Far from home, a traveler posted this message on the internet. It was July 1, 2021.

Question

I've made it to my next lookout, overlooking a spot we're calling "Séítah."

Where on Earth is Séítah? No place! It's on the planet Mars. And what about the "traveler" who posted the message? It was a NASA rover called Perseverance. The robot was wheeling its way around, exploring the red planet. It studied rocks and loose dirt on the ground.

Perseverance's first stop was a rock called Máaz. That means "Mars" in Navajo. It's a language spoken by people of the Navajo Nation. The NASA team gave Navajo names to other places the rover found, like Séítah. Why did they choose to use Navajo names? Because the Navajo Nation's lands are in the Southwestern U.S. The ground is red and rocky there. And the spot where the rover first landed on Mars looks a bit like it.

The name of the rover itself is meaningful for the Navajo people, too. Why is that?

Because the Navajo have a long history of perseverance. Like the Mars rover, they once had to find their way in a new land after a hard journey. Long ago, the Navajo lived in what is now Canada. They followed animal herds from place to place. They hunted and gathered food. Between the years 1100 and 1500, they made the long migration south to the Navajo Nation's current lands. There, they adapted to a very different environment. They learned to grow food. And they became known for their beautiful arts, like pottery.

Today, the Navajo Nation is still going strong. It has about 400,000 members. And Navajo is the most spoken Native American language in the U.S.

The Navajo have traveled far. They came from Canada to the American Southwest. Now, with a little help from Ha'ahóni (Perseverance), their language has journeyed even further. It's gone all the way to Mars.

The Navajo hunted and gathered their food in Canada.
The Perseverance rover landed in a rocky place.
Perseverance is studying loose dirt and rocks.
Navajo words make the best place names for Mars.

Answer 1

The passage mentions several key points about the reasons behind the naming of places on Mars in Navajo and the significance of the Perseverance rover:

1. Cultural Connection: The use of Navajo names for locations on Mars, like Máaz (Mars) and Séítah, reflects a cultural connection since the red and rocky terrain of Mars somewhat resembles the landscape of the Navajo Nation in the Southwestern U.S.

2. Historical Journey: The Navajo people have a history of perseverance and adaptation, having migrated from Canada to the American Southwest between 1100 and 1500, which parallels the journey of Perseverance as it explores a new terrain.

3. Language Preservation: By naming Martian locations in Navajo, the NASA team is helping to preserve and promote the Navajo language, which is the most spoken Native American language in the U.S. today.

4. Scientific Exploration: The Perseverance rover is actively studying the Martian environment, particularly the rocks and loose dirt, which makes it an important tool for understanding another planet while also captivating interest in Indigenous culture.

Overall, the narrative underlines how the exploration of space can connect with and honor terrestrial cultures and histories.