New site - Indigenous Adornment

A view of my new website header featuring Navajo model Crystal Birdhead
dressed in garments I designed and produced.
Photo credit Venaya Yazzie 2016
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Happy September 29th - for we only have a couple more glorious days of the month left.  As you might guess I adore the month of September. For one it's my birthday month, but also the birth date of several of my family members including my maternal grandmother.

I wanted to share some news today concerning my ongoing research on 'indigenous adornment.'   Yesterday I launched my new website called "Indigenous Adornment." It is my hope that this site will continue to promote southwestern cultural adornment of the Dine' (Navajo) and Pueblo (Hopi) peoples of Arizona and New Mexico, USA.

As I have mentioned on several previous entry's this research I have been doing for the past five years or so has lead me to produce a book manuscript and hopefully soon a book. I am always inspired by my immediate desert matriarchs and patriarch as I continue on this great journey of my proposed book.

I have launched this new site with hopes that it will inspire others, educate the global community and bring awareness to the public about Indigenous southwestern tribal/cultural adornment practices. And further that it will perpetuate the tribal narrative of my family and tribal commuunity - and the importance of our identity in the 21st century, including our ways of adorning as acts of resiliency.

I hope you are blessed with love and laughter in your life - enjoy the rest of September!

Blessings in all things.

-Venaya  

Good earrings all around

Earrings made by Hopi Pueblo artist M. Honyouti
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Photo credit- Venaya Yazzie 2016
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Wearing earrings made by Hopi artist M. Honyouti
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Imagination is the key to successful art.

In my opinion - the more diverse experience a person has the more complex and interesting their art is. The number of southwestern desert artists is abundant and so there is a wonderful variety of art in the Americas.

Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to travel the desert homleands and thus have explored and found new artists. But, this time it was social media that I trekked and found a great Hopi artist who makes these 'nizhoni-ful' earrings. I have seem many earrings in my day and by far these are the most 'beautyful' and so very unique. I recently purchased these earrings from M. Honyouti who is an Arizona artist. He makes Hopi carvings and also these awesome earrings - his work is showcased online. ( His website is at www.mhonyouti.com )

With each art piece I purchase I find it like adding a new family member. These earrings are my new favorites, and I wear them with happiness. For me this is about 'adorning' oneself with the spirit of creativity and therefore an act of Indigenous Adornment. And too, its a birthday present for myself - today is my birthday!

Blessings.