Mrs. Barsine Onyenedo is an enrolled member of the Navajo tribe and comes from Lukachukai, Arizona. Her clans are Tó’aheedlíinii (Water Flows Together Clan) and Tótsohnii (Big Water Clan). Her maternal grandfather is of the Áshįįhí (Salt Clan) and her paternal grandfather is of the Tsénjíkiní (Honey Comb Clan). Mrs. Onyenedo has served in the educational realm for many years; she served as Lead Faculty for Early Childhood Education within the Center for Diné Teacher Education at Diné College for 13 years, promoting language and culture within the birth to 12th grade classrooms. She has also taught a variety of different courses, ranging from kindergarten to higher education. Her experience took her to being; a Navajo Immersion Certified K-8th Teacher, to high school dual-credit courses, to Bachelors of Elementary Education courses. Mrs. Onyenedo also taught Advanced Navajo at Middlebury Institute of International Studies and online Navajo courses with the Phoenix Indian Center. She is a former Chair for the School of Diné Studies and Education, she has also served as the Faculty Association President and was a member of the College Board of Regents. Additionally, she has been an external reviewer and private consultant to a variety of programs and immersion/bilingual schools across the nation. Mrs. Onyenedo is currently a Visiting Lecturer II at the University of New Mexico, teaching Navajo Language within the Department of Linguistics. She is committed to building internal/external partnerships across the academic realm. She stresses the role of instructional leadership, accountability, and data-based decision-making in meeting the needs of the Navajo Nation’s communities and students, as well as promoting a climate of continuous improvement. Mrs. Onyenedo is a strong advocate for indigenous language and culture education as well as an advocate for our indigenous communities’ in the healthcare realm.

Educational History:

• 2004, BA. Multilingual/Multicultural Education, Arizona State University
• 2007, M.Ed. Educational Leadership, Doane College\

Certifications:

• Arizona Department of Education Standard Professional K-8th Teaching Licensure, Expires 2030
• Navajo Bilingual Endorsement, K-12th , Expires 2030
• Native American Language, PreK-12 Navajo, Expires 2030
• Certified Nursing Assistant, Expires 2026
• Certified Nursing Assistant Licensure, New Mexico

Representative Courses:

• NVJO 315 Advanced Navajo
• NAVA 1110