to further her career and to help further inspire other Native American women and students that we achieve our goals and dreams whatever they may be, and that College Education and Degrees are important for them. And that Native American students should be encouraged in find careers in the STEM (Science,Technology, Engineering, and Math ) field.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/hozhospeaks)

In this episode, Clayton discusses some of the Hardships that the Diné (Navajo People) have endured and that we are a resilient people, he tells a story of Naayéé Neizghání (Monster Slayer) and how he survived the difficulties of fighting different monsters across the land. In more recent history, Hwéeldi- the Navajo Long Walk, the Navajo people were relocated into concentration camps by the US Government for 4 years, away from their Homeland and that the people survived through prayer,  Clayton talks about different gifts that can help guide us throughout our daily lives, and that we can use these different gifts to help our people not only to survive but thrive. Ahé'hee!Photo Credit: 'Long Walk of the Navajos' By Olaf Wieghorst 1987Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/hozhospeaks)

 In this episode, Clayton interviews Pete Sands, a Navajo Musician and Mabel Martin, a local Navajo Language Teacher about their new project - Navajo Highways. A Navajo Puppet show for the young and old alike to learn more about Diné Culture and to be more engaged to speak it starting at a younger age, which is very important. If you want to support their endeavor, please visit their GoFundMe page. ( https://www.gofundme.com/f/startup-funding-for-navajo-highways ) Ahé'hee! Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/hozhospeaks)

In this episode, Clayton interviews a local Medicine Man and Native Pottery artist Curtis Yanito, who also owns Yanito Baahozho Gallery in Bluff, UT. Curtis talks about a story of some local ruins and about how these places are sacred and should be respected. That we need to do more to protect these sites for the future generations to enjoy and remember.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/hozhospeaks)

In this episode, Clayton talks about how the Diné (Navajo People) didn't have clans originally after the emergence, and talks about Changing Woman and how she gifted her family different gifts to 4 Original Clans - Kinyaa'áanii (The Towering House clan), Honágháahnii (One-walks-around clan), Tódich'ii'nii (Bitter Water clan) and Hashtł'ishnii (Mud clan). Kinnyaa'ánii have the gift of leadership, Honágháahnii have the gift of healing, Tódich'ii'nii have the gift of tinkering, and Hashtł'ishnii have the gift of creativity. He talked about how these clans help our people realize their talents, and living more enriched lives.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/hozhospeaks)

In this episode, Clayton expands on the ideas of the 4 Directions and why its important to Diné culture, talking about different aspects of our lives that can help guide us into living more along Hózhó. He talks about how he envisions each of the directions (East, South, West, North) is symbolized with key aspects of our lives, Ntsá Hákees (Thinking), Nahat'á (Planning), Iiná (Life) and Sih Hasin (Reflection). He discusses about the concept of K'é (Relationship) with ourselves, our families, and even our Mother Earth and Father Sky.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/hozhospeaks)

Yá'á'teeh! Welcome to Hózhó Speaks. A New Podcast ,hosted by Clayton Long, a life long Diné teacher from Southeastern Utah, his clans are Lók'aa' Diné (Reed People), Áshįįhi (Salt People), Tł'ízí Łání (Many Goats) and Tábąąhá (Water's Edge). Hear a brief history and some of our goals here on Hózhó Speaks, produced by Diné Nízhoní Incorporated. www.dinenizhoni.org/hozhospeaksSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/hozhospeaks)