Jane Werito Yazzie my maternal grandmother's birthday

Today September 15, 2026 would have been her 96th birthday. Woman of the Hooghanli clan kinship. I imagine her Jane Werito Yazzie, my maternal grandmother, and think of how beautiful she would have been. After she left this earth life seemed impossibly lonely, but life and God had His plan in place and slowly life became okay. I miss her and her presence of love and compassion. Today I recognize and celebrate her life live here in this space.

Everyday I got to be present with her was a blessing, she brought joy and goodness wherever we roamed together. "Mom" was my sanctuary, she was my rock. What a blessing in life to have her by my side. Happy Birthday I love you!

Fashion in Southwest Cultural Adornment by Venaya Yazzie at Bears Ears Education Center

In September at Bears Ears Education Center Join us!

Matrilocal in Eastern Dine'

Eastern Navajoland

As Dine' (Navajo) people we exist under the identity of our maternal kinship relationships. Although we as a collective are living within the country of American culture, most of us live under the umbrella of a matriarchal governance stystem. We are born from our Dine' mother's and we carry her kinship lineage via one of our many "clans" in the clanship system. It is by blood relation that we as Dine' inherit our ties to the matriarchs of our cultural landscapes across the vast lands of our homelands in New Mexico, Utah and northeastern Arizona. I am of the Hooghanlani' lineage of women in northwest New Mexico in the area called Dine'tah, 'where the People roam.' This area is the original lands inhabited by the Dine', through history many of the Navajo have journeyed westward to Arizona to what is now know as "Navajo Nation." The matriarchal system of the Dine' is still and always will be based on the lineage of women. We will always be the leaders of our homes and regional communities. Even amidst the perpetual adoption of Euro-American culture via colonization, we are Dine' and we are a matriarchy living and existing in our matrilocal areas. Blessings, VJ

Speaker of Culture in the Southwest: Venaya Yazzie

Venaya Yazzie wins Solstice Magazine of Diverse Voices Poetry Award

Solstice Magazine of Diverse Voices summer literary award was judged by acclaimed poet Sandra Lim this year. Venaya's poem titled, when Creation perpetuates - in four parts was chosen as the top winning poem! The winners list from the Solstice Magazine website is listed below:

Venaya Yazzie's original poetry is based on her tribal cosmology, which centers upon the Navajo stories of 'beginnings.' Her culture of Navajo is rooted in the oral history and is an inspiration for Venaya's writing.

The poem excerpt is listed below, and be read in entirety via the website.

The other concepts in which Yazzie draws from is in the perpetuation of Navajo matriarchy and land identity. Venaya writes on aspects of her culture's matrillenial society as she has coined the phrase "Matriarchland." Blessings.

Podcast hosted by Venaya Yazzie, Eastern Navajo Nation

Listen! Native Art Voices 4Corners podcast hosted by Venaya Yazzie Produced at KSJE radio station at San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico, USA

Whether in-studio or phone interview, each artist brings their true narrative to the mic. Podcast airs live evety 3rd Thursday of each month, then goes online via most streaming services.

Listen to all past inverviews with area artists of NM, CO, UT, and AZ: NATIVE ART VOICES 4CORNERS PODCAST link

Blessings in crafts of southwest Indigenous origins and narrative

From the visions and dreams of my Hopi ancestry I create ear adornments. Life as a Dine'/ Hopi female being is a blessing, I am never without great appreciation for this identity from the beauty of the Southwest.

Each earring I create is inspired by the ancestral items that have been seen at sacred sites such as Chaco Canyon in New Mexico but also in other still inhabited areas of the Pueblo people, including Hopi.

My late maternal grandfather, Alfred Yazzie Sr., carried and shared the family oral history of life at Chaco before the U.S. National Park system tool it over in the 1930s. It is from this narrative that I still inspired to create such beauty items of my paternal grandfather's lineage at Hopi.

As a modern southwest artisan, I feel very blessed to carry on the tradition and craft of making cultural jewerly adornments. I never take my abilities and cultural knowledge for granted. I am happy to make these earrings, for I don't who will? Such crafts need to be passed on to the coming generations so our collective narratives do not leave us. Blessings, Venaya Yazzie

Brother Peltier pardoned! Thank you, Creator, our Brother Leonard is FREE!!!!