Zuni Delapna:we program launches to revive language and culture

The Zuni Youth Enrichment Project is kicking off its eighth annual Delapna:we Project with a family night at Ho’n A:wan Park today, Jan. 14, beginning a slate of rehearsals, workshops and performances that run through mid-February. Community auditions were held in early January, and public stage shows are scheduled for the evening of Feb. 13 and the afternoon of Feb. 15, with plans to stream performances to reach a wider audience.

Delapna:we uses performing arts to bring traditional Zuni oral stories to life while building everyday language practice and cultural protocols for youth. The program includes rehearsal workshops, language and cultural activities, family meals and volunteer opportunities. Ho’n A:wan Productions is a key partner in production and staging, and funders such as the First Nations Development Institute, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the New Mexico Behavioral Health Services Division support the initiative’s community and youth well-being goals.

Organizers point to the program’s roots in preservation work: digitized elder recordings and prior archival projects that seeded the curriculum and stories now adapted for stage. Evaluations from past years show measurable gains in language use and cultural engagement. Post-project surveys found roughly 75% of parents or guardians reported their children spoke more Zuni at home after participating, and about 90% of youth said speaking Zuni is important. Those outcomes suggest Delapna:we not only entertains but also reinforces intergenerational transmission of language and norms.

The local impacts are both cultural and practical. For McKinley County families, the program creates low-barrier opportunities for children to practice Zuni in community settings, offers structured mentoring by elders and performers, and integrates meals and social time that make participation feasible for working families. Funding from behavioral health agencies underscores a policy link: language and cultural programming is increasingly recognized as a preventive and restorative element of youth mental health strategies.

Logistics are straightforward for anyone who wants to be involved: family night is tonight at Ho’n A:wan Park, auditions took place earlier this month, and public shows are Feb. 13 and Feb. 15, with streaming to expand reach. Organizers continue to invite volunteers and donations to support rehearsal costs and family services.

Our two cents? Come to the family night, bring a few simple Zuni phrases to share, and encourage kids to use the language at home—small, steady practice is what keeps stories and customs alive for the next generation.