Diné College is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

tribal The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

land-grant college A land-grant university (also called land-grant college or land-grant institution) is an institution of higher education in the United States designated by a state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890. Signed by Abraha ...

in Tsaile, Arizona, serving the

Navajo Nation The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native Americans in the United States, Native American Indian reservation, reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwe ...

. It offers

associate degree An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. Th ...

bachelor's degrees A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

, and

academic certificate An academic certificate is a document that certifies that a person has received specific education or has passed a test or series of tests. In many countries, a certificate is a qualification attained in secondary education. For instance, stude ...

Campus

The main campus of Diné College is in

Tsaile Tsaile ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States, on the Navajo Nation. The population was 1,205 at the 2010 census. Tsaile is the home of the main campus of Diné College (formerly Navajo Community Co ...

, a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

unincorporated Unincorporated may refer to: * Unincorporated area, land not governed by a local municipality * Unincorporated entity, a type of organization * Unincorporated territories of the United States, territories under U.S. jurisdiction, to which Congress ...

Apache County Apache County is in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. Shaped in a long rectangle running north to south, as of the 2020 census, its population was 66,021. The county seat is St. Johns. Most of the county is occupied by par ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

. There are also five branches of Diné College: two in

, Arizona ( Chinle and Window Rock), one in

Coconino County Coconino County is a county in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its population was 145,101 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Flagstaff. The county takes its name from ''Cohonino'', a name applied to the Havasupai ...

, Arizona ( Tuba City), one in

McKinley County McKinley County is a county in the northwestern section of the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 71,367. Its county seat is Gallup. The county was created in 1901 and named for President William ...

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

(

Crownpoint Crownpoint ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) on the Navajo Nation in McKinley County, New Mexico, McKinley County, New Mexico. The population was 2,500 at the time of the 2010 United States census, 2010 census. It is located along the Tr ...

) and one in San Juan County, New Mexico ( Shiprock). The main Tsaile campus includes eight fifteen-room dormitories housing about 150 students: each octagonally shaped unit has a fireplace in the center, and is described by the college as a "hooghan away from hogan"—a reference to the traditional Navajo ''hogan'' dwelling. The residence life office is in Ch'ó (Spruce) Hall. Residence halls include: Co-ed: * Deestsiin (Pinyon) Hall * K'ai' (Willow) Hall * Ndíshchíí' (Pine) Hall * Sáá' (Maple) Hall * T'iisbéí (Aspen) Hall (Honors) Female only: * T'iisbáhí (Elm) Hall * T'iistsoh (Cottonwood) Hall Male only: * Tséch'il (Oak) Hall Family housing: * Gad (Juniper) Hall Hogan Faculty Housing is also on campus. Residents of family housing and faculty housing are zoned to the

Chinle Unified School District Chinle Unified School District No. 24 (CUSD) is a public unified school district headquartered in Chinle, a census-designated place in Apache County, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, United States. It is managed by a five-member elected school boa ...

. Tsaile Elementary School is in proximity to the university. All Chinle USD residents are assigned to Chinle High School.

Governance

The college is directed by an eight-member Board of Regents confirmed by the Government Services Committee of the Navajo Nation Council. The name

Diné The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...

comes from the traditional name for the Navajo, meaning "the people."

History

''Diné College'' opened in 1968 as the Navajo Community College, the first college established by Native Americans for Native Americans.Colleg Opens for Navajo Tribe
. ''United Press International''. The Ogden Standard-Examiner. January 20, 1969. p. 8A. The College was chartered by the Navajo Nation in 1968. The Navajo Tribal Council appointed Guy Gorman, Yazzie Begay, Chester Yellowhair, Carl Todacheene, Wilson Skeet, Howard Gorman, Allen Yazzie, and Dillon Platero to be the first to serve on the college's

Board of Regents In the United States, a board often governs institutions of higher education, including private universities, state universities, and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual c ...

