The Navajo Language Program (NLP) is committed to advancing the study of Navajo language, linguistics, history, and culture. We promote the use and sustainability of the Navajo language through language instruction, linguistic research, and cultural engagement.

Our introductory classes here at UNM encourage students to start using Navajo in their daily lives wherever they can. The advanced courses encourage students to read, write, and engage in research on the Navajo language. We offer a minor in Navajo Language for undergraduate students. We also offer an undergraduate certificate, the Diné Language Immersion Teacher Certificate, through the Diné Language Teacher Institute (DLTI). Graduate Linguistics students in the MA program can pursue a focus in Navajo with a Concentration in Native American Languages of the Southwest.

In addition to language instruction, the program has also made major contributions to linguistic research on the Navajo language. This research includes expansive investigations on the lexicography, verbal semantics and syntax, and syntactic variation of Navajo. Some of our current projects include creating a corpus, developing a database of sound profiles, and investigating first language acquisition of verbal syntax. All of this work resulted in the establishment of the Indigenous Child Language Research Center (ICLRC) at UNM.

Each semester, we offer a variety of culture nights, which are open for anyone to attend. These events aim to promote various aspects of Diné culture, including art, stories, games, health and well-being, and k’e (the relationship between the self and family, community, and all living things).

We work closely with institutions across the Southwest in improving Navajo language engagement. We welcome students from all over the US, and are particularly pleased to welcome students from UNM-Gallup, Diné College, Navajo Technical University, San Juan College, Central New Mexico Community College, and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (among others). Our faculty is actively involved in other linguistic organizations as well, such as the Institute on Collaborative Language Research (CoLang) and the Lobo Language Acquisition Lab (LLAB). They are also involved in various Indigenous language organizations, including the Diné Language Teachers Institute (DLTI), the Diné Language Teacher Association, the Navajo Language Academy, Inc., the Society for the Study of Indigenous Languages of the Americas, and the Saad K’idilyé Diné Language Nest.

Through our instruction, research, engagement, and collaboration, we strive to make a positive and long-lasting impact on the Navajo language and community.