How did Navajo children at mission schools communicate their heritage?

Continuing to speak Navajo was a crucial way for Navajo children at mission schools to communicate their heritage. Despite the pressures and policies that often enforced the use of English and aimed to assimilate Native American children into Western culture, many Navajo children retained their language among peers and in informal settings. Speaking Navajo allowed them to maintain a connection to their cultural identity, traditions, and familial ties, which were essential aspects of their heritage.

Engaging in conversations in their native language reinforced a sense of belonging and pride in their cultural roots, even when they were in environments that sought to limit that heritage. It served as a form of resistance against assimilation and helped preserve the language for future generations.