SW Indigenous artisans and "fakes"

Kewa (Santo Domingo Pueblo) made earrings
Photo by Venaya Yazzie 2018
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

New acquisition into my southwestern desert jewelry collection. I purchases this pair of earrings directly from the Indigenous artist this weekend.

These authentic Indigenous Pueblo-made earrings were created in the ancient Pueblo style called "mosiac" design. These earrings include the following desert minerals: turquoise, black jet, and I am not sure of the yellow mineral. They also include mother-of-pearl shell and feature sterling silver findings and hooks.  I was able to talk with the Kewa (Santo Domingo Pueblo) artist about his work before I purchased it, which I feel is vital in buying "real" authentic southwestern Indigenous jewelry.

As I mentioned in a previous post, if it is possible BUY DIRECTLY FROM THE INDIGENOUS (Native American) TRIBAL ARTIST.  By doing this you are ensuring the sovereignty of the Indigenous peoples ways of life, and overall artistic, creative expression.  In today's climate there is far too many fake jewelry pieces in the southwestern jewelry market.  This is particularly true in tourist towns such as: Santa Fe, Gallup, Flagstaff and other towns that border Indigenous / 'Indin' reservation communities who feature authentic "American Indian Jewelry."  Via the American western Anglo-drive trading posts and pawn shops and other so called Native American curio shops, there is fraud. This ill tradition began as early as the late 1900s when Euro-American Anglo people (particularly men) were seeing, or experiencing the southwestern INDIGENOUS ART of New Mexico and Arizona.

Nowdays, non-Indigenous (non-Navajo, non-Pueblo) people are perpetuating THEFT of INDIGENOUS ART.  Non-Indigenous business owners are stealing, copying and re-creating Indigenous peoples designs via jewelry and the Navajo rugs. In many cases they are photographing our art designs and then sending them off to foreign lands such as the Philippines, China, the Middle East and South America for non-Navajo, non-Pueblo artisans to re-create and therefore, make fake copies of our jewelry. All you have to do is walk down the tourist areas of say Santa Fe, NM and see curio shops selling knock-off jewelry items. Many times they are labeled as "authentic Native American made." Don't be deceived, be vigilant and instead ask questions and buy directly from the Indigenous artist when possible.

I share this post as a means of educating the public at large on modern issues we face as Indigenous jewelry artisans in a time of continually colonization.

Blessings.

 (Posted 06-11-18
by Venaya Yazzie
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

R E S I L I E N C E in modern SW tribal dress

Modern Indigenous Adornment items
Photo by Venaya Yazzie
2018 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The continual use of southwestern cultural jewelry via turquoise and silver and other woven garments is a pure form of R E S I L I E N C E by contemporary tribal people. Including myself and my family, other of these people include: Navajo, Pueblo, Apache, Zuni and other low and high desert Indigenous Peoples of NM, AZ and UT.

First of all, happy June to all! To those who are reading this Indigenous Adornment blog I was given the Venaya Yazzie (Navajo/ Hopi) from my mother and my late father. And, I was born and raised in the Americas in the area of northwest New Mexico. Born on the sovereign Navajo Nation I was raised off and on the eastern region of the great Navajo reservation. I was raised up by my maternal grandparents who are of the Manyhogans and Two Waters Flow Together clans and have my Hopi family ties to First Mesa in AZ.

I began this Indigenous Adornment blog with the hope of sharing my culture(s) with those who visit this site. And therefore, I contribute work that I hope acts as a way of creating 'community.' The perpetuation of Indigenous knowledge and in the education-share of the First-Footprint People of the Americas I always want to ensure all areas I cover are correct and true. This posting concerns the resiliency of my tribal people via their personal 'adornment' practices. From the American fashion garments to handcrafted and made Navajo and Pueblo sterling silver jewelry, the 21st century Indigenous person is steadfast in a proud identity.

One sure thing is that I am daily amidst my desert woman matriarchs, which includes my maternal grandmother, shi' masani, other female family members. And therefore, I am able to witness their diverse expressions of Indigenous Adornment, so I am daily enriched and inspired by such' adornment' practices. Most all of the cultural jewelry items worn and owned by tribal people such as the Navajo, concerns heirloom items such as turquoise and silver necklaces and bracelets. So, when a modern young Navajo, who adores modern fashions such as skinny jeans and denim floral jackets, pairs them with a beautiful Navajo Squash Blossom, a 'Neo Navajo' look is born!  Personally I like to pair a basic black Converse with a more traditional-style of Navajo woman's three-tiered skirt.  Other times I like to where a Russian floral trade scarf with a cute leather jacket.  The point is a that modern Indigenous people are strong as ever in their tribal identities.  Though this post concerns 'adornment' or even 'fashion' it is true we  have adapted to the Euro-American way of life in many ways. And it is true too, that through the many years of American colonization, many of us have overcome terrible hardships and trials and now in 2018 we survive and thrive.

