What was used as a punishment for speaking Navajo?

The use of physical punishment, such as being beaten with a stick, reflects the severe measures that were sometimes taken in educational settings to enforce language policies, particularly during periods when Native American languages, including Navajo, were suppressed. In various American boarding schools throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, students were often punished for speaking their native languages. This harsh approach was rooted in a broader effort to assimilate Indigenous populations into Euro-American cultures, which included a prohibition on the use of Native languages in favor of English.

While other forms of punishment, such as isolation, loss of privileges, or being sent home, may have been employed, the emphasis on physical punishment in this context illustrates the extreme lengths to which authorities went to enforce the English-only policy. This historical context highlights the resilience of the Navajo language and culture, as many individuals and communities resisted these oppressive measures and worked to preserve their linguistic heritage despite the challenges faced.