White Guy Speaks Rare Native American Language, Shocks Locals
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 พ.ค. 2021
- Go to buyraycon.com/xiaomanyc for 15% off your order! Brought to you by Raycon. I’ve always wanted to learn a Native American language, but it’s been extremely difficult to find anyone with whom I could learn as most indigenous American languages are considered critically endangered or extinct. So a couple months ago I was extremely excited to get in touch with someone who could teach me Navajo, the original language of the Navajo people who live mostly in the Navajo Nation located in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Less than 200,000 people speak Navajo in the entire world. Navajo is hands down the hardest language I’ve ever studied, with extremely challenging pronunciation and one of the most complex grammatical systems of any extant language. It’s so complex that the language was used by the Navajo code talkers as the basis for a secret communication system during World War II.
But even though many young people no longer speak the language, the older generation often still does, and so after a month of studying the language and me and my crew’s COVID vaccinations we flew out to New Mexico to find locals to practice with. Thanks to Raycon for sponsoring this video and I’ll be donating 100% of the sponsorship profits to NavajoStrong, a nonprofit which supports the Navajo community. If you would like to find out more about or donate to NavajoStrong, you can find them at: www.navajostrong.org/
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If that lady has grand kids who say “I can’t learn Navajo” she’s gonna say “well I saw a white man speak the language so you have no excuse”
Haha
as a Navajo/Diné, this is exactly true. many Navajo elders who speak nothing but the indigenous language would also agree with you.
much love. 🙏🏼❤️
That sounds like my grandma except I'm Mexican lol
He just made the life of Navajo kids harder😂
@@napsandtacos Well, there are like 68 indigenous languages.
If they ever need someone to translate Navajo to Mandarin this guy's got that job.
LOL
Talk about an untapped market! haha
ok that made me laugh. Lmao. Imagine the payycheck this guy could make as an international translator. Im sure he already makes bank off youtube but still. How many people even exist in the world that can speak this many languages....
Dude woulda been a nightmare in the Pacific theater
could be the middleman of some big drug I mean business operations ya feel.
This made me cry. My ancestors are from Arizona, my grandfather remembers his parents and grandparents speaking Navajo. He speaks to me in Navajo sometimes. He would tell me how people would try to steal our land. Even the Germans married into our family to take it from us. Eventually it was lost. His father, aunts, and uncles were sent to Chilocco Indian school in Oklahoma. After that they lost touch with our tribe. I’m working on our genealogy right now with help from the Oklahoma Historical Society and I hope I can tell my grandfather which tribe he belonged to before he goes to rest with our creator. It saddens me how we’ve lost touch with our culture. This isn’t abnormal though. Indian children were sent away to assimilate into the American culture and my family is a testament of how well that worked. You can’t fathom how much suffering Native American people have endured. Women in the 70s experienced forced sterilizations many of which were Navajo - this was the women’s health America gave us. Our cultures are dying because America wants it to. This gives me hope! I can learn about my culture and preserve it. On a side note, I now live on a reservation and serve my community as a nurse. My grandfather is very happy I’m back in Arizona. I hope after I find our tribe I can take him on a trip to see his home again ❤️
good luck ❤
good luck☺️
Good luck
Does he remember a nearby town they were displaced from?
Aho! Sending love from Lac Vieux Desert Band
As a fellow Navajo it’s not bad. Awesome job. I still to this day say that this 80 something year old woman that my family knew was probably the best and most fluent Caucasian woman that spoke Navajo that I have ever heard. So good that you couldn’t tell is she was Navajo or Caucasian. But she spent like 50 plus years on the reservation as a missionary so yes I consider her native.
There you go. Thank you.
this dude is so corny. he wants a cookie or something for speaking a language.
@@Slacker4Life3 a rare language...
@@Slacker4Life3 look inward.. and you will find what is truely angering you, my young sun..
@@Slacker4Life3 same bro, i like those videos but hes so cringe with it, trying to randomly slip in those phrases, like just ask them if they speak it and if u could practise it with them.
There was a guy named lao something i think big black guy, with a braided beard.
But hes dead now
When I was travelling in Arizona I got lost in the middle of nowhere because my GPS broke down and I took a wrong turn. I was basically stuck in the desert for two hours trying to figure out where to go. There weren't any road signs, so I just ended up getting more and more lost. I ended up driving past a farm and pulling over to ask for directions. The family that lived there was Navajo. I told them my plight and they said they'd drive me back to town, but they were in the middle of dinner. They invited me to eat with them, but also offered to take me back to town immediately if I didn't want to wait. The father was literally going to let his food get cold and drive me to town to make me feel comfortable. Instead, I accepted the invitation. It was amazing and they were so kind. Their daughter was particularly taken with me, likely because she only had brothers and I'm a girl. She was thirteen and very vivacious. The food was delicious and they kept insisting I take more. By the time we were finished, it was pitch black outside. Again they offered to take me back, but also offered to let me spend the night since it would take over an hour to get back to town. I decided to stay. We had a bonfire out back, shared stories, and played a few games. One of the brothers, who was my age, gave me his room and slept on the couch. The daughter wanted me to sleep with her in her room, but the parents said no. They seemed convinced she wouldn't let me get any sleep, lol. The next morning they fed me breakfast, put some gas in my car, and I followed the dad back to town. The daughter and oldest son also carpooled with me to keep me company. They were genuinely the nicest people I've ever met and the experience was one I'll cherish forever.
Right on man!! right on!
Love this💯💕
Amazing♥️ native people are always willing to help, its in our culture to give and care for others. Thanks for sharing.
LOL, I thought this was going to end up being a farmer's daughter story. 😂
@@1946luke and i though it will be tipycall horror movie scenario 😂 you know, going to some stranger's house in the middle of nowhere, they are friendly and nice, they ask you to stay one more night, and then they kill you :)
The fact they invited you in, showed you around, and taught you how to cook is a huge sign of respect. Wonderful people. I hope their language continues to live on.
