Diné language is a tonal language. Speakers impart and derive meaning and understanding from using auditory nuances of the spoken language (Arviso, 1996). Prior to 1961, no written alphabet or symbols existed for the Navajo language (Arviso, 1996). Tapahonso (1993) explains that Diné are known by their use of language and the value of the spoken word is respected as cultural wealth, knowledge, and prestige.
The cultural/communication process of Dine' involves the two pivotal technologies of orality and literacy. Navajo culture would be considered a culture of secondary orality (Ong, 1982). Zolbrod (personal communication, October 11, 1997) suggests that Navajo culture still retains a "powerful residue of preliteracy". In contrast to a primary oral culture where there is no knowledge of writing or print, Navajo culture is mediated with radio, television, video, telephone, and computers, which are dependant upon print and writing. Literacy enhances orality as a complentarity, for there can be no literacy without orality.
As Ong suggests, the orality of any language is both basic and permanent, for "writing can never dispense with orality. Oral expression can exist and mostly has existed without any writing at all, writing never without orality" (1982, p. 7-8). History provides an eloquent example. In recalling the events and details of the Navajo Long Walk and imprisonment between 1864-1868, Navajo oral tradition remains more accurate and reliable than written accounts documented in the Army annals, citing oral history as "precise", "vivid", and "elequent" (Roberts, 1997, p. 56-57).
Based on Ong's work, the following matrix has been adapted highlighting contrasting qualities and characteristics of orality and literacy.
| ORALITY & LITERACY MATRIX | |
| ORALITY/Navajo Culture | LITERACY/Non-Navajo Culture |
|---|---|
| orality is universal | literacy is a recent technology |
| secondary orality has mediated technologies | text based (chirographic and typographic) |
| learn by imprinting | learn by studying |
| knowledge exists within person | knowledge exists within books |
| situational or contextual thinking centered in human action | abstract thinking centered around impersonal labeling, itemizing, categorizing |
| oral narrativity organizational structures (mnemonic style, ritual formula, repetition) | literal narrativity organizational structures (linear, sequential) |
| sound incorporates (unifying, holistic, harmonizing tendencies) | writing & printing isolates (analytic, reductionist, dissecting tendencies) |
| knowledge and thinking referential to human activity; analytic | knowledge devoid of human action or content; synthetic |
Hrynyshyn (Zellen, 1998), referring to the impact of the WWW and Aboriginal people of the Northwest Territory, describes web technology as an ideal complement to oral traditions surpassing print media in blending audio, video, graphics, and text. Aboriginal musician and writer, Lepine, anticipates that multimedia will provide alternatives to written literacy that will enrich orality (Zellen, 1998).
Wyatt (personal communication, May 7, 1998) affirms that language is continually evolving with the confluence of technology and culture. Tapahonso (1993) confirms this point with a Navajo illustration: "The value of the spoken word is not diminished, even with the influence of television, radio, and video….People are known by their use of language" (xi).
The qualities of text and orality are coalescing to become a distinct communication technology. Wyatt (personal communication, April 18, 1999) suggests chatlines are merging certain characteristics with orality, referring to it as text modified by conversation, and pondering if it will become conversation modified by text.