Bringing the Navajo Language to 'Rez Ball.'

Behind the Scenes

Bringing the Navajo Language to Rez Ball

Name: Bringing the Navajo Language to Rez Ball
Uploaded: 2024-10-04T16:00:00.000Z
Duration: 3 min 9 s
Description: From producer LeBron James and the co-creator of Reservation Dogs, comes the story a high school basketball team rich in Native American heritage. The cast and crew share the importance of authentically representing the Navajo language within the film.

The cast and crew of Rez Ball share the importance of authentically representing the Navajo language in the film.

From producer LeBron James and the co-creator of Reservation Dogs comes the story of the Chuska Warriors, a high school basketball team rich in Native American heritage. After losing their star player, the team must come together like never before to keep their state championship dreams alive.

Learn more about Rez Ball here.

Oct. 4, 2024

Transcript

[player] We're gonna switch it up a bit. We're gonna call all the plays in Navajo.

[intense music playing]

[crowd cheering]

[in Navajo]

[woman] It's a beautiful language. Really, really beautiful. One of the most important things that I told Sydney was to make it authentic.

[speaking indistinctly]

[Rose] Make it perfectly pronounced.

[in Navajo]

[Sydney] It's not every day you get to bring an Indigenous language to a global audience on a platform like Netflix, but that's exactly what we got to do with Rez Ball.

[singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” in Navajo]

[man 1] We took some Navajo language classes, and those were fun. It was important that we all got the language right. The language is sacred, and it's important to the Navajo culture.

[Sydney] Navajo language is intertwined with Navajo way of life. It has everything to do with the way we live, we exist. We are nothing without our language.

[speaks Navajo]

“Hot hand”"

[speaks Navajo] Code for “bulldog.” We're very fortunate to have a Navajo language consultant in Rose Nofchissey, and she worked with our actors to really get the nuances of the language down. We had a great teacher, Rose, who really pushed us to sound correct. It's a joy to see your language on the screen.

[in Navajo]

[repeats word]

Oh! [speaks Navajo]

[man 2] Knowing about the language, knowing about the culture, it just represents power and strength. And I think it's just very important. You're from here, Heather. You're Diné. It made me feel really proud and happy and hopeful. Young people speaking our language is something that I really appreciate and I value.

[in Navajo]

[customer] I can introduce myself. So, let's see…

[sighs, speaking Navajo] They were really eager to learn. I just felt so proud of them. You should know this. I've spoke Navajo for as long as I can remember. It's been really cool because a lot of the terms that we're using in the film are, like, accurate. I'm gonna call A Squad, guys in Navajo. Jimmy, call these B Squad guys in English, all right? 'Stoodis. It's really cool, I love it.

[speaking indistinctly]

[in Navajo]

[in English] This way. This way. I think one of the things I'm most proud of is that it's also an invitation for people to see the things that make Navajo culture so unique and special and beautiful and diverse. And I'm really excited for audiences to have an opportunity to experience that. That was a lot of fun. [laughs]

[music fades]

[drum sound effect plays]