What I am expressing is that we will always hold our tribal traditions close to our spirit(s) and with this in mind, we can still adapt to new ways and in the end we are resilient and strong and look forward to our futures.

Posted on 06-05-18
by Venaya Yazzie
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Yazzgrl Art: Process

Captures of my current Yazzgrl Art
Photo by Venaya Yazzie 2018
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The mainstay within my artwork content is the Indigenous woman. I am much inspired by my high-desert matriarchs of the Dine' (Navajo) and Pueblo people of the Four Corners area, the Rio Grande Valley and Hopi Pueblo(s).

The current works on paper are inspired by my own Dine' relatives (my aunts, cousin sisters) and too by my Dine' clan relatives. In the Dine' ways of being, many of us are 'clan related' if we belong to the same clan groups.  Being raised up by my maternal grandmother and her family of female relatives I have always found inspiration from their lives.

As an adult I am now amidst the "life" of the Dine' matriarch, which concerns a plethora of duties and other activities. As a care giver for my grandmother I am perpetually in her company and therefore much mused by her life.

The image(s) I share concern the concepts of the southwest Indigenous Adornment of my matriarchs. Our life philosophies emit narrative of turquoise and silver, and hair bundling and braiding, as a means of finding and keeping that "balance" of a woman's life.  The acts of 'adornment' concern the spiritual and also teaching in how a Dine' woman is to respect herself by caring for her person.

I will continue working on this new series of work that celebrates the Beautyway of the Indigenous matriarch.

Blessings in All things.

(posted  4-29-18

 by Venaya Yazzie

 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED)

Diné Women Poets & National Poetry Month

Official Poster Announcement from Cortez Public Library 2018

On Friday, April 20, 2018 five Dine' women poets from the Four Corners communities of New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Utah converged at the Cortez Public Library in southwestern Colorado to celebrate National Poetry Month. The event was coordinated by Librarian Kathy Berg and her staff.  The event poster announcement I posted contains information about the event and sponsors.  I share this information on my blog as a means of celebrating the Arts in the Four Corners community.

Invited Dine' (Navajo) poetess' included:

Tacey Atsitty (Navajo)
Esther Belin (Navajo)
Tina Deschenie (Dine'/ Hopi)

Gloria Emerson (Navajo)

Venaya Yazzie (Dine'/Hopi)

Although I was late in arrival to the event, I was able to enjoy the poetry reading shares of Gloria Emerson and Tina Deschenie.  As a poet in the high desert southwest I feel so very blessed and humbled to have been given the opportunity to read along side these empowered desert matriarchs. I have included a photo capture of all of us after the event.

Navajo poets: (L to R)
Venaya Yazzie, Tina Deschenie, Esther Belin, Gloria Emerson, Tacey Atsity

Please support the Indigenous poets of North America, Canada, Mexico and South America, there is a plethora of diverse voices in all communities.  The real narratives of each Dine' women was heard that night as we all share our experiences in the 21st century as tribal members and also as women in the Arts and writing communities.  The matriarch elder of the group was artist and poet Gloria Emerson who is such a blessing to all of us as she stands steadfast as a leader in her community.

If you would like more information on the above listed poets just 'google' their names and I'm sure you will find out much. But, I will include a link from the Cortez Journal for more information.

Navajo Poetess'

Many Blessings.

(posted 4-23-18 by Venaya Yazzie)

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Collaboration with Arizona Photographer Amy S. Martin & Yazzgrl Art

Women Protectors - Photo series by Amy S. Martin and Venaya Yazzie 2018

Capture from Instagram account of Yazzgrl Art - Venaya Yazzie

This year has been a blessing for me.  My path has crossed with a high desert Colorado Plateau fine art Photographer, Amy S. Martin.  We have collaborated via our imagery and design in this new project titled "Voices of the Colorado Plateau" which includes portraits of Indigenous women of the Navajo Nation and Eastern Dine' Nation in which I am a representative.  I have included a capture of my Instagram art account Yazzgrl.Art to display one image done by Martin.

It was as such a blessing to work with Amy when she visited New Mexico last month.  I was able to share my family's cultural history of our homelands and our unique cultural landscape.  This image was taken at the family lands at Dzilthnaodithle (Huerfano, NM).

The image of of  me dressed and adorned in my family-made Dine' cultural women's attire, a wool dress called a 'biil' was taken by Amy on her visit. The art image in the background is my artwork which consists of a New Mexico Bluebird, or in the Dine' language this being is referred to as "Dolii."