@@ts8404 what abt it?
There's a documentary on the revival of the Lakota language on you tube. Also interesting. Many people don't think much about it but the last battles between Indians and Americans wasn't all too long ago.. Like 1940s or so.. According to another documentary Indians had about 800 countries.. that's insane. I'd also like to see a full revival of all aspects of their culture. Except maybe for the scalping ..lol.
Especially considering all his disrespect. "Speaking it in the wild" not eating his tortilla, thinking its funny to shock ppl whos language was genocided out of their culture. The ignorance is huge. And of course they welcomed him btw, we are kind people who treat others like family. Im not navajo but across the board natives do that.
@UCBo7UPXPUitAK1nk_INmfiQ shut the fuck up… tribes decimated each other for hundred to thousands of years. We were just the last or most recent.. plus disease did 90% of job. And in many cases they struck first out of fear and while that’s understandable the reaction by the other side is also understandable..
I guess they recognize somebody willing to learn their language as a sign of respect, and so return it. People like @EvenYvie above ^ can cry 'disrespect and ignorant' all they want, but this channel has a long and well documented history of somebody genuinely respectful of, and interested in other cultures.
Coming from a later generation Oneida, our main language is Ojibwe. Only the elders and not even all of them know the native language. It's very rare. This guy deserves a lot of respect. the willingness to learn a whole new language shows a lot of respect for that culture
Please keep speaking it
Please learn your Ojibwe. Young people need to keep their languages alive.
Eh, I disagree. He deserves some amount of respect for showing that these languages are still alive and deserve to be learned, but otherwise he is monetizing the language for his own benefit with this “white guy speaks” gimmick. If he cared more about the cultures connected to these languages, he would be pushing people to learn more about those aspects of life rather than using them like Pokémon cards.
I lived in Winnipeg Manitoba and one of my best friends was Ojibwe. Used to go to the rez with him to visit his family. Went to my first pow wow and ate my first and only elk steak and it was incredible. The invited me into their sweat lodge and i said no. I didn't want to disrespect their religion. I am a white irishman and btw they spoke the language. I became one of the family
@@kevinm4022its definitely not disrespectful, when they invite you its actually opposite its a sign of respect for natives to invite anyone to get a look into their culture. I'm very glad they showed you the pow wow and food because there's alot of people that know nothing about natives.
I love communities that are this friendly. They invited you back to teach you how to make Navajo breakfast, they respect you for taking an interest in their language and it’s so heartwarming watching them teach you how to cook Navajo breakfast! I wish more communities were like this.
I love going there, they always make you feel welcome and always happy and nice.
Awesome service.
This guy needs to be our American ambassador to ALL nations.
Including extraterrestrials.
Alien: "You know Martian?"
Xiaoman: "A little. I've been studying for an hour. Please show me around your spacecraft."
And let me try your food 😂
Spot on!
No kidding.
Arrival would have been a 15 minute movie if it were him talking to the aliens
😂😂😂
When you show genuine respect in honoring a language, you get respect back.
But even if not knowing their language, even without knowing a word , respect all culture, respect each other.... No words need even be said. And it takes no time nor money to show that.
Exactement. And there is nothing compared to a smile, worldwide. One can say : "je ne comprends rien" but as long as one smiles...
@@Rhythmattica no one said not to lol
@@Furiouspenguin27 Righty Oh. Sending Beers and Cheers!
@@Rhythmattica absolutely! This gentleman is very humble when speaking the languages he learns to native speakers. It him it's a compliment to the language of how beautiful and complex it is. That I think is where the respect lies- humility and graciousness. Not values we see often enough any more.
I am from New Mexico! I love that you came here to learn the Dine language. I am so impressed! It is also awesome that they allowed you into the kitchen and building. The Dine people are usually very "secretive" to outsiders. You gained their trust right away, just by learning their language. I am a little jealous. I married a Dine man. His grandmother did not speak to me until the day of my marriage to him. On that day, she said, " You are now my daughter." I felt soooo special after that, for she indeed spoke to me on a regular basis after that. I thought she did not speak to me, because she did not know English. She did!...RIP Grandmother Josephine Apache. I love you and miss you!
😭 Your story is beautiful. Thanks for sharing. Bless you and RIP Grandmother Josephine Apache. ❤
What a sweet story. I hope you and your husband are doing great ✌️❤️
I wish I could see that lady talking so much shit to her son in law about how some random guy she met studied Navajo for a month and speaks it so well without even having Navajo family.
Tzaan naivee is that you.
white dude is corny. its like a kid wanting praise for something. culture vulture of peace
I'm Navajo and seeing this man speak this language is just amazing.
You have a rich culture, too sad it's endangered.
Be proud of who you are.
love from an Iranian who has studied about American natives.
@@ff-ti7nj God bless Native American culture and Iranian culture as well.
America is in Spheres Of Influence.
As a Navajo I know we are more lucky than most other tribes, we have been given the same treatment but we have the biggest Rez and still remember most of our past, language, and culture
I was just reading through these comments, appreciating the wholesome, respectful exchanges....then I reached that last comment and was reminded that the world has a lot of jerks.
Still, I'll go away from this remembering the exchange. 😊
Being 100% Navajo makes me so proud and I still speak Navajo and this language is very hard and my grandpa teach me how to speak it fluently and he was a Navajo code talker
wow this is so awesome!
we indigenous peoples must show pride to our cultures🧡🧡
You should be very proud of him. Amazing man.
You must be so proud of your grandpa that is awesome
Wow!! Did he tell you stories about the times he code talked
code talkers are so awesome
I have an aunt who speaks Navajo fluently. It’s such a beautiful language.
I'm an Aussie and met a Navajo couple who were stranded in winter. In a couple of months in the USA meeting them and spending just a few hours with them was a major highlight. Extremely nice and humble people.
