Native America

("Binary Sunset" playing) NARRATOR: May the Fourth is a special night at the West Winds Drive-In in Glendale, Arizona.

GERI HONGEVA: I'm always so excited for May the Fourth Be With You.

Every year when this comes around, my energy level goes up.

(talking in background) There you go.

NARRATOR: Tonight, they're screening a unique version of "Star Wars"-- dubbed into Navajo.

BILAGODY: When I heard that folks were going to do Episode IV in Navajo language, it was a dream that came true.

The teachings, like, Yoda would say things that I heard while I was a little boy-- the connection was strong.

Thank you.

CLARISSA YAZZIE: It is said that our language is dying, you know?

We're forgetting our language.

But I'm still hopeful that, you know, there are going to be kids that are gonna get inspired and excited about, you know, "I want to learn the language."

HONGEVA: It's a great deal for me because my grandparents can see this movie.

There are a lot of elders in our community where Navajo is the only language they know.

JONATHAN NEZ: Ladies and gentlemen that are listening in your cars this evening here at the drive-in theater, the Navajo language is on a comeback.

(speaking Navajo): ("Main Theme" playing) LUKE (speaking Navajo): (movie audio continues) MANNY WHEELER: Everybody loves "Star Wars"-- I remember seeing a toy X-Wing fighter, probably 1978, '77, you know, and, like, just really being blown away.

That was my first introduction to "Star Wars."

I didn't even know about the movie, I just saw this toy, and I was just, like, "Whoa!"

NARRATOR: Manny Wheeler is the Jedi mind behind the Navajo dub of "Star Wars."

He auditioned hundreds of people to bring the project to life.

LEIA: Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

(speaking Navajo): (speaking Navajo): Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Obi-Wan.

(speaking Navajo): LUKE (speaking Navajo): OBI-WAN (speaking Navajo): WHEELER: The Force and the universe is all interconnected.

When you put that in the Navajo language, especially for an elder to hear that, they're going to just be thinking, like, yeah, of course.

It's not just a movie.

That's stuff we, we really believe.

OBI-WAN (speaking Navajo): WHEELER: When you have an understanding of Navajo, you're connected to a deep culture.

You're connected to the holy people, that's what we call them.

And you have a strong sense of being in this world when you are fluent in Navajo.

OBI-WAN (speaking Navajo): IMPERIAL OFFICER (speaking Navajo): (explosion echoes) WHEELER: The vast majority of our speakers are older.

They're either my age or older.

And it doesn't take a scholar to see the road that we're heading down.

We need to put things in place immediately to prevent our language from vanishing.

(chant set to techno music playing) NARRATOR: The urgency to keep Native languages alive is experienced by many tribes across the country.

(music continues) MAN (speaking Anishinaabe): (music continues)