Navajo Latter Day Saint Experiences in the 20th Century: A Conversation with Farina King

In this insightful episode of Dialogue Book Report, editor Caroline Kline engages in a deep conversation with historian and author Farina King about her latest book, Diné dóó Gáamalii: Navajo Latter-day Saint Experiences in the Twentieth Century. This personal and collective biography explores the complex intersections of Diné identity and Latter-day Saint religious affiliation. Farina King draws on stories from the LDS Native American Oral History Project and her own family’s experiences, shedding light on the unique challenges Navajo Latter-day Saints faced while navigating both their Indigenous heritage and their faith.

Through rich storytelling and empathetic research, King illuminates the lived realities of Diné who found themselves both outsiders within the LDS Church and within their own Native communities, offering a thought-provoking exploration of faith, identity, and the desire to bridge cultural divides.

Farina King, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, is the Horizon Chair of Native American Ecology and Culture and Associate Professor of Native American Studies at the University of Oklahoma. King specializes in twentieth-century Native American Studies, especially Indigenous experiences in boarding schools.