Honestly, the way it went from "we're closed" to "come and learn how to make it" kinda had me in tears. So wholesome. Loved every minute.
Pretty incredible. Warms my heart to see how welcoming different cultures are, especially when you show interest!
Xiaoma has a way with the peoples hearts ♥
Wholesome... or because she just noticed 4m subscribers
@@mikjms5969 definitely wholesome.
@@wdcurry111 you clearly didn't watch the video. She even mentions his subscriber count.
Being a Native American watched him speaking another language in other countries and watching him get speak our language is unexpected, I enjoyed watching this
Yeah it’s pretty cool
i would like to hear him speaking portuguese, you guys know if he already did in another video?
@@kassiog.6595 I'm sure he did, it's called Polyglot speak 8 languages in NYC I believe
Same. I never learned the native tongue of my great grandmother and this makes me regret that terribly.
I live in NM, I would love to learn Navajo. Where can I go or find out info? Any help is appreciated.
It's so cool how language has the ability to connect people. They went from being closed to the public to giving him a private tour and teaching him how to cook in their kitchen and then having a great time with the whole staff. It goes to show it really does matter how you say something. Had he made the burrito order in English he would've just been another customer.
i love that you show your mistakes in these videos like mishearing or mispronouncing words, stuttering, etc. i get so caught up in sounding perfect when i speak german or spanish that it makes it hard to speak at all sometimes. it shows that mistakes arent the end of the world. another thing, would you consider putting subtitles for the entire video? maybe using diff colors for each language, idk. love the content
Navajo isn't written
@@KB-ke3fiIt has an orthography, although it's mainly used as a teaching tool and by linguists studying the language. You can see it written on Navajo Wikipedia:
nv.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Din%C3%A9_Bizaad
This... THIS is what life is about. No yelling, no forcing to walk on eggshells. It went from "restaurant closed to public" all the way to "let me show you pictures in my kitchen", and then even further to preparing food. All simply because someone showed a small interest in language and culture. I love this exchange and interaction.
I wish people on tiktok saw it that way. If this was posted in tik Tok it'd get so much hate from whites "white knighting" accusing him of appropriation and many native creators gatekeeping saying he has no right to this knowledge. I wish tiktok community were as open and kind as you and others here
@@richellethomas2160 exactly! People mix up appreciating and appropriating all the time and it makes me so mad
Well said sir
That’s a jewell of a reply. Language is so hard but it is key to every human culture. It is so much harder to talk and listen in another’s language than just belittle and categorize everything everyone does and did. I’m a ‘boomer’, and my daughter just told me that when I ‘dab’ it looks like a Nazi salute. Wha? Oh! And this is Memorial Day: posted a thanks to my Dad for saving the world from Fascism. Best of all, this language channel gives me so much hope each time I watch a new one: my gramps was fluent in 8, and me? I am struggling with Nihongo, Francais, and Bisaya.
I dont think it could be said any better than the way you put it.
woman: we're closed to the public.
Xiaomanyc speaks Navajo.
Ladies: you're family now...come in.
th-cam.com/video/okJkaY5geE0/w-d-xo.html
🤣 I think that's most cultures, because learning to speak someone's language shows initiative and care ❤️
Literally
LOOOLL
🤣🤣🤣🥰🥰🥰
It’s so sad that that many of these people don’t speak their beautiful language anymore, please Navajo people don’t let your language die🙏🏻❤️
it’s too mf hard 💀💀💀at least my whole family knows tho
The younger generation don't want shit to do with the language so it's probably gonna die
Don’t throw that shit on them unless you’re willing to back up your words and help. Get studying buckaroo
@mikewhocheesehairy2567 "its too mf hard" so they were right about us gen z being lazy 😂
@@mikewhocheesehairy2567bro you’re one of the few people in America that actually has the right to say they’re American
I'm Native New Mexican. It's wonderful that you are here and you are speaking Navajo. I give you so much respect for this 👏 🙌 😁😍😍
I hope this encourages more young Navajo students to learn their own language. I’m 22 and Diné and I regret not learning sooner. I’ve been learning for 2 months now and I can now keep a conversation with my nálí. It’s such a great feeling and I am so proud of myself.
Wonderful🙂
I am proud of you, too. Keep it up.
Greetings from Germany.
Hey another Navajo person here! 👋 could you tell me what resources you use to help you learn Navajo? I’m 19 atm and my goal is to learn basic conversation phrases and expand my vocabulary next year
That's awesome! I'm Athabascan and studying Bhenti Kenaga. It's hard when it's online but worth every bit! Keep on studying staying awesome!!!
Do not let the language die off. Language is powerful and the Navaho language has deep America history. I know some was not good but what the Navaho people did during WWII was honorable despite the latter history of the American government. I got In a motorcycle wreck just out of Shiprock New Mexico on the Navaho reservation and the paramedics were native American and they took good care of me. A few of the Nurses were as well and they took care of me just as good. I was very impressed with everything. It took me around three moths to heal (lucky me no broken bones) I was road rash both arms and legs. My elbow was hanging out of my arm and I did not break it. They had me stitched up and I walked out that night. It was brutal for the next three weeks as I slowly healed up. I always remembered the kindness of the people there.
That's good. My husband doesn't speak but understands and can only say a few words. His nali would tell him to learn.
Learning someone's language is a sign of respect because there's not much people who would learn a language only spoken by a small population. At least, that's how I see it
Cherokee language here in Tennessee. Very. V ed ry proud . God bless all that come back to their hearts of joy. Thank you. Eric. In Smoky Mountains.
If I wasn't dyslexic, I would learn Cherokee since that's the tribe from over here :( I hate the idea of these native languages dying out because no one cares enough to learn
You are so right. I have a unique Korean friend who recently gained minor but significant celebrity (260K+ IG followers growing fast) who I’m lucky enough to have become friends with, and she graciously offered to teach anyone Korean for free out of the kindness of her heart, and I thought about it bc I do have several online Korean friends who speak limited English..
