In a unique class at The University of New Mexico-Gallup, students have been learning how to use professional and technical communication skills to share their personal connections to the region’s Indigenous cultures, traditions and stories.
Not only are students earning college credits for their research and writing assignments, but their work is contributing to a project in collaboration with the George Galanis Multicultural Center in downtown Gallup.
“The students really drill down into Gallup’s culture and history,” Associate Professor Dr. Tracy Lassiter said of her class. “They’re collecting stories from people before those stories are lost — as much as possible — but then recognizing that their own story becomes part of that story too.”
Lassiter explained that personal stories are the pivot point for the students’ writing assignments, which helps the technical writing aspects of the class come alive and become more engaging.
Students are tasked with conducting research about a topic, starting at UNM-Gallup’s Zollinger Library.
From there, students may visit other sites and locations in the area to track down other sources of information.
Students also interview local people, such as trading post owners or weavers, to gain insight from their first-hand knowledge.
The finished projects are intended to be used by the multicultural center — either to display in racks alongside exhibits in the museum or to help with educational outreach at local schools.
Lassiter said they are also looking into publication possibilities to share the students’ work beyond the museum.
SILVERSMITHING RESEARCH STUMBLES INTO FAMILY CONNECTION
At the end of the spring semester in May, Lassiter’s students delivered their presentations in class, focusing on different aspects of Indigenous traditions and stories.
Student Lamar Elliott used a projector to display printed photographs for his presentation on silversmithing, which he found a deep family connection to through this research.
Elliott pursued the subject after his older brother, who lives in Florida, found a watch made by Frank Armstrong, a silversmith who is local to the Gallup area. Elliott was unsuccessful in contacting Armstrong directly, but as he dug for more information, he learned about other prominent silversmiths, including Kenneth Begay and Fred Peshlakai.
He also realized recently that his own grandfather was a silversmith. Elliott’s grandfather died before he was born, but his mother passed down a piece of his grandfather’s jewelry to him — a necklace made from scrap.
“I thought it was really amazing how I sort of chose this topic as a whim, but the more I got into finding and researching this topic, the closer I got to it with my family history and possible connections,” Elliott said.
A PERSONAL LOOK INSIDE A RITE OF PASSAGE
Student Ryanelle Velarde created a PowerPoint slideshow with personal photos showcasing the traditional Navajo kinaaldá, a ceremony that celebrates a girl’s transition into adulthood — typically around the age of 11-13 years old.
Velarde shared photos from her own kinaaldá when she was 9 years old as well as her niece’s kinaaldá. Velarde explained an older woman will guide and direct the girl during the ceremony. Velarde had the privilege of taking on that role for her niece in February.
“So I got to have first-hand experience with all of that,” she said. “It was very nerve-wracking.”
Velarde shared the origins of the kinaaldá and detailed each part of the four-day ceremony, which includes building a fire that lasts the entire time, running east toward the sun every morning, wearing traditional clothing, baking a cake and sharing it with guests, and more.
The kinaaldá also serves as a way for Navajo elders to pass down their knowledge and traditions to the youth.
“It’s a good time for a community to come together, and it’s meant to bring positivity, and you’re just supposed to have a good mindset through it all,” Velarde said. “And so that’s all I hoped for during my niece’s [ceremony]. It was a real eye-opening and inspiring thing.”
STAR STORIES FROM THE SOUTHWEST
Student Katie Schultz created an activity booklet to compliment her presentation on Southwest star stories and constellations.
Schultz shared that she has always looked toward the stars with fascination. She even named her children Orion and Nova.
She said she has been interested in constellations and their connections to Indigenous stories for about a decade. However, she encountered difficulties in learning more about star stories either because people weren’t familiar with them or people were reluctant to share.
Schultz noted that her children are half Navajo, so she wants to be able to teach them about their culture, but they don’t many have relatives to guide them and Schultz herself doesn’t have answers to their questions.
“So, this is something to be able to show to them,” she said of the activity booklet. “And they love it. Now, they’re starting to come to this understanding of their namesake and stuff. … So this is just like a starter. These aren’t my stories, really, to tell. I found so much information and lots and lots of stories, but this is more of an introduction.”
A CULTURE FUSION
Sandra Freeland, the education coordinator for the George Galanis Multicultural Center, sat in on the class to hear the presentations and offer advice on where students could do more research on their subjects and how to take their projects to the next level.
For example, Freeland suggested that Elliot visit the House of Stamps, a silversmith shop located on the west side of Gallup to gain more insight on his subject.
Freeland also honed in on a common theme that emerged from the presentations: cultural fusion.
She noted how Velarde mentioned buying ground corn for her niece’s kinaaldá rather than her niece grinding it herself — an example of how modern practices can be incorporated into traditional ceremonies.
Freeland also talked about Schultz’s efforts to learn about Navajo star stories that are told only during certain parts of the year because of their sacredness.
She suggested a cultural fusion is needed in order to “translate” these subjects for younger generations, so young people can learn about their culture and find balance between traditional and modern ways of life.
“We have to have a cultural, ethical guideline so that it’s still valid and appropriate, but not secretive,” she said.
TECHNICAL WRITING COMES ALIVE
Lassiter explained that inviting Freeland to listen to the presentations gave students a simulated experience of making a pitch to a client in the professional world.
The class, ENGL2210: Professional and Technical Communication, seeks to introduce students to the different types of documents and correspondence that they may create in their professional careers, but with a personal touch.
n the Fall 2023 semester, Lassiter first tried the new personal approach to the class to help her students engage more with their assignments. She challenged students to write about local and personal subjects, which made the research process come alive.
“They find it to be rewarding and interesting,” she said. “And at the same time, we’re contributing something to the community. And it’s done so much to change the tenor and the purpose of tech writing … to make it something more alive and robust.”
Freeland echoed the sentiment after she thanked Lassiter’s students for their presentations.
“It’s a good way to use [these topics] to connect technical writing skills, which we all need and you all need to survive in this generation,” Freeland said. “But to do it through personal stories and connection to your community, that makes it meaningful.”
Lassiter is scheduled to teach this course again during the Fall 2025 semester from 8 am-9:15 am Tuesdays and Thursdays. As of July 1, four students were enrolled in the class, and Lassiter hopes more will sign up.
