JENNIFER DENETDALE
SCHOLAR
from the University of New Mexico’s Feminist Research Institute, May 2019
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As the first-ever Diné/Navajo to earn a Ph.D. in history, Dr. Jennifer Nez Denetdale is a strong advocate for Native peoples and strives to foster academic excellence in the next generation of students interested in Indigenous Studies.
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Denetdale is an Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of New Mexico and teaches courses in Critical Indigenous Studies, Indigenous gender and sexuality, Indigenous feminisms, and Diné Studies. Her book, Reclaiming Diné History: The Legacies of Navajo Chief Manuelito and Juanita, was published by the University of Arizona Press in 2007 and received positive reviews. Her book for young adults, The Long Walk: The Forced Exile of the Navajo, was published by Chelsea House in 2007. Professor Denetdale is the author of numerous essays, articles, and book chapters. Dr. Denetdale is currently working on her next book manuscript, “The Photographs of Milton Snow and the Making of the Modern Navajo Nation, 1937-1959.”
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She has served as a consultant for Native museum exhibits and film projects. She was an expert witness on behalf of the Navajo Nation. She is the director of UNM’s Institute for American Indian Research (IFAIR) and the chair of the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission. As a commissioner on the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission, she has advocated for Navajo women and the LGBTQI community. She has been recognized for her scholarship and service to her nation and community with several awards, including the Rainbow Naatsiilid True Colors for her support and advocacy on behalf of the Navajo LGBTQI and the UNM Faculty of Color Award for her teaching, research and service in the academy.
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In 2013, she was awarded the UNM Sarah Brown Belle award for service to her community. In the spring of 2015, she was recognized for Excellence in Diné Studies by the Navajo Studies Conference, Inc. She is also very proud to have been selected to deliver the inaugural address before the 23rd Navajo Nation Council upon their inauguration in January 2015. In 2017, she was awarded the UNM Presidential Award of Distinction.
The Feminist Research Institute is dedicated to the production of scholarship on women, gender, and sexuality, and to the creation of intellectual community among feminist scholars at UNM. UNM has a large number of feminist faculty and graduate students, and the Institute offers an opportunity to meet and work with others both within and across disciplines.