But your comment made me realize it IS a really big sign of respect, and now I am going to take her up on the offer! Thanks!
You are exactly correct sir.
I see it the exact same way.
My dad and uncles come from a tiny indigenous town in Mexico. They are called Otomi. The language is dying out. My grandma only speaks that language, she doesn't even know Spanish. My dad and his brothers speak a mix of that and Spanish. Everyone there said that the language is dying out, that the young there are only speaking Spanish now. I want to learn it and speak to the natives and my family there when I go back.
wycliffe bible translators had a translation of the Bible in Otomi. check it out.
Wow I knew a person that spoke that language he was from some tiny village from the mountains in México
Navajo is a dying language, Being native American, Its so nice to see there's people out there still actively learning my native language. Not too many people speak it nowadays and the ones who are able to teach it are slowly dying out. Please keep this up. The more we have people learning it the more we'll be able to pass it on to future generations.
My father was Wyandot, but he rarely spoke it. I wish he had taught me. It’s frustrating to find any information anywhere.
Kwatate ye e’ha
Une
Ahehee ..
As a native American its up to you. Just learn it amd speak it at home if you have children. Dead or dying languages can be revived like this, like hebrew in israel
I learned Russian in hopes of impressing a girl who immigrated from Russia during the Soviet Union collapse. It did impress her. It impressed her mom much more.
Well deserved!
Haha. If you really want to impress, flash the cash
The older generation loves it
So what happened? Do you still talk to her? Inquires want to know
Was this in the 90s.
The crazy thing people don't get is when you show genuine interest in someone's culture/life they're typically very willing and happy to share it with you. Love is universally recognized.
Society has turned appreciating culture Into an Insult and call it cultural approlriation
Broken Girl riight
@@brokengirl8619 appreciation and appropriation are very different. Calling out offensive appropriation doesn’t diminish the importance or value of cultural appreciation
@@swand1383 even then though, there are people who will call even appreciation, appropriation. Like when a little girl wanted to have a traditional Japanese tea party for her birthday party and the mom put it together and did everything right, someone had to have a problem with it.
@@Ashenicky2009
Yes, the important thing is to recognize all of the nuance here.
Thank you so much! Ahéé! Thank you for showcasing our language on your channel. You have done a great service for the Navajo Nation.
I loved seeing this I’m half Navajo and half Mayan I loved seeing both videos and it’s so amazing you brought light to the language a lot of the language is dying but this is the greatest thing cause you’re an inspiration to learn it
Woah how does that happen
woah how does that happen?could u speak Mayan and Navajo?
This kid can learn any language in basically 12 hours at this point it’s absolutely fascinating
He's definitely got a knack for it. He understands the root structure of language itself, and can compartmentalize what he needs to to learn a specific dialect, and it is amazing to watch. To see people light up with enthusiasm when they hear an outsider speak their tongue is so delightful.
He said a month. Even 1 hour every day that would be 30 hours.
@@imsavor Come on dude, really? He said basically, which means he didn't mean it in a literal sense. English isn't that hard to comprehend dude. 🤷♂️🤦
@@literallyjesus9207 lol
@EpsilonGoods That might be true but they pay the bills. $$
The Navajo people are so genuinely kind. Our car broke down on the side of the road on a Navajo reservation, and SOOO many people stopped by to offer us help, food, a place to stay for the night, etc. The owner of the Napa there actually opened his shop back up just to help us, it was amazing.
Epic
I went to a funeral on my ex husband side in new Mexico, I'm Oklahoma native but their hospitality blows ours out of the water, never met people so kind and fed us good too.
Yes we are Diné are chill
@@tinadraper9143 it’s indigenous way to help others..
I had a very similar experience. My truck broke down outside of Tuba City Az. It was a Saturday and a local mechanic stopped to assist me. His shop was closed but he went back, got his tow truck, and open his shop to get me back on the road.
I don't know why but this made me tear up so much - the way you try to speak the language with respect and humbleness and the way the women you meet respond to you... so beautiful Xiaoma! You're awesome
I love that she asked him to say the numbers!!!
The funnest part of learning a language is quizing yourself so it’s fun when other people ask little quiz questions too
Yah’at’teeh! I’m Navajo and never in my life have I ever seen a white guy learn Navajo, that’s so fascinating. The elders would definitely enjoy your presence and all your stories. It’s so crazy to hear Navajo is rare...
I want to learn it, but I still have to look into recources on how I would even do that. Do you know how I could learn? Is there any books or websites that teach you?
@@animalkingdom2871 In 2 days you will have a new interest based on something else you watched. Dork
@@investigate311comittee since we are name calling Jerk.
@@animalkingdom2871 there are a few books, one that I find to be very helpful for those who want to learn is the Diné Bizaad Bínáhoo’aah. It’s teaches from small words and how to pronounce to bigger words and sentences. You can learn about what your month means. It’s really interesting, I think you’ll love it^^
@@investigate311comittee hey, not cool dude. You’re watching something you seen because you were interested, dummy.
xiaoma is going to have lots of navaho moms yelling at their kids for not doing a better job learning their own language.
TRUTH! My grandparents spoke Polish and German and do I wish I could have learned both from them when I was young.
I can hear the shrill voices now
@CHIEF TAHCHAWWICKAH you took that one right up the butt
@CHIEF TAHCHAWWICKAH I say that as a person who lives in one of the most diverse cities in America where I have friends who regularly get scolded from their older family for not learning Vietnamese or Chinese or know zero Spanish...I'm a second generation italian and I know no italian and get crap for it sometimes. Maybe don't take a comment so personally?
*Navajo ❤️
As a Native, I’m only 21 and the biggest fear for my culture is losing all the traditions and language. But people like you give me faith that there’s so many people out there in the world that takes interest in our culture and language.
