Jennifer Nez Denetdale

Teaches at The Newberry

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 Native Studies. Denetdale is an Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of New Mexico and teaches courses in Native American Studies. She specializes in Navajo history and culture; Native American women, gender, and feminisms; and Indigenous nations, colonialism, and decolonization. Her book, Reclaiming Diné History: The Legacies of Navajo Chief Manuelito and Juanita, was published by the University of Arizona Press in 2007 and has 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's most recent publication was an article, "Securing the Navajo National Boundaries: War, Patriotism, Tradition, and the Diné Marriage Act of 2005," for a special issue on Native Feminisms in Wicazo Sa Review. She was the co-editor of this special issue. For the summer of 2010, she was guest curator for the exhibit, "Hastiin Ch'ilhajíní dóó Diné bi naat'áanii Bahane': Chief Manuelito & Navajo Leaders," at the Navajo Nation Museum. Her current research project is a history of Navajo women.