Ceil Lucas, 65, Elkridge, Md., professor emerita, Gallaudet University

B y 1934, my Illinois-born mother was a dietitian in the Presbyterian hospital in Ganado, Ariz., in the Navajo Nation. Among her possessions was a book titled “Dineh Bizad — Navajo, His Language,” compiled in 1932 by F.G. Mitchell and published in New York by the Board of National Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. It is a handbook for beginners, a slender, dark red volume that starts with the alphabet and proceeds through word lists — greetings, travel, parts of the body — and on to conjugated verbs, including “to unhitch” and “to weave.” A lot is packed into 128 pages, including Navajo words for “church,” “Christ” and “God,” the latter being simply “God,” a direct borrowing from English.

At the front, in my mother’s loopy handwriting, it says, “Kathleen Kinnaman, Sage Memorial Hospital, October 1934.” The word “dineh” means both “people” and “Navajo.” She had a tutor and tried to wade into the very intricate grammar and sound system. I don’t think she got very far, but this is the language, after all, of the World War II code talkers. Her heart was clearly in the right place, recognizing that there was a very long and deep culture surrounding her that she needed to learn something about. Since I have made a career as a linguist, now 43 years on, I treasure this little book. On page 111, it says, “ T’ a-kah ba-yo’neh,” Do not forget. I will not.

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