Thank you.
[SPEAKING IN NAVAJO] Good evening.
Thank you for joining us this evening.
I'm very honored to introduce Rex Lee Jim.
Rex was born in the small Diné, or Navajo community of Rock
Point, Arizona.
He lives there today and teaches Diné philosophy and culture
at the main campus of Dine Community College at Tsaile.
Rex has accomplished a major goal of Navajo life
by having returned to his home at Rock Point
after receiving degrees from Princeton
and the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College.
There is a Diné phrase that describes a person like Rex Lee
Jim, and that phrase is [SPEAKING IN NAVAJO],,
meaning that person speaks in the way of beauty.
It's a compliment, of course, on how one uses words or expresses
himself.
But more than that, it's a way of acknowledging
the important roles that family, parents, grandparents,
and great-grandparents play in the life of a person.
In Navajo, to say that one speaks
beautifully is to say that this person was cared for,
and that he was taught carefully,
that he was given thoughtful advice and guidance,
and that he is very much loved by those who raised him.
Thus, the way one speaks reflects the values and beliefs
of his or her family.
To speak well is a much admired personal trait in all
communities, but tonight, you'll experience the various poetic
and rhythmic dimensions of Diné expression.
Rex Lee Jim is the author of a collection of essays
called "Dancing Voices--
Wisdom of the American Indian," and Dúchas Táá Kóó Diné,
a trilingual poetry collection in Navajo, Gaelic Irish,
and English.
He has traveled extensively and lectured throughout the United
States and Ireland.
Please help me welcome [SPEAKING IN NAVAJO] Rex Lee
Jim.