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Cultural identity is not made overnight.

Cultural identity is formed over a lifetime of


experiences and journeys. My background and my practice have shaped me into who I am today.
My practices have taught me to become a good person, and to keep pursuing my education.
Misconceptions of my culture has been around for decades, and it is sad to see some people
reach those expectations. My journey that I am walking will help me serve and help those in
need of guidance. My cultural path is helping me form these traits to be the best of my abilities.
Y't'h sh Thea Benally yinishe' Tdich'ii'nii nish Tsi'naajinii bashishchiin T'z
lan dashicheii Kiyaa'anii dashinal. Introducing myself in Navajo is important to me because it
is a way to identify myself. I honor my Native American faith by practicing and living my
traditional ways. My parents help me learn my language by speaking to me in Navajo at home.
Learning the right ways to speak Navajo and pronounce it comes from my older sister. I try to
honor my culture and be respectful to my family by taking in their teachings as a guide to me.
I practice my Native American culture through school. In Navajo, Mr. Harvey teaches the
class to not only speak Navajo, but to spell it as well. He teaches us the alphabet, and worksheets
to fill in with words that we've learned. Mr. Harvey teaches the class to learn of the history
behind Navajo people and the land. Reading of early settlers and how the land was transformed
is inspiring how our ancestors once lived.
Being Navajo, I do not like how we are misinterpreted to other people. In other people's
eyes Navajo is another statistic to add to the Native American chart. Navajo is misjudged as
uneducated and living in poverty. The mention of the word 'Gallup' brings up pictures of drunk
people. Teens are seen as drop outs, and having premarital sex- leading to having kids. It is sad to
see some people live to these standards, but this is only a fourth of our people. The other three
fourths are out there trying to change this misguidance. Our reputation is shattered, but changing

the statistic like less drunks, waiting to have sex, and waiting to have children will help revitalize
our life. The only way to stop these misinterpretations is to stop letting them become true.
My culture path has shaped me into a more stronger being. My culture has taught me to
always pursue my dreams. My parents have taught me this by encouraging me to go farther in
my education. Without education, you have no future for yourself to become better. With these
words of advice I plan to go to college after high school. Leaving Gallup will help test me to still
be a good person and to practice my beliefs. Going farther in my education is the way to a better
life because in times like this- higher education is needed to help others.
Even though I will leave for college, I plan to come back to help my people. I hear lots
of kids say," Gallup is boring. I'm going to leave and never come back," and in some ways that
seems like the only way. I once was like that, until my older sister had a good point. She said 'If
you want to change the way Gallup is- you have to change it yourself.' I cannot leave this place
hoping it will get better on its own. I have to educate the younger generation to be better than the
past. Complaining about the way things are won't fix it- you have to engage yourself to really see
results. I want to come back home to my people and help- little by little it will change.
My path has impacted me the way I think of my life. Without my knowledge of my
culture, I would be lost in finding my identity. My culture has shaped me into a better person
because it teaches me to value all the little things in life. Honoring my parents and praying to
God have all played a major role. My culture would not have been stronger without Mr. Harvey
teaching us of our people fighting to keep our culture and preserving it. My culture has shaped
my life for the better and I plan on becoming even greater through my education and my
traditional ways of life.

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