Northwest New Mexico schools adjusted March 3 schedules over Diné eclipse teachings

Central Consolidated School District delayed the start of classes on March 3 after consulting several other school districts and the New Mexico Public Education Department, a district spokesperson said, to allow time for cultural observance tied to the total lunar eclipse that began at 1:44 a.m. and ended about 6:44 a.m.

Although the eclipse occurred in the early morning hours outside regular class time, CCSD’s Intercultural Community Outreach Department produced an educational video explaining that Diné teachings call for observance during an eclipse. For some Native American students and faculty on March 3 the start of the school day was delayed as a total lunar eclipse reddened the moon in the early morning hours, bringing a time for cultural acts of reverence to occur.

CCSD’s video states an eclipse in Diné culture can signify death or renewal, and that in speaking of death an eclipse can be termed Jóhonaa’éi daaztsaą́ or Tt’éhonaa’éi daaztsaą́ in the Diné language. The video notes death is considered a sacred occurrence and that necessary protocols must take place; it also explains a parallel belief that during an eclipse the sun and moon create a renewal to the universe and all creation.

The district materials list specific ethics and principles of respect observed during an eclipse, including staying indoors, abstaining from food or drink, being awake while remaining calm and still, and not looking at the Moon. Those practices informed how some schools approached the March 3 schedule even though the astronomical event itself occurred before the school day.

From the Window Rock Unified School District to the campus of Navajo Preparatory High School, several schools implemented a one- or two-hour delay on March 3, the district notices showed. By contrast, Farmington Municipal Schools and Aztec Municipal Schools kept the school day on a regular schedule, with students having the option to have an excused absence if they remained home. Farmington Municipal Schools said in a news release it "routinely works with families to honor cultural traditions and would excuse students who needed time to observe them."

CCSD considered a two-hour delay or a remote learning day and, after discussions with the New Mexico Public Education Department, learned a longer delay would be considered a half day that could mean losing funding, the district spokesperson said. That funding concern shaped CCSD’s choice to limit the length of delays while offering cultural accommodation.

The March 3 adjustments highlight how northwest New Mexico districts are negotiating cultural observance and state attendance rules: districts varied from brief delays to excused absences as they balanced Diné protocols, operational logistics and NMPED guidance.