Diné Identity in a Twenty-First-Century World

Din identity in the twenty-first century is distinctive and personal. It is a mixture of traditions, customs, values, behaviors, technologies, worldviews, languages, and lifeways. It is a holistic experience. Din identity is analogous to Din weaving: like weaving, Din identity intertwines all of life's elements together.

In this important new book, Lloyd L. Lee, a citizen of the Navajo Nation and an associate professor of Native American studies, takes up and provides insight on the most essential of human questions: who are we? Finding value and meaning in the Din way of life has always been a hallmark of Din studies. Lee's Din -centric approach to identity gives the reader a deep appreciation for the Din way of life. Lee incorporates Din baa hane' (Navajo history), Sa'a? h Naagh Bik'eh H zho? o? n (harmony), Din Bizaad (language), K' (relations), K' (clanship), and N hi K yah (land) to address the melding of past, present, and future that are the hallmarks of the Din way of life.

This study, informed by personal experience, offers an inclusive view of identity that is encompassing of cultural and historical diversity. To illustrate this, Lee shares a spectrum of Din insights on what it means to be human. Din Identity in a Twenty-First-Century World opens a productive conversation on the complexity of understanding and the richness of current Din identities.