Her 'Beautyway'

Female Navajo child with lamb
Photo source Internet
Photographer Unknown

This image has made its way across the Internet for some time now, I do not know the photographer but assume it was captured by a non-Navajo person visiting the area. The era of this scene seems to be maybe during the 1930s-1950s.

There are many assumptions that can be made by quickly viewing this image, but if one takes the time to really "see" the image, it tells its story to the viewer.  It depicts a young Diné (Navajo) female child sitting outdoors with a lamb in her lap.  She is 'adorned'  in her southwest desert tribal clothing with cultural adornments on her shirt.  It is a cute capture to be sure, but for me it also shows the engagement of tribal sovereignty, not so intentionally  by her, but of those who consciously dressed her.

Even in modern society many people assume that the Diné are an intact culture, but sadly we are amidst American colonization. Its true that the year 1492 was documented as "first contact" for many Indigenous people living in the eastern coast and into Florida and Puerto Rico. But for the Indigenous desert dwellers of the now labeled 'American Southwest' "first contact" was not that long ago.  It was the Spaniards who first approached the Indigenous lands of the area. In 1535 under the direction of Spaniard Cabeza de Vaca the Europeans began their trek of the coast of Texas to displace and perpetuate grand acts of violence upon the southwestern 'first footprint' people.

For my Diné  the first encounters with the Spanish happened around 1540 by conquistador Coronado, who trespassed on Indigenous lands in the area of what we call Dinétah, near present day Navajo Dam area in northwest New Mexico. And at that the early Diné  ancestors did their best to stay clear of the newcomers.  But in 1864 the Euro-American government leader Kit Carson engaged a forced march of Diné  from Arizona to a prison internment camp in central New Mexico at Fort Sumner near present day Santa Rose, NM. The Diné  were held hostage at this prison till 1865 when the Diné  leaders spoke up and insisted we be allowed to go 'home' to our ancestral lands. This was a time of great suffering, violence and death. But we endured and kept faith and hope and today my Diné  are stedfast in perpetuating their existence.

I share this story because it lingers in this image of a young Navajo girl with her lamb.  Every image you see of a Navajo man or women, this story is with them, it is their aura if you will. This history is what is called the Long Walk of the Navajos, for us it is expressed as Hweeldi, 'the time of sorrows.' Just like this image of this child, it is in our Diné  DNA, it will never leave us, it is the reason for our present existence in the 21st century.  Though this trauma can have a great many ill effects, many of the Diné  keep it as a reminder that we have endured and can keep existing as Diné  people in a modern world.

This image of a Diné  child 'adorned' in her tribal adornment depicts how we have endured and taken parts of the American culture and thus used it for our survival. Historically, the Diné  have adopted the used of velveteen  and calico cotton to make their garments both for men and women. This child wears a velveteen blouse, I assume a handmade garment by her matriarchs and also a tiered-shirt with ribbon or ric-rac  edging. Her shirt is 'adorned' with silver buttons, which was a mainstay for Diné  clothing in this era.

Though this child may have not be aware of her act of decolonization, she is the inspiration for a Diné  women living in 2017 -  she sits in her 'Beautyway.' She is my muse, and she is my faith that my Diné  will continue to be strong and steadfast in keeping hold of the culture of our ancestors who came before us.

Blessings in all things.

By Venaya J. Yazzie 2017

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