I include this artist description by Amy S. Martin from her website (http://www.amysmartinphotography.com/p159598639)

Diverging from traditional environmentalist thought, I believe landscape is a synthesis of elements inextricably linked to the physical land, encompassing ecology, history and culture. Through a collection of collaborative portraits, this series celebrates Indigenous women on the Colorado Plateau who are advocating for protection of their culture, communities, and endangered lands through their actions, words and art. These portraits honor kinship with the land, reveal what is at stake if these landscapes and cultures are lost, and celebrate the strength of the women who are on the frontlines of their protection.

My hope in sharing is  that you will be blessed and inspired by the efforts of Amy and also myself as a contributor.

Blessings,
VJY

Sodizin everytime.

Art design by Venaya Yazzie
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2018

Prayer.

This expression of the human in most Indigenous societies is essential for a 'good life.'

Via American social trends and cultural 'norms', prayer has become absent in the lives of most people, including the 21st century Indigenous person. For the Dine' person "sodizin" is the expression of thankfulness and happiness and balance for our lives.

The state of prayer in the lives of southwestern tribal individuals is how many of us keep our daily senses. Creator has given us the ability to pray as a means of 'humbling' ourselves.  We must NOT forget this essential part of our culture Indigenous people! Decolonize your mind, your ways from non-Indigenous pop culture. We are a complex mix of unique and sacred beings, don't homogenize yourself.

Be Indigenous!

Be Matriarch!

Be and do prayer.

Blessings All Around you.

VJY

04-18-18

Asdzaa doo Hastiin

Historical photo of Navajo man and woman

Source: World Wide Web

The roles we exist as in the Dine' (Navajo) ways of life, of being are so very important.

This innate assignment was given to use on the day of our birth. We were either made to be a male or female via our physical, mental and emotional state. The distinct roles as distinct genders in Navajo culture is like an act of sacred prayer. Existence of either the male or the female  concerns not only to our identity as Dine' people, as asdzaa, woman or as hastiin, man, but also to the specific roles we inhabit in our cultural ways.  To be sure, the 21st century has plagued our Dine' ways of being with many social ills, and new foreign practices of living and thinking which concerns American assimilation. Though there are a plethora of examples, present (Euro American) society which includes philosophers and educators, are stating that gender does not exist or does not matter. This is blasphemy against Indigenous epistemology, our Indigenous knowledge is who we are, it is our truth.  Our communal knowledge of male and female is how we were divinely made by Creator God. He made us distinct in our genders, for the Dine' it is asdzaa and hastiin.

We as unique genders 'balance' ourselves out, we compliment one another and that is an extension of what we as Dine' express as "hozho." Here in the desert southwest, gender roles are held to the highest esteem by many tribal members, such roles are necessary and relevant in keeping our ceremonial and social activities in tact and pure.

We as Indigenous need to hold on steadfast to our ancestral ways of being and stop being fooled by the trends of Euro-American society. This conscious way of living as an Indigenous person in modern urban life is what is expressed as "decolonizing."

Bless each other by speaking the truth of who we are as Indigenous, we are not "Them" - we are sacred Indigenous.

In a good way.

SW Indigenous Women's Power in 2018

Pueblo women in traditional

women's garments

Photo sources: World Wide Web

I really adore this historic photo. Its a simple portrait of a southwestern woman dressed in her best Pueblo-style women's garments. She stands in her stillness so beautiful and powerful.

As a southwestern Indigenous woman I know the feeling of this 'power' she holds, for I too know it as I often wear my cultural garments. Its a way of being that really cannot be described, but only to say I feel like a time-traveler in my desert moccasins and women garments and of course, turquoise!

In this image the ancestor femme wears a Pueblo-style woven dress, manta wrap, white deer skin moccasins and leg wraps and a silver bead and naja necklace adornment.  I assume it may be a Navajo-made necklace because at this point in history, Navajoland hosted a plethora of silversmiths.  And one characteristic of early Navajo silver jewelry, such as this squash blossom type, was made with not turquoise, just pure silver. I also love this image for the fact that the women seems to be very unique in her look. She seems to be very light-skinned and has light-colored hair in this photo, so as an observer I believe she may be albino.  I have met many Pueblo people from New Mexico and Arizona who are albino.  I many cause these people are revered and honored for their difference in phenotype.

In the chaos of the 21st century it is a relief to know I have a 'power' in my cultural ways of being, as I can still honor my southwest ancestors, my desert matriarchs and adorn myself in these ancient traditions. Its a way of being a 'warrior woman' - knowing this grand history of them is my super power indeed!

Blessings all around.

Posted March 2, 2018
by Venaya Yazzie
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2018