Mad respect. My friend who is Navajo taught me a little of the language. It’s more difficult than both of my languages, Seneca and Mvskoke. I know greetings, some to practice manners, and I can count to 10 but my mumble causes me too much trouble with other pronunciations. But I’m still learning my own languages as well.
plz keep your languages alive.they're both endangered.
Xiaoma is a man of the people, even though he has 3 million followers, he has never sold out and continues to support small businesses. Legit can't hate on this man for any reason.
very little do you see people giving respect to any culture in the states. this shows that we still got good in humanity. love supporting small businesses. Chinese, Japanese etc they all work hard and put up with alot of bs from us americans.
I hate small business. Big business is less corrupt and more efficient. Supporting small business just for the sake of it is purely emotional
@@stickmandomination9730 I'm gonna need a citation for the less corrupt part. Sure big business is more efficient. But generally they accomplish that by sacrificing ethics.
NEVER???
@@elcastro5000 You really need a citation to know that nepotism is extremely prevalent in small companies? I was working at a family business and the special treatment was just insane. I had to take the shit for the mistakes made by other employees just because those employees were family. They were not at all qualified for their positions. Small companies also don't have any better ethics than large companies. At the end of the day they usually share the same practices with the only difference being big companies do it much cheaper
As a Navajo from Southerner Utah, I’m happy to see this! Thank you for helping spread our culture!
heyo, fellow utahn navajo!
I'm from southwest AZ. Lived in N.M. area and finally got to meet the people of Navajo Nation. They are the coolest laid back ppl. And their culture is so Awesome!!!
Lived in Page AZ for 6 yrs. love the Navajo people.
Wonder if he can learn my grandmothers Cherokee from kentucky.
Heyo I live in Utah too!
Once again, shows the value, power, love and respect of taking time to learn another's language. That really does bring people together!
Thank you Xiao Ma for doing Indigenous language of Navajo!
I’m a Indigenous Canadian as I am Carrier in the middle part of British Columbia. There’s Dakelh, Wet’suwet’en, and Nedut’en in languages.
I’m a Nedut’en Carrier and I’m doing my best to speak my language, but after seeing this, you inspired me to continue to speak my language.
My mother is a fluent Nedut’en speaker, so gonna ask her to speak Nedut’en than English.
Mes’iy/mussi c’o/Cho (Big thank you in Nedut’e) Xiao Ma!
I know you made them feel good, that was amazing, I grew up with my best friend and his family which were Native Americans... Very nice people.
Just imagine the impact if we learn languages of other nations and showed respect 🙏 instead of sending billions of dollars of weapons, building fortresses and bombing with drones?
My Native Americans friend is a dick but its probably because we are best friends lmao
i love your channel! i didnt expect to see u in the comments
Im your 1000th like😈
EC r p
As a Navajo it’s so nice having people learning our language. You’re the 3rd white boy (I now know) who speaks Navajo. The first 2 are my cousins (haha).
Thank you so much for making our elders smile 😀
What do Navjos think of African Americans just out of curiosity?
😭 Considering what the native American elders been through throught their lives, it is so awesome to see them light up with smiles about their language! Can't hold back tears.
I'm Russian/Canadian.
@@reptiliandomination1 I can’t speak for all Navajos but my family will invite/talk to African Americans than a white person. I’ll talk to anyone if they aren’t racist
We see each other as equals brother! We’ve been through the same shit and some natives around here ( Navajo, Apache, Ute, and Hopi) have children who are half black. So it’s no difference to us. We have nothing but love.
@reptiliandomination1
Keeping this language alive is of vast importance so no wonder you were treated so warmly. This is just as wholesome as it gets.
I'm Navajo and Hopi but I barely know any of my languages. This is a great video to see others learn.
im not Navajo but I'm choctaw and seeing more representation in native Americans is just amazing thank you so much
You deserve it and so so much more 💗
@@TheMaisiewoofwoof yes they do
❤❤
What do you mean by "representation"?
@@sirkayda7205 Amerindians don’t have very much representation even though they were the original people on this continent.
6:55 We’re still closed to the public.
*Xiaoma starts ordering in Navajo*
9:20 So anyway, let me show you around the place and also show you how to make some Navajo food.
Honestly, the best part of the video. 😆 Even in a pandemic, people still want to enjoy each other’s company. Especially, when a person speaks someone else’s language he or she didn’t have to learn.
They put a smiley face on the packaging of his food, which is the most adorable "mom" thing ever :D
@DecreaseMalePxpDefundHxllywood BanRapPurgeMxn
And that’s called projection ladies and gentlemen. Just because that’s what you’d do doesn’t mean that’s what everyone will do buddy. Doubt you’re even capable of fathoming what it’s like to experience an interaction like this, even with it right in front of your eyes.
@@kissinMessengers true
This was definitely one of my favorite videos of his. I love how they treat him because he's trying to learn the language, and how sweet they become.
This is so cool!!
My grandpa was a full blood Navajo and he was a first language speaker!
Another indigenous language you should give a go that is definitely easier than Navajo is the Choctaw Language! My grandma was full blood Choctaw with Choctaw being her first language!
I am currently a Choctaw Language Apprentice. Myself, along with 14 others are intensely learning the Choctaw language. Eight hours daily, 40 hours a week!
Hearing you speak a language that my late grandfather spoke brings me so much joy!
I love that he still seems genuinely nervous when trying out a new language, despite his competency to pick them up quickly. It shows a humility whilst being so adept.
imma be honest, i have NEVER seen a polyglot being rude. At most i have seen one being snob, but thats it. Especially if they learned the languages later in life.
When he said he was donating the money to Navajo Strong I started crying. Thank you for not using the lives of these people to profit, but instead sharing your wealth with them
>Dave Chappelle mockery
How would he use their lives for profit?
@@pattycake9183 because he filmed them and uploads it to TH-cam from which he gets money
@@sif_2799 Huh? So if I travel to Nepal and film videos then upload it on youtube, would it mean I'm using lives of Nepalis to gain profit?
