HB-282314-22 | Research Programs: Awards for Faculty | Christine M. Ami | A Study of Diné (Navajo) Traditional Sheep Butchering | 9/1/2022 - 8/31/2023 | $60,000.00 | Christine | M. | Ami | | | | Dine College | Tsalie | AZ | 86556-9998 | USA | 2021 | Native American Studies | Awards for Faculty | Research Programs | 60000 | 0 | 60000 | 0 | Research and writing a book and development of
two undergraduate courses on the practice of butchering in Diné history and
culture.
This proposal requests twelve months of funding to support the completion of my first book that re-writes the significance of sheep and the practices of traditional sheep butchering in Diné history and culture from Diné perspectives. Grounded within the Diné practice and philosophy of Dibé éí Diné be’ iiná át’é (Sheep Is Life), this project explores the nuances of sheep butchering techniques, stories, and philosophies in order to understand how dibé actively co-construct Diné identities, histories, and ways of sensing the world even during the dismembering process of traditional butchering. This award period will be spent (1) preparing and submitting a book proposal to a top tier academic press, (2) completing the first full draft of the manuscript, and (3) developing two new course syllabi derived from the book project, which will contribute to the growth of the growing Native American Studies program at Diné College in general and food sovereignty initiatives of the Navajo Nation. |