"Mom, You’ll Be Home by Summer": A Diné Story of Cancer, Death, Grief, and Hope

Amerind Free Online Lecture
“Mom, You’ll Be Home by Summer”: A Diné Story of Cancer, Death, Grief, and Hope with Jennifer Nez Denetdale, PhD (Diné)
Recorded - Saturday, December 10, 2022, 11:00 am - Arizona Time
Sponsored by Desert Diamond Casinos
For Diné, death is difficult to talk about. In the wake of so many deaths during COVID-19, Dr. Jennifer Denetdale suggests that we should be more open to addressing what is a part of life, the end of life. Denetdale shares an excerpt from a work in progress about the death of her mother from cancer. It is a story of death, grief, and hope.
Dr. Jennifer Nez Denetdale (Diné), is a professor of American Studies at the University of New Mexico. The author of “Reclaiming Diné History: The Legacies of Navajo Chief Manuelito and Juanita,” two books for young adults, she has also published numerous essays, articles, and book chapters. She has been recognized for her scholarship and service to her nation and community with several awards, including the Rainbow Naatsiilid True Colors for her support and advocacy on behalf of the Navajo LGBTQI, the UNM Sarah Brown Belle award for service to her community, and UNM’s Presidential Award of Distinction. She is the recipient of the Women’s International Study Center Fellowship and the Newberry Consortium of American Indian Studies Fellowship, both in 2019. In 2020, she was awarded UNM’s 6th Annual Community Engaged Research Lectureship. Dr. Denetdale is the chair of the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission (NNHRC) and has served on the Commission for ten years.

[@margarethutchens5463]

Dr. Jennifer Nez Denetdale this presentation took much courage. I have alot of experience working with grieving families. It is always difficult, always painful. I admire you for sharing your heart in this way.