@@sif_2799 so, if he takes any photos, should he pay them for it? Granted, I think it's great that he is donating money but, filming your visit to a gift shop or a convenience store and people's reactions to you speaking their native language isn't making money off of people.
They accepted y’all as family. You took the time to learn about our culture so they showed the same respect back towards you and your friends.
Talented, the way he can learn parts of a language so quickly & he comes over as a real nice guy too.
I’m not even Native American and this video made me tear up. My favorite parts were some of them quizzing him and trying to make him better. This is probably my favorite video you’ve made!
i think this is my favorite from him too. i want to learn navajo now
tearing along with you too
Xiamoa, you made me tear up with this video. I am Navajo and my people never get the recognition they deserve. We have been through a lot, especially our ancestors. But our language and culture is so beautiful. So I just wanna say thank you for shedding some light on our beautiful culture and language. Ahxéhee. 💖
I wish it was mandatory to do at least a semester of Native American people, culture, art and history. I am Mexican and took a semester of Native American Art History (which I only chose because I couldn’t get into any other art classes to complete that section) and I absolutely loved it!! They are an advanced people with so many differences and similarities within different tribes and locations, culture-rich, and amazing things done that there are things we still don’t know how it was done- kind of like the Egyptian pyramids. You’re absolutely right, Navajo do not get anywhere near the recognition they deserve.
They're making your culture look COOL! In the most respectable way too. He got in with the grandma's 🥺🥺🥺🥺🤣🤣😭🙌🏽
@@mamamua4644 mexico is a country. You sure you're not denying your own Native blood?
@@melanieortiz712 I am not a true native Mexican. I am a Mestizo.
Also, the point of me commenting I was Mexican was for context and to focus on the subject of the video- not to debate information I didn’t offer and you assumed. Let’s keep it positive and focus on the message I replied under.
You make me laugh, cry, and experience emotions I didn’t even know I had. What you are doing transcends internet social media fun or even language learning. You are a beautiful soul, a true humanitarian role model for us all. Love your work!!!! Never stop!
Just seeing people from different cultures come together and play with language makes me so happy. Such a wonderful thing to see people having fun understanding eachother.
Im heartbroken many of the younger generation hasn't learned their native language. Please don't let your language and culture die! Natives have such rich history and heritage and we should be fighting to keep it relevant!
I'm trying 😔
Sadly it's hard to be proud of your heritage when many here still judge and persecute and shame us for even doing so.
@@SeddieBear I understand, but I know more people who embrace native culture than vilify it. It may be because I live in an area where Cherokee and Lumbee still reside, but don't ever give up pride in who you are. Black, White, Asian, or Native...we should all have pride in where we come from and lift our fellow humans up.
Same with Italian Americans, Polish Americans, Vietnamese Americans, etc. People need to keep their culture alive in the United States or it will die out, we can't let that happen.
I wish I could my Navajo a whole side of my family don’t care for me ever since my dad died or my dad‘s drum group my dad used to sing for Powwow and stuff I remember always going but then my dad got sick and died and my family just stop caring so now all I got is mom And my brother and sister
Coolest thing I’ve ever experienced was when I was in the Marines and we had Navajo code talkers (vets) come and talk to each other on radios. It sent chills up my back.
There's a movie about them called "Windtalkers" that is Really Good 🏹
BRUH LUCKYYYY
watch that movie 'Windtalkers' based in real life events during wwii
Nice, cool story. 🤙🏽☘️
The Japanese intelligence community was of two minds about the CodeTalkers- some thought it was a language unknown to them. Others thought it couldn't possibly be a language,
That's amazing. I've been to the Navajo Nation and they are a beautiful people. Once they know you are interested in their culture it's like a dam has opened and they share so deeply of their culture and themselves. I'm a Canadian Trucker and most of the year down there I find simply intolerable because of the heat. But the Navajo people are a rare gem, formed in the fires of the SouthWest. I look forward to loads that have me able to layover in Navajo Nation.
That was priceless!!!!
They took you in their place and give you a piece of their culture. That to me would of been history in the making. This is a great story to tell friends and family…
Lucky dude…
They brought you in showed you pictures of their elders and taught you how to make fried bread. That made me cry. You are truly blessed. ✌️
Guy was basically made part of the family.
I teared up, too!💕
Yes. Proud Cherokee in Smoky Mountains !!!! God Bless you for your time.
Yeah that was honestly the part that got me too. That’s such a sign of respect. I wish more people would show the respect he does to everyone.
@@DiegoMartinezCoria Did you see her eyes when she saw he had 3 million subscribers? And then they invite him inside. That's a shrewd business woman
"You don't sound like a white boy. You sound good!" LOL
i sound like 19 dollar voice box
Yeah what an extremely racist statement
@@EatCheese11 it is but “muh minority”
@@EatCheese11 Lol and you still have people trying to defend it saying it wasn't racist.
@Cloixim he is making fun of how racism is preceived nowadays. If there is 8 people in a room where 3 are black and 5 are white,. it's racism.
I love how welcoming the people are, and how keen they are to share their culture with you. What beautiful, rich experiences ❤ I really hope that the language will live on and become revitalised.
Oglala Téton Lakota. I love that you took interest in learning a native language. I studied Mandarin in college and always enjoyed watching your videos but being from the rez it's even more amazing seeing someone I see as a hero of cultural acceptance and interest doing something so present in our country by us who are identifiably from here. Not my tribe or nation but an amazing contribution. Everytime someone learns one of our languages we live a little longer through the centuries as we slowly die out ourselves. Thank you for taking time to preserve us a little longer!
woah!I'm half Chinese!
你好！😁Anyway,i can also speak Mandarin and an endangered dialect of the Chinese language called Wuu(or Suzhouese)🤩as a language enthusiast, I really want u to protect your tribe's language😝
my mom's language Suzhouese is dying out☹️
Mad respect for how much this dude sweats. As a fellow sweater, I approve.
