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Purchase a copy of the Saad ak’e’elchí the Navajo/English Poetry Book for $19.00 to support the Northwest New Mexico Arts Council.

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What is Saad ak’e’elchí – Poetry?

As the global community is continually evolving it must be understood that so is the state of many cultural languages. For many indigenous languages this is referred to as “language shift.” It is common in today’s popular culture to hear the younger generations of children speaking with slang and in a sort of pieced together bilingual form. Sometimes this is Navajo or Spanish intermixed with their first languages during their conversations, a trend which some say is negative, but for the children it is their way of perpetuating their mother tongues.

This compilation of original poetry works by 21st century culturally diverse children showcases how they, the new generations, see the world. The goal of these writings is to allow readers to tangibly see in word form of how these children hear the language, speak it and write it.

The poetry contained in this selection of showcases how young poets are choosing to express themselves in modern culture. From their homes they bring a mixed bag of dialog, criss-crossing from one language to another. There is no word in the Navajo dialogue for the term “poetry.” The closest translation is literal and would describe the action of poetry using the verb sense. The Navajo term to describe poetry is, “Saad ak’e’elchí” which is loosely translated in English to “words or (talk) that is fancy.” When translating Navajo terms into English the expression changes into completely descriptive and does not always give justice to the core meaning or expression of the Navajo phrase.

Saad ak’e’elchí – Poetry the book was compiled in the Four Corners by local Artist/Poet, Venaya Yazzie for the Witter Bynner Foundation.

Mail check or money order – no cash, please to: Northwest New Mexico Arts Council, PO Box 2235, Farmington, NM 87499

If you would like to use a credit card for payment, please call 505-327-0076.

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©NWNMAC, 2006

Northwest New Mexico Arts Council
P.O. Box 2235, Farmington, NM 87499
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