Alum turns storytelling into language preservation

Ashlee Ellinwood BS ’25, Marketing & Communications

Pete Sands with Navajo Highways character Uncle Al, photo by Max Haimowitz

Pete Sands didn’t initially set out to create a children’s television series, let alone one centered around Diné (Navajo) language and culture. Now, families can watch and learn from characters like Sadie, Ash, and Grandma Sally.

When starting at Weber State in 2004, Sands majored in criminal justice with dreams of becoming a U.S. Marshal. He found himself struggling with public speaking and, at a professor’s recommendation, took an intro to acting course to strengthen his speaking skills.

That class was a turning point. Encouraged by WSU mentors, he dived further into the arts, exploring playwriting, poetry, and performance. Sands discovered a passion for storytelling that would ultimately guide his work in music, film, and television. That passion led to appearing on and writing music for the TV series Yellowstone.

In 2020, he launched a COVID-19 relief program for the Navajo Nation, which resulted in him being named one of Time Magazine’s Guardians of the Year. Sands’ service work inspired Navajo Highways, a children’s series he created to help preserve the Diné language. While working with families during the pandemic, Sands repeatedly encountered children who could not communicate with their grandparents. An elder he met stressed the need to save the language.

Navajo Highways, now streaming on First Nations Experience, uses puppetry and short stories to teach the language to young audiences, though the show has also resonated with older generations. At its premiere in Window Rock, Arizona, Sands said elders were “moved to tears” by hearing their language spoken on screen.

Production for season two, along with a travel spinoff, began in late spring. Adding to the excitement, Sands and his crew were honored with two 2026 Pacific Southwest Emmy Awards — one in the Informational/Instructional category and one in Set Design — in June.

Sands credits WSU with helping him find his voice and his drive to serve the community. “None of this would’ve happened if I didn’t get inspired at Weber State,” he said.