I’m the same haha
Hi sweater, I'm jumper.
@@q0w1e2r3t4y5 don't try to confuse the issue with your weird English terms. :)
I don't get it!
Sweater brothers in arms 👬😂
I am a Navajo teenager who has been around the Navajo language all my life, and I only know as much as you do. I am curremtly taking Navajo language classes to learn more. Thank you! You inspired me so much.
Awesome Shivanna!
Being captured by the Japanese during World War II was bad enough but if you are Native American they always assumed you knew Navajo and could help. Words if you said you were Navajo then it really thought you could help but the code talkers were speaking a code on top of the already difficult Navajo language.
Thank you for keeping this language alive! I live in New Mexico and it would be very sad to see it vanish.
This was soo cool! I love how welcoming and friendly they are. It's sad to know our history, and I'm amazed by their ability to look past that and welcome you in like a friend. Truly a cool video.
My wife is Navajo. I've been married to her for 12 years and I know maybe five words off the top of my head. It is very inspiring to see you learn so much in a couple months.
"Sorry we are closed to the public"
2 mins later: "Come in to the kitchen and make your own"
You speak like us, you are basically one of us hahaha, but no really, you speaking our language makes us feel a lot more comfortable with you because you respect our language but also went out of your way to learn it, our grandma's are now your grandma's, you are welcome to have frybread and corn soup with us! We love to socialize, even though that's not what society shows.
It’s amazing how learning new languages opens up entire new worlds
It's love from him to them & back again to him.
Hahahaha
Uh...did you hear her say "ahhhh 3 million followers" when she checked his channel? Lol...sweet ladies but not stupid by any means
I'm 17 and I'm navajo, every little mispronunciation he makes in navajo I want to be there to correct him😭its exciting to see him learn our language! Keep it up man, it is one of the hardest languages to learn but I bet you'll learn it, just know theres different versions of this language too, not just one pronunciation for every word! HAVE FUN AND A GOOD DAY
Hi! I absolutely love Native American culture and I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help bring awareness to Native American struggles? I just really want to help
@@M0ldyBubbles Your heart is in a good place. A starting point would be to learn about different Native nations and tribes that you are interested in (for example- Navajo, Cherokee, Osage, or one that is closest to you to).
The culture, history, food, language, traditions, are different between the different Native nations and tribes, as opposed to a singular "Native American culture" :)
Don’t be a tool
@@eeeerrrriiiinnnn258 Okay! I did a report on Sioux people last year so Im excited to learn more! Thank you :)
@@M0ldyBubbles This is just a general point rather than about struggles, but accurate representation of a culture is really important. A lot of people in the US, at best, only know a caricature of native cultures (and often one that's a mishmash of several cultures). But misrepresentation of cultures also plays into the struggles. I've heard too many people defend the colonizers' actions when they treated the Americas as just unclaimed land based on cultural misconceptions that have been propagated, often through education systems
That’s really cool to see I lived on the Navajo reservation for almost a month with my family and have visited multiple other times, and that store you went to in the beginning of the video was where we would always go for everyday items. It was really cool to see that again
I love how he goes from having to order outside to making burritos in the kitchen. Learning another language literally opens doors.
Definitely...opens doors AND hearts.
Bro, see this is the shit. Hopefully he realises how he honours other cultures by speaking their language. I love this. Taking the time to learn is so respectful. It opens doors culturally and you get to learn stuff with a culture. This was awesome. Made me tear up.
Oh I think he knows already ;)
Yeah ❤️
Had the same exact reaction. It really is such a wonderful thing to see and you can instantly tell by everyone’s reaction how much they appreciate someone actually taking the time to learn the language. Love seeing it
Same here. As a white guy in Massachusetts my exposure to certain cultures is somewhat limited. A video like this has value because it expands awareness that there are good people everywhere, with their own traditions and ways of life that should be honored and respected.
A grain of sand is still a grain of sand.
Aww that guy your with has really good energy too! He didn’t have to say much his “happy to be here” energy spoke through the camera ❤️ good vibes all around 🥰🥰🥰
Your videos make me smile so much it’s so awesome how you respect all the cultures 🥹❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
"And he doesnt sound like a whiteboy"
Thats pretty big compliment for speaking someone elses language haha
sounds racist to me
@@BarriosGroupie It is. Its racist allergy people do all too often. Im white and for too long ive let this go unnoticed. when someone says wow you dont sound like a COLORboy or you dont act like a COLORboy or wow your the COLORISTColor person ive ever met. It is a racist prejudice that most people dont notice. An allergy if you will
@@BarriosGroupie 🤷🏾♀️
@@Dexteritas55 all i understood is that youre white af.
@@heavyweaponsscout9990 you sound like a colored person.
Great job with Navajo, Ari! And it looks like you had an amazing experience with the Navajo people.
Hi, Paul! Your videos are awesome.
You're awesome Paul
Hi Paul, nice to see you here!!!!
PAULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
j
I am friends with someone who helped reestablish about 25,000 words of a Native American language. I know four of those words now. This is a phenomenal accomplishment, a "Lifetime Achievement Award" kind of deal. I once asked if they thought of themselves as a "Person of color" and they replied "Yes".
My response was "I never thought of you that way, I just always thought of you as "The Incredible (Their Name)". I think that my appreciation of them as a great human being who did something incredible for their community outweighed the fact that I didn't take race or ethnicity into account.
To be honest, I don't care who you are or where you come from nearly as much as I care if you're a bunghole or not. I've worked with guys who came from African countries who are better men than guys I've worked with from the USA.
"Let a (person) be judged by the content of (their) character, not by the color of (their) skin" . Now go live it...
Be a good person, you have no idea what someone else's problems are and being nice doesn't cost you anything.
