| Show CULTURAL EXCHANGES The Salt Lake Tribune in Monument Valley and in Kazym are urged to speak their native tongues Only a handful of the Khanty students know their native language primarily because they live in remote areas away from the village where native traditions still thrive One of those students Igor Zorin said he immediately recognized many Navajo words He says if they speak slowly he can understand says Nora Rakhimkubra the Kazym English teacher and translator for the group A few Navajo words sound similar to Khanty words and have similar meaning For instance the Navajo words for mud water and sky sound like the Khanty words for sand lake and stars Some of their language was sort of like ours especially from Exchange Brings Two Cultures Closer Together Continued from Pi E-- l cultural traditions most importantly a deep respect for nature The feeling they have for the land is the same that we have Long says That knowledge is so evident you can see it in their eyes and their manners The way they talk about it is exactly the same as ns In his heart Mose believes there is a distinct connection During his month in Siberia he was taken by helicopter the only means of transportation out of Kazym into a available remote eastern section of the piovince He went to villages he still cannot find on any map pi mes that transcend the meaning of remote On one flight the helicopter hovered over a marsh and the Russian pilot told Mose to jump out because he couldnt land in thp swamp Mose obeyed landing knee deep in freezing water then watched the helicopter loft away over the deep forest wondering w hat he had gotten himself into Soon he was greeted by a native Sibei ian shaman much like a named Navajo medicine man Alexei who kissed Mose on both cheeks and exclaimed: I am your brother and I know that it was your heart that brought you here Mose spent over two weeks livv itli Alexei dining on reindeer fish and herbal tea The men ing Don Mose spent hours relating their respective tribes traditions cultures and stories One of the most astonishing Khanty stories says Mose was of the Khanty Ancestral Trail the path Alexei says was taken by his Asiatic ancestors over the Bering Strait traveling between Asia and America This is the same theory the Navajo hold regarding the Ha-ka- z Dinee or People of the Cold who separated from us long ago and went north says Mose This and other stories of the shaman convinced me of the ties between these people of the near Artie region and my own Navajo tribe They are what my people call the the other people Naa Dine Early Navajo boarding schools taught only English and students who spoke Navajo were punished The first Khanty boarding schools also insisted that students speak Russian Now however students the Nentsi another regional tribe says Olivia Holiday a Monument Valley High senior Mose who traveled to Kazym twice to arrange for the exchange taught English and Navajo to the Russian students in preparation for their trip to Utah Once as I had just come out of the dormitory at the school a group of students approached me with huge smiles and said in unison Yaateeh Mr Mose proud of the Navajo greeting they had learned from their English teacher Mose recalls By the time I left Kazym practically all the villagers would greet me with such a salutation I felt like a dignitary The Utah students were treated with the same respect The people there were so kind to us says Navajo Ursula Tom Every morning we would walk around the village and everyone would say hello or hi because Photos by Scott 1 7 30 DAY FREE TRIAL CREMATIONS $695 WALK-IN- ki The Utahns visit to Kazym was not without its awkward cultural moments however During a tour of a tribal museum a Khanty woman unveiled an altar upon which sat a bear pelt and head As the animal stared blankly out at the Utah Navajos they were told the bear is revered by the Khanty and that its powers are solicited for protection While Navajos similarly recognize bears as being spiritually powerful they also see bears as creatures to be avoided only Navajo medicine men are allowed to touch the bear fat used in a sacred ceremony to make a man strong They asked us to kiss the bear to show respect and we cant kiss or touch bears in our traditional ways says Navajo Allison Cly Adds Olivia Holiday: It probably seemed sort of rude but we had to say No no thank you When the Russian students visited Utah they were blessed by a medicine man and invited to a sheep slaughter and mutton feast the first time many of the Khanty students had eaten mutton At Mexican Hat Elementary School they were given a demonstration of a computer program that