Rare Diné language newspaper now a collection on the Arizona Memory Project
PHOENIX – Meaning “current events,” Ádahooníłígíí was a Navajo language, Diné bizaad, newspaper that made its debut in 1943. Though the newspaper’s home was on the Navajo Nation, it was printed at the Phoenix Indian School until it ceased publication in 1957. As the paper grew, English summaries of Diné bizaad articles were included. Coverage included World War II and other global news, Tribal Council reporting and community news. Stories from and about Indian Schools in Arizona and elsewhere were also commonly included.
“We’re excited to digitize the newspaper Ádahooníłígíí, which the University of Arizona Libraries has in our Special Collections,” said Mary Feeney, news research librarian at the University of Arizona Libraries and National Digital Newspaper Program grant project lead at the UAL. “It was published almost entirely in the Navajo language, Diné bizaad, and making it freely-available online is invaluable to the community and researchers.” Copies of the newspaper were contributed to the digitization project by the UAL, Arizona State University Library's Labriola National American Indian Data Center, and the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records.
This is just one of the six newspaper titles from indigenous communities around Arizona that were digitized by the Arizona State Library in partnership with the University of Arizona Libraries, thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities and Library of Congress’ National Digital Newspaper Program. Issues from 1943 to 1957 of Ádahooníłígíí will also be available on the Arizona Memory Project indefinitely and can be viewed for free on any digital device at http://go.azsos.gov/adahooniligii.
For questions about this or any digital collection, or for cultural institutions interested in sharing collections on the Arizona Memory Project, contact [email protected].
The Arizona Memory Project provides free online access to the wealth of primary sources in Arizona archives, museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions. The Arizona Memory Project is supported by the Arizona State Library, Archives & Public Records, a division of the Secretary of State, with federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
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