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Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Each item has a song, a prayer
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| Navajo made sterling silver stamped earrings Photo by Venaya Yazzie ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2015 |
These are part of my earring collection and they are vintage earrings. I acquired these earrings from an elder Navajo woman who expressed to me that she could no longer wear 'dangle' earrings, so she wanted to sell them to someone who would appreciate them. I feel I was blessed to have purchased these from her, and now the story of these wonderful Navajo made earrings continues.
Make no mistake that every cultural jewelry item has a story, remember this next time you buy Navajo or Pueblo jewelry items. Each item has a song, a prayer that was sung or said when it was made. Indigenous cultural jewelry and associated items have a 'life' of their own it is said.
Navajo made turquoise and silver 'cluster' earrings
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| Navajo made turquoise and silver 'cluster' earrings Photo by Venaya Yazzie 2015 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
Wherever one travels in the world, that person will never see such Beauty in that of Navajo and Pueblo cultural jewelry. I make my case with these earrings I share with you. If you admire and enjoy such jewelry of the desert people, buy directly from the Navajo and Pueblo jewelers. By doing this you will ensure the jewelry is authentically designed and made by Indigenous people.
Turquoise 'adornment'
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| Turquoise 'adornment' |
Everyday one should 'adorn' in turquoise. As a desert person my soul knows the blue of the stone, cultural memory reminds me that I must do this in order to be blessed. Truly, that is the way it is for many Navajo and Pueblo people.
2014 Miss Navajo Nation: Indigenous Adornment
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| Venaya pictured with 2014 Miss Navajo Nation, McKeon K. Dempsey |
Recently I was invited to be a part of the annual Restoring & Celebrating Family Wellness "Focus on Youth" Conference in Shiprock, New Mexico. During this even I was able to mentor Navajo Youth and work with many talented Navajo artists including, Keno Zahney, James Joe and Johnson Yazzie among others.
As we began our painting session, Miss Navajo Nation, McKeon K. Dempsey visited and assisted in preparation of the canvas we would all paint on. She stayed for the morning session and painted. I had the chance to talk with her and found that she is especially Art-minded.
She is an alumnus, as I am, of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM. We had a great conversation about the Arts in Navajoland, or the lack of them in the lives of Navajo children. We also discussed the status of Navajo women in the Arts on the reservation, Miss Dempsey is a wonderful and very intelligent person who is representing the Navajo People, I am very proud of her as she is my 'lil sister' or shi'deezhi; in the Navajo way of K'e'.
I also expressed my work in 'Indigenous Adornment' and that I favored her Navajo jewelry she was 'adorned' in that day.
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