Our History
History of Baca/Dlo’ ay azhi Community School
During the late 1920s, the U.S. federal government implemented new strategies regarding Native American education. A growing emphasis was placed on cultural preservation and the future generation’s empowerment. After World War II, the number of Native American students seeking school enrollment dramatically increased, and Baca/Dlo’ ay azhi Community School (Dlo’ ay azhi means “little prairie dog”) became one of dozens of schools across the northeastern part of the Navajo reservation.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs embarked on a new program to modernize schools on the Navajo reservation near Prewitt, New Mexico, and Baca/Dlo’ ay azhi was Navajo from plans to completion. A precise, focused, and culturally sensitive approach created our impressive and dynamic institution. Our $12.3 million commissioned facility used Dine cultural traditions and ecologically sustainable building practices, and Dine architects incorporated Navajo culture, imagery, design elements, and sensibilities into the school’s construction.
Baca/Dlo’ ay azhi Community School, established in 1977, was born out of a collective vision of the local community that recognized the need for a culturally sensitive educational program centered around the unique needs of Navajo children. At the central core was the library, where students and staff gathered under a central skylight. Natural light permeated the knowledge epicenter of the Baca/Dlo’ ay azhi Community School and energized the minds of its students, teachers, and staff.
These Native architects drew design inspiration from the Dine culture, including functions and colors associated with the Circle of Life. Baca/Dlo’ ay azhi has a circular core that includes the main circulation route surrounding the library. The center of the library is decorated with images of the Four Sacred Mountains of the Dine. Other design elements address the four sacred directions, such as the four wings of the building.
Baca Dlo’ ay azhi Community School is the institutional embodiment of the invaluable heritage of the Navajo people. From the outset, we strongly emphasized celebrating Navajo culture, language, and traditions and infused the very nature of what it means to be Navajo into the building’s structural design. Our founders believed that education should be the bridge between generations and that Baca/Dlo’ ay azhi Community School would be the perfect representation of that mission.
Baca/Dlo’ ay azhi has grown to serve a diverse student body and draw from various communities within the Navajo Nation. Our goal has always been to empower future generations by fostering a learning environment that nurtures creativity, critical thinking, and a strong sense of community. Our educational journey forges meaningful partnerships with organizations that share our vision. Baca/Dlo’ ay azhi Community School graduates have become leaders and positive change-makers within their own communities.
Over the years, Baca/Dlo’ ay azhi students’ academic achievements and our cultural events have made an indelible contribution to the Navajo Nation. The optimism and determination of the Baca/Dlo’ ay azhi legacy continues to shape the lives of future generations. We have remained committed to providing students with the opportunity to identify with their Native heritage by being one with their learning environment.
