 |
| Dine' males. Three generations of Indigenous adornment. Internet photograph via Google.
This historical photograph showcases desert southwestern INDIGENOUS male ADORNMENT.
The three generations of these picture males are Dine' (Navajo) tribal members who are wearing early 1900s tribal regalia. This era in Navajo history is what many tribal people call Post-Long Walk, the time lived after the forced exodus and incarceration and release of Navajos as prisoners of war in American society.
After the infamous Long Walk the tribal regalia of the Dine' changed tremendously. Before the exodus the Navajo still wore garments made of buckskin and for many women, they wore woven dresses. After the Navajo returned they brought cotton and poly-cotton materials back to their homelands. Among the various European fabric was the inclusion of Velveteen material, which the Navajo women held in high esteem for its shining, vibrant reflection.
This photograph showcases the men wearing cotton pants, including the popular calico cotton fabric which the boy is wearing. They are wearing long-sleeved velvet shirts ADORNED with silver button accents, each is ADORNED in silver concho-inspired belts around their waists and each of the males are wearing the traditional Indigenous foot wear via their moccasins.
Each is wearing traditional head-wear. The elder Dine' man on the left is ADORNED in a Dine' men's war-bonnet or chief-bonnet, which is likely made of buckskin and turkey feathers. The other two men are wearing headbands probably made of cotton fabric. Also, the two men on the left are ADORNED with traditional Dine' male satchels which is worn on the side of the hip. The satchels are usually made with a thick, cow leather or buckskin and ADORNED with silver buttons. They are standing upon a Navajo-woven rug made in the design of the era. Overall, this is a great historical photograph that tells much in its depiction of Navajo male ADORNMENT. Blessings. |
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Dine'.Male Historical Adornment
SW Indigenous. Trade.
 |
| Four-string necklace Photo by VENAYA YAZZIE 2013 |
The perpetuation of southwestern Indigenous trade is ongoing in the 21st century with many desert peoples. Historically the Pueblo, Navajo, Apache and the Native people of Mexico and the Baha of southern California have traded earth mineral and plant materials with each other via a bartering system.
The Navajo of New Mexico continue this tradition with their Pueblo neighbors including the: Jemez Pueblo, Kewa Pueblo and the communities of Laguna and Acoma. Most likely the trade items including materials used for making jewelry items, but this also includes the trade of food items.
I made this four-strand necklace item (pictured above) after I acquired the abalone shell beads from a tribal member from Walatow (Jemez) Pueblo. I traded some woven goods for a batch of various beads including heishe shell, which I use as "spacer" in making necklaces with turquoise.
I have mixed the turquoise stone with heishe shell beads and squared abalone shell beads in making this item. I was inspired to make this piece after I saw an elder Dine' woman's necklace in Shiprock. Her necklace was more ancient-looking, and more of a mix of mother-of-pearl shell beads.
The materials involved in making this necklace originated in two places. The turquoise developed in the dry, desert lands of the southwest, whereas the abalone shell originated from the ocean region.
The trade involved in this necklace speaks volumes about INDIGENOUS ADORNMENT but most especially INDIGENOUS trade in the southwest.
Blessings.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Ring.Bug Ring.
 |
| Bug ring. Photo by VJ Yazzie |
This recent purchase was made in Gallup, New Mexico. My aunt bought this ring for me for my birthday in September. I just fell in love with this bug, or choosh (bug) ring. The inspiration for this piece seems to have been a lady bug. Its made of sterling silver, black onyx and turquoise.I ADORN my hands in the fall season, with happiness.
Rectangular Inlay Earrings With Spiny Oyster Square
I found these Pueblo style earrings on the Santa Fe Shiprock Gallery website. They are made by Kewa artist Mary C. Lovato. Truly lovely earrings!
Bio from the wesite:
For more info visit: http://www.shiprocksantafe.com/beta/items/view/22219
 |
| Mosaic Inlay Earrings made by Mary Coriz Lovato |
Bio from the wesite:
Mary Coriz Lovato, daughter of Santiago Leo Coriz, was born to the Corn Clan. Besides raising five sons to become accomplished silversmiths, Mary finds time to turn out some of the finest Indian jewelry found today. Mary's forte is inlaid shell earrings and pendants, a blend of the contemporary and the traditional.
Her work has become the standard by which shell inlaid jewelry is measured. Slivers of turquoise, pipestone, serpentine, coral, jet and mother-of-pearl reflect the colors of the Sun's glow.
