For the first time ever, the Navajo Treatment Center for Children and Their Families (NTCCF) hosted the Drums of Spring Song and Dance at the Twin Lakes Elementary School on April 16, 2026.
The Drums of Spring event brought together live performances by local singing groups and dancers for a celebration of Navajo culture broadcast on live radio. Elderly and young children dressed in their best traditional outfits, enjoyed dancing to the sounds of groups like Isaiah Tsosie “Little Boy Blue,” Andreas James, Cornfield Travelers, Lee Yi’ To’ Swingers, Naataanii Neez Singers, Lii Bi Daan Tiih, and Coyote Canyon Maiden.
More than cultural entertainment, the Drums of Spring gave participants and radio listeners, estimated in the thousands, the chance to hear directly from Navajo Division for Children and Family Services (NDCFS) programs.
Interspersed between the Navajo singing, staff from each NDCFS program explained what their programs do and how to obtain services. They also set up tables in the gym to share information and resources. In addition to NTCCF, programs include Department for Self Reliance, Department of Child Care and Development, Department of Family Services, Navajo Indian Child Welfare Act Program, Developmental Disabilities Program (DDP), Arizona Long-Term Care Services (ALTCS), and Financial Assistance Unit. In her remarks, Freida White, DDP/ALTCS Program Manager, explained that her programs serve Arizona residents only but each state has their own systems for such services.
The NDCFS staff explained that the Division is now under the Public Law 102-477 plan, which streamlines and integrates certain federally-funded programs and services with a goal of reducing unemployment in tribal communities. As a result, the NDCFS is promoting job training, education, and economic development along with preserving the Navajo culture and language.
About 150 participants showed up to the three-hour event, with some coming from as far as Rio Rancho, N.M, and Lukachukai, Ariz.
Anthony Begay, NTCCF Program Manager, noted that one elderly couple told him that events like the song and dance keep them socially and physically happy. Begay said that messages came in from around the world saying it was good to hear the Drums of Spring thanks to the live radio remote, which was available online.
“I want to thank the Twin Lakes Elementary School for hosting us. There were also many thanks from the crowd to be at the Drums of Spring,” Begay said.
White said that the event was about healing and providing information. “Oftentimes our services are not well known, and events like this bring our community members together in an interactive way,” she said.
The event was organized by NTCCF Traditional Practitioner Andrew James and featured a dinner of green chile stew, refreshments, door prizes, and a fruit giveaway. A highlight of the evening was when young royalty introduced themselves in the Diné language, demonstrating the resilience and strength of the culture and language.
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