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In this screen shot,
Jennifer Jackson-Wheeler is in her kitchen explaining in Navajo
how to make alkaan. Her cooking demo project can be viewed
on her Facebook page.
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WINDOW ROCK, AZ - Dr. Jennifer Jackson-Wheeler is a former Miss
Navajo, an associate professor, grandmother and a lover of cooking.
She has combined all these attributes into making short cooking
videos in Navajo and posting them on Facebook for her one-year-old
granddaughter.
"I do what I can with family, sharing knowledge given to me by
my mother, Ella Jackson, my aunts, and my late grandmother, but
when I became a grandparent recently, it changed me," said Jackson-Wheeler.
"Our one-year-old nálii, Elizabeth Nihaaníbaa', influences
me even more these days to share our language with our people,"
she said. "I am doing this new project for her and for all my grandchildren
(sisters' and brothers' grandchildren)."
In one video Jackson-Wheeler is in her bright kitchen with her
long hair tied back, ready to start making Alkaan, which is made
during a Navajo girl's coming of age ceremony, a kinaalda. But Jackson-Wheeler
states that you can make this treat at home any time and enjoy it.
Throughout the video, which she tries to keep 10 to 15 minutes
long, she speaks only in Navajo for everything from ingredients
to kitchen tools.
There are also captions spelling out kitchen tools she is using
in Navajo. This video had 799 shares and over 100 comments from
people giving their appreciation for the video and recipe.
"I also try to make and share my recipes based on what Facebook
family and friends request," said Jackson-Wheeler. "I plan to demonstrate
both Navajo and non-Navajo foods, such as an apple pie recipe without
measuring, which I learned from my aunt who lives in Wichita."
With the coronavirus on Navajo Nation keeping many people including
Jackson-Wheeler, inside, she said she doesn't go to the grocery
store as often. In her cupboard she has the Navajo basics of white
corn, blue corn, flour, sumac, ash and cornhusks.
Jackson-Wheeler said Navajo was her first language and it was her
grandmother, Elizabeth Wauneka, who encouraged her grandchildren
to speak Navajo and to be proud of who they are as Diné.
"She used to remind us to remember our people who suffered during
the Long Walk era, and to do whatever we could to honor our ancestors
and carry their teachings forward," said Jackson-Wheeler. She is
an associate professor of English at Navajo Technical University
and chair of faculty at the university's Chinle campus.
The coronavirus has impacted the school tremendously, she said,
but despite this students, faculty, staff and administrators have
demonstrated "resilience and strength" through collaboration and
support of each other. "Many (students) lack basic learning tools,
such as laptops and Internet, things that many of us take for granted,"
said Jackson-Wheeler. "We are still working together to loan laptops
to students, many located in remote areas."
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