APACHE LANGUAGE AND HISTORY SAN CARLOS APACHE COLLEGE

The vision of San Carlos Apache College is Nnee bi’at’e’ihi nłdzilgo adanłzih, translates to “Upholding the Power of Apache Wisdom and Knowledge”. The College’s Mission statement is “To provide the Nnee an excellent higher education experience rooted in Nnee bi’at’e”. One of the College’s four major goals is, “Rekindle the language, traditions, and culture of the Apache people”. For hundreds of years the Apache people have resisted efforts at assimilation and attempted to maintain their Apache language, culture, and traditions. Although the Apache people have already lost so much, they are striving like never before to revive and keep what little is left. They are strengthening their efforts to teach the young the Apache language and expose them to the Apache way-of-life. The interest of students in learning their language, as well as learning about the traditions and practice the culture, is phenomenal. To provide more than classroom learning, they have invited speakers from the community to present on language, plants, hunting, storytelling, arts & crafts, ceremonies, and tribal government. They hosted a Language Summit at the Apache Gold Casino which was well-attended by community members. It is imperative to include community members, as they also hold the key to teaching Apache Wisdom and Knowledge. The college offers day and night classes in the Apache language, and San Carlos High School offers dual enrollment classes in the Apache language. High school students earn college credits. It works in their favor as an Apache Language class is required for graduation. Currently, the College has four Apache Language Teachers. Since 2017, the College has served approximately 550 students in the Apache Language and Apache History classes. All the Teachers are fluent Apache speakers and have extensive experience in teaching. The College has three semesters in a year and high school students are also included in the final count. Sometimes, the College Apache Language Teachers are called upon to do presentations and translations for other governmental agencies. Occasionally, they meet with the Education Department and the Language Preservation Department on mutual concerns and interests. They enjoy doing what they know best, and what is truly fulfilling to them, which is to teach the young people to speak Apache and retain their God given identity.