Faculty & Staff
Melvatha R. Chee
Melvatha R. Chee, Ph.D., is Tsé Nahabiłnii, Kin Łichíi’nii, Hooghan Łání and Áshįįhí. She comes from Lake Valley, New Mexico. As a Diné speaker, she has over 15 years of experience working with her language in a professional capacity. Dr. Chee’s linguistic work includes an analysis of Navajo child language data. Her primary research looks at how Navajo children learn to use the morphologically complex Navajo verb. Dr. Chee is a United States Marine Corps Veteran and she maintains a connection to her culture to enrich her Navajo language skills, knowledge and wellbeing. She is Assistant Professor of Linguistics and Director of the Navajo Language Program at the University of New Mexico.
Email: mchee at unm dot edu
Tamera Yazzie
Tamera is the program specialist for the Indigenous Child Language Research Center. From UNM she earned an MA in linguistics and a BA in speech and hearing sciences. Her interests include first language acquisition, morphosyntax, and language change. She is originally from Gallup, NM.