Since time immemorial, the Santo Domingo Pueblo has traded seashells from the Gulf of California and the Pacific over regular trade routes. Pendants cut from the glossy shells in various forms were overlaid with designs in abalone, jet and turquoise.
Since the 1860's, craftsmen have created "traditional" silver jewelry. In the 1960's a "new look" in Indian jewelry emerged. And new work being done today has a quality all of its own. It's not like the old stuff...it's better!
Her work has become the standard by which shell inlaid jewelry is measured. Slivers of turquoise, pipestone, serpentine, coral, jet and mother-of-pearl reflect the colors of the Sun's glow.
Since time immemorial, the Santo Domingo Pueblo has traded seashells from the Gulf of California and the Pacific over regular trade routes. Pendants cut from the glossy shells in various forms were overlaid with designs in abalone, jet and turquoise.
Since the 1860's, craftsmen have created "traditional" silver jewelry. In the 1960's a "new look" in Indian jewelry emerged. And new work being done today has a quality all of its own. It's not like the old stuff...it's better!
For more info visit: http://www.shiprocksantafe.com/beta/items/view/22219
Kewa.Mosiac.Inlay.Earrings
These earrings are so beautiful!
I was able to purchase these earrings directly from the maker on a visit to the winter feast days at Ohkay Owingeh, which is the Tewa expression for San Juan Pueblo reservation.
The earrings were made by a young man from Kewa Pueblo (Santo Domingo) which is located in northern New Mexico halfway between Albquerque and Santa Fe. During this time I was able to talk with the artist and ask about the earrings. He explained that they are made in the tradition of Kewa jewerly makers using on authentic earth elements.
These earring are made in the Indigenous jewelry way of mosaic inlay. For this particular pair of earrings the Pueblo maker used materials including: clam shell, mother of pearl shell, onyx, turquoise and silver.
As you can see the entire earring is made using the halved clam shell as the main foundation of the piece. They then inlaid atop the shell using symbolic geometric designs as they applied the various elements.
These earrings are among my treasures in my jewelry collection. I ADORN myself and wear them in times of celebration and during gallery openings. Truly, many of the the Kewa Pueblo people have a spectacular Indigenous designs to ADORN the People!
 |
| Earrings from Kewa Pueblo Photo by Venaya Yazzie ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
These earrings are so beautiful!
I was able to purchase these earrings directly from the maker on a visit to the winter feast days at Ohkay Owingeh, which is the Tewa expression for San Juan Pueblo reservation.
The earrings were made by a young man from Kewa Pueblo (Santo Domingo) which is located in northern New Mexico halfway between Albquerque and Santa Fe. During this time I was able to talk with the artist and ask about the earrings. He explained that they are made in the tradition of Kewa jewerly makers using on authentic earth elements.
These earring are made in the Indigenous jewelry way of mosaic inlay. For this particular pair of earrings the Pueblo maker used materials including: clam shell, mother of pearl shell, onyx, turquoise and silver.
As you can see the entire earring is made using the halved clam shell as the main foundation of the piece. They then inlaid atop the shell using symbolic geometric designs as they applied the various elements.
These earrings are among my treasures in my jewelry collection. I ADORN myself and wear them in times of celebration and during gallery openings. Truly, many of the the Kewa Pueblo people have a spectacular Indigenous designs to ADORN the People!
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Doll making.Dine style.
 |
| Doll Adorned. Photo By Venaya Yazzie ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
My grandmother and I designed and made the cultural clothing and jewelry ADORNMENT itesmf or this doll. she is dressed in the Navajo style of womens' colthing.
It was a blessing doing this project with her. During the making sessions I was able to see the joy and happiness in my grandmother's eyes as the doll's adornments came together.
Blessing moments all around!
-vj
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Dine' Song & Dance.ADORNMENT
This weekend I was able to attend a social dance of the Dine' people in the Four Corners area of the southwest. The Dine' Song and Dance is a dance adapted from the traditional Dine' ceremony, the Enemyway, which is a healing event. The dance itself requires two people in which the woman gets to choose a partner to dance with, she must not be refused, but if she is then the male must pay her. This part of the traditional dance has intentions of general socializing between young men and women with hopes that they may each find a suitable mate that is not clan-related. In many ways this dance could be equated to the formal dances of American culture. The difference is that this dance is done with enhanced respect and honor of traditional Dine' cultural ways of being and belief.
