Racing Against Time to See the Sunset at Canyon De Chelly

The daily view from outside our hotel

After three days in Window Rock, it is starting to feel very much like home. The scenery, people, and certainly the food are all familiar and comforting things to me – shout out to Ephraim and Isaiah for telling us our daily breakfast options with a smile, Michael for the amazing angry birds cupcake and for helping me up the rock, and Ron for staying beyond quitting time so we could browse the jewelry! As we are all working at different locations here in Window Rock, today we had a group picnic lunch with our supervisors from DNA People’s Legal Services, the Department of Justice, and the Office of the Navajo Tax Commission. Having climbed up Window Rock yesterday it was nice to have lunch in its shadow while getting to know people from the various offices around the city. 

Looking down on Window Rock the city from atop the window rock itself

Beyond the fun, food, and sightseeing, working at DNA People’s Legal Services has been an amazing opportunity to practice what I have learned so far and to learn even more. As a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Preparer with WCL in D.C. (offering free tax preparation for low income individuals), I was excited to put those services to use here in Window Rock – I now know how to prepare taxes tailored to residents of the Navajo Nation! This opportunity to serve using what knowledge I have, combined with the opportunity to learn something new is what has made my time with DNA People’s Legal Services so great. I can only hope that others on this trip are having as great a time at their internship placements as I have had working with John, Brenda, Erika, Sage, Ruby, and Paula!

Watching the sun set at Canyon de Chelly

As we near the end of our time here, I have begun to reflect on how the Diné people may view our brief stay. Though we have only been here a short time and can not have had a wide-reaching effect on the citizens of even Window Rock alone, I hope our presence in the various offices and seeing our faces around the city reminds the citizens that there is great interest in learning of and from the Navajo traditions. As students trained in an Anglo-Saxon practice of law, I think perhaps the most important thing we should take away from this experience is cultivating a willingness to work within different and sometimes overlapping theories of and frameworks for justice. For me, that is the ultimate ‘thing’ I am carrying back with me to WCL, and hopefully beyond. 

 Adjua Adjei-Danso