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Navajo Math Circles

Documentary | George Csicsery

  • SYNOPSIS

Navajo Math Circles follows Navajo students in a lively collaboration with mathematicians. Using a model called math circles, the students stay late after school and assemble over the summer at Diné College in Tsaile, Arizona, to study mathematics. The math circles approach emphasizes student-centered learning by putting children in charge of exploring mathematics to their own joy and satisfaction. 

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58 minutes

Release: September 12, 2016

Expiration: September 11, 2020

Distributor: PBS Plus

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George Csicsery

Producer/Director
GEORGE PAUL CSICSERY, a writer and independent filmmaker since 1968, was born in Germany in 1948, the son of Hungarian parents. He immigrated to the United States in 1951. He has directed 32 films--dramatic shorts, performance films and documentaries.

Dr. Tatiana Shubin

Educator/Cast
DR. TATIANA SHUBIN is a professor of mathematics at San Jose State University, has established a relationship with the people at the Navajo Nation.A native of the Soviet Union, she grew up in the USSR Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan, where she studied with and worked with indigenous peoples such as Kazakhs, Kyrgyz’s, and Uzbeks. Tatiana was herself a student in the Math Circles in her native Leningrad (St. Petersburg).

Dr. Henry Fowler

Native American Advisor/Educator
DR. HENRY FOWLER, (Navajo) is a math and math education professor at Diné College in Tsaile on the Navajo Reservation. He has been teaching math for over 15 years. Dr. Fowler’s Navajo traditional clans are born for Bitter-water and born into Zuni-Edgewater. His maternal grandparents are the Many Goats and his paternal grandparents are the Red-running-into-the-Water.

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Walt Pourier

Vice Chair

Walt is Oglala Lakota and created the logo for Urban Rez. He is Creative Director, owner of Nakota Designs Advertising Designs and Graphics. Executive Director of the Stronghold Society nonprofit dedicated to instilling hope and supporting youth movements through Live Life Call To Action Campaigns.

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lynn palmanteer-holder

Lynn Palmanteer-Holder, an Indigenous plateau woman of North Central Washington and member of eight of twelve Tribes of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Lynn recently retired as inaugural Director of Tribal Government Affairs for Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, the state’s oversight agency of 34 CTCs.  She is a highly accomplished professional that spans over 40 years. She is an experienced educator that has a demonstrated history across K12, post-secondary & higher education as a teacher, school counselor, superintendent, researcher, and professor. Also, she has diverse experience as an entrepreneur, Tribal leader and administrator. She is skilled in curriculum and program development, facilitating government to government relationships that led to formal partnerships between state institutions and Tribes developing custom programs. Lynn has served on many boards and has been recognized for various statewide, and national awards. She has several scholarly publications and has done various conference presentations and speaking engagements, at the local, national and international level. Lynn holds a Ph.C. (ABD) in Social Welfare Policy from University of Washington. She earned her M.Ed., with a concentration in counseling psychology from Washington State University and B.Ed., in K12 Education from Eastern Washington University. Lynn is a wife of 49 years, a mother of three adult professional children, granny of 10 and great granny to two. Lynn and her husband are high school sweethearts, and together enjoy time with their 15+ two-legged blessings.