helps Navajo students learn English The students say the computers in our school in Kazym are 50 to 70 years behind yours says content of CALL Suitable Severe The Salt Lake Tribune is available daily on the Web Hearing For and Mild Loss $280 s585 f High Quality From An Honest company With Honest Prices BEEHIVECOCHLEAR QUALITY HEARING 568-040- 4 PLEASE ALL MAKES REPAIRED SPECIAL SIGNING Saturday November 29 Dimter-$L- 83 11am - 5pm Wc need your help to provide hoi mealsand other essential services to hungry and homeless men women and children in the Sail Lake City area this Christmas season to personally sign purchases of For just $1 83 you can provide a home cooked Christmas Dinner with ham candied yams hot vegetables mashed potatoes and gravy pineapple sauce rolls and a giant slice of pie for dessert Please help us feed and care for the hungry and homeless by mailing your gift today $1830 helps 10 $7320 helps 40 people $5490 helps 30 souls $183 provides Waterford Crystal has a large selection of Waterford pieces including the 1997 Artisan Bowl and our Exclusive Love and Kisses bowl available for your aquisition Waterford crafted for unmatched brilliance and beauty is an ideal gift for the holidays Felt-Bucho- rn $36 60 cares for 20 people people 100 meals OKeeffe a Waterford Master Cutter will be at on Felt-Bucho- rn CUP AND MAIL WITH YOUR GIFT TODAY Complete Christmas Na-vas- Mr Philip $15 to $60 max Free tests 7450 So State cm Khanty students and when we said ET they knew it They could name all of Disneys Aladdin characters In Kazym during a celebration remembering the end of World War II Mose says he was approached by an elderly Khanty man who was a Russian Army veteran wearing a uniform bedecked with medals The man told Mose he was honored to meet a man whose people were the the Navajo Code Talkers and more Other $ Name Address Apt Enter to win a Waterford Fiona Desk Lamp CitySlateZip Costs are average and include the expense of prepanng and providing meals If gifts exceed expenses extra funds will be used to care for the hungty and homeless throughout the year SALT LAKE CITY Give a Christmas dinner to a homeless person that transcended space and time I have never felt so proud as I did then to be an American Indian Wilie who grew up on the Navajo reservation says meeting the Khanty made him feel part of a bigger society When you see these people its like putting pieces of the puzzle together he explains I hear the similarities in how they talk the words and stories they have So many years have passed and such a great distance separates us but we still have not changed that much Now Only $395 $485 $410 wwwsltribcom SljfMWakfirifeBitf 12 CANAL AID a Smaller Than Full Shell Suitable For Most Hearing Losses were sitting down with the who relayed Allied battle plans via radio during World War II How many years have we been taught to fear the Russians the Commies the Reds? asks Mose Yet this simple man offered me a hand of friendship and respect Waterford crystal EVENT! FOR APPT Smallest in The World SHELL FULL periodic scans of a language dictionary some universally understood gestures and a few key phrases to communicate They know Pizza Hut for sure says Harry Wilie a Navajo who hosted two of the Khanty students m his Orem home My kids Exp one hearing aid get second one for price on all aids Shsre with a friend! 363-706- 5 Full WELCOMEOR S the translator Yakov Tarlin a Khanty pets his dog before hunting Some Khanty hold modern jobs yet maintain the traditional lifestyle Nov 30 1997 We manufacture high quality hearing aids from US approved parts here in Utah Buy Salt Lake Memorial Mausoleum & Mortuary FELT-BUCHOR-N 445East on Sad) Temple Sab Ixrke City Utd)84111 131 or MISSION 468 West 200 South Dept 1129 Salt Lake City UT 84101 http 801-532- -1 www saltlakecitymiseion org OUR 4TH YEAR OF SERVICE TO SALT LAKE CITY Get a copy T I arren knew We went to one village and everyone wanted to have their picture taken with us the Ameri-cans- They feel like they are on another planet During much of the exchange the two student groups and their adult leaders frequently relied on senior at Monument Valley High teaches English to students in Siberia W Marina Moldanova of Kazym Siberia left watches Bonnie Atene prepare Navajo frybread Rakhimkubra Uisula Tom E3 Saturday November 29 1997 of any Tribune photo T 8x10 glossy reprint of any photo taken by a Sait Lake Tribune photographer and published in The Tnbune can be yours for $15 Subsequent copies $10 each Photos cannot be used for commercial purposes (Commercial use contracts are available for some photos with a signed An agreement ) Call 0 to order r |
