The education of the Native American population has been and currently is an area of controversy. Finding a common ground in which to begin a strong and lasting education system between the differing religions, cultures, and goals of the Southwest creates unique boundaries. The area in which I grew up in is scarred with attempts that have been counter productive towards the unity of the Native way of life and typical American thought.

Because I am part of both the racial minority and majority, this particular problem has affected me and my faith journey. My father has been the pastor of multiple churches in many parts of the Navajo reservation and each move has forced me to revaluate my relationship Christ and the Church. Each different congregation has given me the opportunity to question Christianity and each answer has proven to ground my faith further into God and his plan.

One of the many questions have I explored is racism and how traditional Navajo beliefs and Christianity can coexist. My mother grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, within a family who had a strict vision of religion and Christianity. She married a Navajo man whose life had been incredibly different from her own. Neither of my parents' families saw this marriage as a good idea in the beginning. The overtones of racial stereotypes and the history between Navajos and the White community had created a base for many of the communities I have grown up in.