This is loterally the best and most influential way to show respect to the culture
It makes feel positive and peoud for both who learn the language and those who see the person who learn their language and cultre
Its so beautiful
As a Navajo myself it really warms my heart to see this, Thank you for the effort and time you put into learning our language and a bit of our culture, I wish you a very good blessing, Thank You
What is the best way to learn Navajo language? I am in need to find some sources
This one made me cry I'm Mi'kmaq from the east coast and our language is dyeing too my mother went to.residental schools and they beat her when she spoke Mi'kmaq language... my 2 uncles died in that hell... 😔 😢
@@bryano1476 Gotta say, that broke my heart a little. 😢
@@bryano1476 so sorry for your loss. My grandmother and grandfather went to boarding schools when they were young and they did the same to them. They kept their language and would talk about the mean teachers when they were not around lol. My mother knows a little but I never learned any... which is so sad. I hope that perhaps you can learn your native language before it is lost.
@@bryano1476 I am so sorry for your lost.. I really do pray and hope your language will be saved and learned by your people and possibly others.
Lots of love 🤍
Yes, our language is so hard to learn! I’m still learning and I’m 31 years old!
*Bonus: two of my grandfather’s were Navajo Codetalkers!
That is so awesome. You must be very proud of them.
Yeah Yeah, everyone has a code talker in their family, lol
Source trust me bro
The WW2 generation and this language saved us . So this language needs to be saved and passed on .
That is so awesome! Crazy how you have grandfathers that were both Code talkers, that so damn cool!
Awesome..I'm a navajo from Fruitland, and I'm always watching your videos ,speaking Mandarin ..I am happy that you came out to the rez . You are a wonderful person !
This makes me wanna cry, I miss living on the rez but also its such an unconscious environment, you encouraged me to learn more Navajo as I should
I appreciate you for learning my language man! I hope you enjoyed your stay on the reservation. Big respect 💯
I worked in a medical office in Flagstaff for a couple of years. We had a young, white as milk toast Mormon kid who did his mission on the Rez. He spoke Navajo fluently to our many NA patients. Many of the old ladies spoke absolutely no English so he was vital in the office. The elders would be blown away by this kid every time. So fun to watch.
The reaction is the best part 😃
@@cindyirene2001 Geez, what a buzz kill. You must be fun at parties.
@@brianharder7714 you know what a bigger buzz kill is? Racists. Kinda like how you’re sounding now. It’s a big problem in the church. Do you want to be part of the solution or no?
@@cindyirene2001 you have to be a troll to interject politics when there was no political discussion at place
Amazing! ❤
Crazy thing about the code talkers is their codes were never cracked. Because you can’t look back on documents to find the language or anything close to it sense it’s even different from most other native languages and the words in Navajo didn’t mean things like tank or artillery. There was turtle and many big guns
The Japanese actually captured a Navajo soldier once, but he wasn't in the code talker program, so when they tried to get him to translate it, it was gibberish - he could say, "They're talking about...turtles?" Navajo is complex but it's not intrinsically unlearnable; essentially what they did was embed a code in a very rare language making it basically double-encoded.
The other thing that is often misunderstood about the code talker program is that it was a tactical code, not a strategic code like Enigma, meaning it was intended for field operations requiring speed even more than security.
IIRC Cherokee and a couple of other languages were experimented with in the European theater as well.
I love how welcoming and supportive everyone was. It's so important with dying languages to support anyone in the process of learning, coming from a scots gealic learner.
I love it; these ladies are sharp! They didn't waste one second after checking his channel subs to invite him in and even record him doing bread on the grill. Wish them ladies all the best and hope they sell out of food!
Haha so cynical
great marketing opportunity and he gets to practice the language more and learn how to cook! win win!
Ya truly a win win for everyone here
There is a reason people call your native/mother language your “heart language”. The women who invited him into the store...when you can connect with someone in their heart language it can mean a lot
I agree, I know some Spanish and some German. I was in Germany for four years (Army) and knew enough to get myself in trouble. Now that I’m back home I forgot most of them as there isn’t anyone who speaks ether one. You have an ear for language me not so much.
You are right, if you at least try to speak to someone in their own language the will open up to you.
This was so inspirational! thank you for making this video! I'm trying to learn Michif and Cree but it seems so daunting because I don't know anyone who cam speak it fluently but this gives me hope. Love getting back to our nation's roots
BRAVO. You did great learning and practising Navajo language. Talking is the best way to ensure the culture. It's important all americans can learn a bit of native languages. Here in France, some regional languages can be learnt at school like Basque, Breton, Catalan... And just i like very much the smile you put on faces when you speak other people's languages.
HE WAS IN MY HOMETOWN AND I NEVER CAME ACROSS HIM?!?!!?!! So awesome!!! Nizhoní hey!!!
I live in Farmington, looks like that’s where he was for a while.
Damn u must be kicking yourself rite now. I know I would be 😫😭
SAME! I live in Farmington too, I work two minutes from the Indian Center. I am TOTALLY kicking myself for this.
I'm from Farmington too and I get 'ach'íí' from that first store occasionally
As someone who grew up in NM, I can confirm that Native people are some of the most loving, generous, and kind that you will ever have the pleasure of meeting.
Until you go skiing at Ski Apache. I love New Mexico and the native culture though.
See I grew up in Montana where if your out on a rez at night or even alone during the day you’ll be stabbed and mugged
@Jason Blaha Fitness huh?
@Jason Blaha Fitness East Africans.
@@TheRenegade... Apparently not even that. Listen to Robert Sepehrs argument.
This is my favorite channel. I get an overwhelming feeling from you and I cry all the way through your content
Its great how the languages unite us. The second they figure out he has put in the effort to understand them and their culture they open up to him like he is family. No one would be invited in and shown family history and cooking. Amazing bro
I like how the older lady in the pawn shop is testing him on what he knows.
Practice makes perfect. No doubt she has the heart of a natural born teacher.
Hey! That's what the Aunties do!