A time to look at the past, plan for the future
By Tom Arviso Jr.
Navajo Times
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Another year has come and gone and today we're knocking on the door to 2008. On Tuesday, we'll be on the other side of that opened door, sprinting into the fresh year with new resolutions and plans, old problems and concerns, and lots of memories.
The Navajo Times will turn 48 years old on Aug. 4, 2008. Started in 1960, the Navajo Times will celebrate its 50th anniversary serving as the newspaper of the Navajo people in 2010.
In the past 48 years, the Navajo Nation has grown tremendously in all facets of life. So, too, has the Navajo population as we grow closer to the 400,000 mark.
The old saying still stands true: "Navajo people are just like soda and beer cans - they're everywhere."
Much of the growth of the Navajo Nation since 1960 has been recorded in the pages of the Navajo Times. We are now working to preserve that important Navajo history by digitally archiving all of the past issues that we have in our possession.
It is a tedious process and it will take several years to get all of the archiving completed but we are determined to get it done. When it is completed, the Navajo Times will be able to provide all of this archived history and information to the general public and to all schools, colleges and other educational institutions.
It can and will be a valuable learning tool for our children and grandchildren and a vital source of Navajo history for generations to come.
Forty-eight years is not very long when compared to the entire existence of the Navajo people but it has to start somewhere. For the Navajo Times, its history and existence began in 1960 as the tribe's official newspaper and that's as good a beginning as any.
The Navajo Times has set several major goals for 2008 and one that I am most eager to accomplish is to bring back the "Navajo page."
This page or these pages would be devoted to providing news, people, events, culture and history written in the Navajo language. Several years ago, the Navajo Times used to have the Navajo page on a regular basis and it became quite popular, especially in the local schools.
Reluctantly, we ceased publishing the Navajo page soon after our bilingual and cultural sources stopped providing the information we needed to compose and publish this section.
So, the Navajo Times is now seeking a person or persons who can provide expert technical assistance in redeveloping our Navajo page. This would be a part-time, paid position with the Navajo Times that would require at least eight hours per week at our office in Window Rock.
This person or persons would generate news articles, cultural stories, vocabulary lessons and games, plus other important and interesting information, all in the Navajo language. We would assist with the layout and design of this section complete with photographs, drawings and any other required artwork.
We feel it is critical that we get the Navajo page up and running as soon as possible but we have to make sure that it is done in the correct manner. That means hiring a person or persons who are experts in the speaking, reading and writing of the Navajo language.
It's normal to make mistakes but as we learned from the past, if you make an error in the Navajo language, it could be quite embarrassing, discouraging or downright insulting. That is why it needs to be done the right way.
The Navajo page could be used a learning tool and should be a proud reflection of Navajo language and culture. That is our intent and all we need are the right persons and resources to get it done.
We are also looking to hire an educated, experienced and talented person as a full-time sport writer at the Navajo Times. We will have other employment opportunities in the near future as well so be sure to check out our classified help wanted section.
The Navajo Times is also working to increase its newspaper sales outlets in all of the reservation border towns and in Albuquerque and Phoenix. We intend to expand into Santa Fe and Tucson and eventually into Denver and the Los Angeles area.
We want our Navajo people and all of our readers in these towns and cities to have direct access to the Navajo Times. We will publish listings of where the Navajo Times is sold each week in the newspaper and on our website: navajotimes.com.
As we head into 2008, I want to thank all of you for your continued support and patronage. Since 1960, the Navajo Times' readership has steadily grown and it continues to increase today.
We will continue our efforts to provide the best weekly Navajo Times that we possibly can. The staff of the Navajo Times takes great pride in publishing the newspaper of the Navajo people and providing all of our other business services.
We want you to be proud of the largest Native American owned newspaper and publishing company in the world - the Navajo Times.
On behalf of the hardworking staff here at the Navajo Times Publishing Company, have a safe, healthy, prosperous and blessed year in 2008.