During the Dine' Song and Dance the people dance clockwise in a cirlce with their chosen partners. They look regal in their Dine' best! Each dancer ADORNS themselves with the best their families can do, the finest turquoise and silver jewerly, woven dresses, satin skirts and velvet shirts, and moccasins can be viewed as each dance in unison with the singer and thee water drum. Their are two styles of dance: the Two-Step and the Skip Dance. The dancers innately know which dance is which as they can tell by the beat of the drum.
It is during this time when both men and woman are ADORNED in INDIGENOUS fashion for a reason, to be beautiful and as an Dine' elder put it, "shining for the Creator to see." The way in which the male and female are ADORNED is distinct to their gender. For men the common (modern) regalia is a velvet collared shirt, white pants, dyed rust colored cow hide moccassins, shoulder-bag, bow guard, silver belt and plenty of TURQUOISE ADORNMENT via necklaces, earrings, bracelets and pins. Traditionally the males will wear their hair (if long hair) in a bundle tied with white cotton string. This is called a ts'ii yaal.
The Dine' women, as matriarchs of the People, are ADORNED beautifully. The ADORNMENT expression is varied from the interests of each woman, but the basic outfit will include: a velvet or satin blouse and skirt, or a woven wool dress called a biil dress. She will also wear distinct foot wear which is called ke'lchii, which roughly translates to "red shoes." The moccasins are made from cow hide and dyed a rust color and attached to them are wide bands of white buckskin, which are tied continuously around the womans ankle up to the calf and knee. For her Dine' ADORNMENT in the Song and Dance the woman will also wear her best turquoise and silver squash blossom necklaces, and earrings, rings and bracelets. Her hair will be also tied up in a hair bundle made to sit higher on the back of her head, she will have tied her hair with 12 strings of cotton and will make it longer at the ends so it can hang.
The Dine' Song and Dance is a wonderful dance with beautiful songs and rich heritage or southwerstern INDIGENOUS ADORNMENT. It is a special place where ancestral history is learned and also perpetuated, it is surreal in many ways.
I have included a video recording of the Song and Dance below.
Blessings,
Venaya.
Youtube video by Venaya:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAg_49pqpXQ
 |
| Moccasins, southwestern Indigenous style Photo by Venaya Yazzie ALL RIGHTS RES ERV ED |
During the Dine' Song and Dance the people dance clockwise in a cirlce with their chosen partners. They look regal in their Dine' best! Each dancer ADORNS themselves with the best their families can do, the finest turquoise and silver jewerly, woven dresses, satin skirts and velvet shirts, and moccasins can be viewed as each dance in unison with the singer and thee water drum. Their are two styles of dance: the Two-Step and the Skip Dance. The dancers innately know which dance is which as they can tell by the beat of the drum.
It is during this time when both men and woman are ADORNED in INDIGENOUS fashion for a reason, to be beautiful and as an Dine' elder put it, "shining for the Creator to see." The way in which the male and female are ADORNED is distinct to their gender. For men the common (modern) regalia is a velvet collared shirt, white pants, dyed rust colored cow hide moccassins, shoulder-bag, bow guard, silver belt and plenty of TURQUOISE ADORNMENT via necklaces, earrings, bracelets and pins. Traditionally the males will wear their hair (if long hair) in a bundle tied with white cotton string. This is called a ts'ii yaal.
The Dine' women, as matriarchs of the People, are ADORNED beautifully. The ADORNMENT expression is varied from the interests of each woman, but the basic outfit will include: a velvet or satin blouse and skirt, or a woven wool dress called a biil dress. She will also wear distinct foot wear which is called ke'lchii, which roughly translates to "red shoes." The moccasins are made from cow hide and dyed a rust color and attached to them are wide bands of white buckskin, which are tied continuously around the womans ankle up to the calf and knee. For her Dine' ADORNMENT in the Song and Dance the woman will also wear her best turquoise and silver squash blossom necklaces, and earrings, rings and bracelets. Her hair will be also tied up in a hair bundle made to sit higher on the back of her head, she will have tied her hair with 12 strings of cotton and will make it longer at the ends so it can hang.
The Dine' Song and Dance is a wonderful dance with beautiful songs and rich heritage or southwerstern INDIGENOUS ADORNMENT. It is a special place where ancestral history is learned and also perpetuated, it is surreal in many ways.
I have included a video recording of the Song and Dance below.
Blessings,
Venaya.
Youtube video by Venaya:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAg_49pqpXQ
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)