. Robert Roessel served as the college's first president. The college was originally located on the site of the Rough Rock Community School in Rough Rock on a temporary basis until a permanent site could be chosen and constructed. The Board of Regents selected three possible sites for the college, namely the

– Wheatfields area, Many Farms, and Ganado.Wheatfields Is Recommended
. ''The Gallup Independent''. September 14, 1968. p. 1. After a Board-commissioned survey of possible sites for the college, the Tsaile–Wheatfields area was recommended because it had plenty of water available and has scenic forests and lakes. After the Board was guaranteed 1,000 acres for the campus, a residential area, and a shopping area, the Board officially chose the Tsaile–Wheatfields area in October 1968. The Board asked people to sent in designs for the college's

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...

, and it chose the William Morgan's design of an arrowhead encircled by a rainbow god. The college officially opened on January 20, 1968, with 40 members of the faculty. There were 340 students enrolled during its first semester, which was the limit of its capacity.First Reservation College Established By Navajos
. ''El Paso Times''. July 19, 1969. More than 3,000 other applicants had to be turned away because of the lack of space. The college added 23 evening classes because there was so much more demand for evening classes than for daytime classes. By 1973, 3,421 students in total had enrolled at Navaho Community College, but only 46 had graduated with associate's degrees during that time.First College for Indians Undergoing Growing Pains
. ''The Los Angeles Times''. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. April 6, 1973. p. 3D. There was little for the students to do outside of classes, and excessive drinking became a problem for some. Students began taking classes at the college's permanent campus in Tsaile in October 1973, after delays in its construction.Navajo School Dedicated
. ''Associated Press''. Carlsbad Current-Argus. May 15, 1974. p. 4. The campus was officially dedicated on May 14, 1974. Most of the campus' buildings were built in octagonal shapes, similar to the eight-sided traditional Navaajo hogan. The campus cost $12million to build. Some classes were taught in Shiprock and Fort Defiance. Tommy Lewis became president in August 1992. Durign his tenure, the college's funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs increased to almost $7.3million in 2000. The Navajo Language and Culture Curriculum became widely popular at the Tsaile campus after the program saw increases in class enrollment, thus allowing the Board of Regents to implement the program throughout the institution. In 1994, the college was designated a

alongside 31 other tribal colleges. During the Summer of 1997, the administration changed the name of the college from Navajo Community College to Diné College in order to better to represent the school's function as an institution of learning for the Diné/Navajo people. In 1998, Diné College bestowed its first

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...

s under the Diné Teacher Education Program, accredited through a partnership with

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

. In 1998, the Diné College Library was rededicated as the Kinyaa'áanii Charlie Benally Memorial Library. On May 21, 2011, the women's archery team made history by winning the United States college national championship in compound bow. This is believed to be the first time a tribal college team has won a top-tier intercollegiate national championship event in any sport.

Academics

* The Center for Diné Studies goal is to apply Navajo principles to advance quality student learning through (Thinking), (Planning), (Living) and (Assurance) in study of the Navajo language, history, and culture in preparation for further studies and employment in a multi-cultural and technological world. * The Uranium Education Program at the Shiprock campus is an empowerment program for the Navajo centering on the study of radiation and environmental health issues arising from the aftermath of

uranium Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium is weak ...

mining/milling operations on the

, as well as other serious environmental issues. Diné College offers bachelor's degrees in elementary education and tribal management.

Alumni

Carmelita Little Turtle Carmelita "Carm" Little Turtle is an Apache/ Tarahumara photographer born in Santa Maria, California, on June 4, 1952. Her hand-painted, sepia-toned photographs explore gender roles, women's rights and the relationships between women and men. Li ...

–

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño a ...

/ Rarámuri photographer * Nicco Montaño – professional

Mixed Martial Artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

, inaugural and current UFC Women's Flyweight Champion as of March 2020. First UFC Champion with

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest fe ...

descent.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dine College Universities and colleges in Arizona Education on the Navajo Nation American Indian Higher Education Consortium Education in San Juan County, New Mexico Educational institutions established in 1968 Buildings and structures in Apache County, Arizona Buildings and structures in Navajo County, Arizona Buildings and structures in Coconino County, Arizona Education in Apache County, Arizona Education in Navajo County, Arizona Education in Coconino County, Arizona USCAA member institutions 1968 establishments in Arizona Community colleges in New Mexico