Wet, Anthology of Water Poems and Prose from the High Desert and Mountains of the Four Corners Region

NEW poetry anthology from the Four Corners community. I am a contributor along with some Dine' (Navajo) poets also from the AZ, UT, NM and CO communities of Native Lands. The topic of our collective works are based on 'water' as a source of inspiration. The poem I contributed is titled, She is Water, which is derived from my experience during the loss of my maternal grandmother in Feb. 2020. Thus the poem/prose is ode to her. Please follow link for more info! Blessings, VJ

Nava.Zine Ba Hane Poetry event

Southwest Matriarchy, Cultural Migrations at Aztec Ruins National Monument

In August of 2022 I was invited to lecture with Aztec Ruins on the topic of the Southwest Matriarchy, and themes of cultural migrations into the neo-culture of Indigenous peoples. Here is a link to learn more: Venaya Yazzie Lecture Blessings to you and your circle! VJY

Diné (Navajo) poetry is Identity

In celebration of National Native American Heritage Month, the Northwest New Mexico Arts Council is sponsoring this Farmington/ Four Corners community literary event. Invited poets include Tina Deschenie (Navajo/Hopi) and Manny Loley (Navajoj). During this event both poets will do an oratory reading of their orginal poetry works. For the Diné (Navajo), poetry is closely paralled to the concepts of tradition cultural prayers and songs. For the Diné (Navajo) poetry is narrative of identity, and therefore is rooted in the oral tradition of the People. Traditionally the act of 'telling' or 'talking' story is referred to as hané. Hané for the Diné is a way of orally enacting and or continuing Diné creation stories. The language of the Diné is a verb-oriented language and so therefore when speaking in the 'mother tongue' the Diné person is perpeuating their existence in their current creation story. Tina Deschenie is a good person and a treasured friend of mine and I am happy to be the emcee for this event, as I will be doing the introductions of both poets. The poetry that Tina creates reminds me of "home," or the places in my memory of childhood when I was in the company of my elder family members. When I read Tina's poetry it feels as though I am transcending to the safe and compassion-driven spaces of my memory, her poetry is like a beloved grandmother's hug. Manny Loley is an upcoming poet whose work is diverse and truly a breath of fresh high-desert air! In the modern Diné society there are only a handful of male poets who are actively creating and sharing their poetry as a form of art. But, traditionally the tribe has many 'poets' or people who perpeuate the concepts of the oral story tradition, they are our Diné male healers and singers. I think the perspective that Manny brings to the table is a new adventure, he takes me, as a reader to new place not yet explored on Navajoland. It will nothing but a blessing to attend this poetry event on Wednesday, November 30, 2022 at Encore Coffee Shop in Farmington, NM. Be there and be part of the hózhó. Blessings All Around! VJY

Adorned in the Southwest

Trekking the lands of the Dine' and the Hopi people in northwest Arizona is a blessing.

Aak'ee...... Dine' Navajo season of gratitude

Aak'ee. Autumn season has arrived (a bit late) but, it is here and WE in the high-desert southwest states are grateful. This season is vital to my people, it is a time of renewal and reflection, and in many instances it is referred to as our "new year." During this quiet time of season, the Dine' practice cultural activities such as storytelling, oral history references and string games. One of the mainstays in contemporary Dine' (Navajo) culture is our cultural adornment. This tactile act of 'adorning' is one that both the male and female genders of Dine' perpetuate. In particular the act of wearing our cultural foot gear via moccasins is commmon. For the celebration of aak'ee I wore my female clothing attire. Pictured is a selfie of my feet and my Dine' women's velvet skirt as I trek among the autumn leaf fall. Blessings VJY

Matriarchland - A concept orginated by Venaya Yazzie of Yazzgrl Art

Matriachland is 'rooted' in the high desert southwest lands of the tribal matriarchy of the Navajo and Pueblo people. Venaya Yazzie is also 'rooted' in these two tribal identities: Navajo and Hopi. + Matriarchland concerns the identity of the people of the lands in the southwest. It is about the culture of the matiarchy where the lineage and leadership is in the sole hands of the women, the female line. + Matriarchland is a concept that Venaya originated after living a life without her maternal grandmother. In 2000, Venaya's grandmother, Jane Werito Yazzie passed from this world and Venaya found herself living in the legacy of her 'Masani.' + Venaya has come to understand how this expression, Matriarchland has arrived to help her heal and to continue to live on in a life full of goodways and in happiness. + Matriarchland is how we live our lives in the southwest. + The outlook for Matriarchland concerns merch and artwork inspired by the philosophy. + Blessings all around. VJY 2022 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Southwest Adornment & Trade History of the Four Corners by Yazzgrl Art

I am grateful for the opportunity to share my Dine' people's cultural landscape narrative with the community of the Four Corners. The land is a very dominant concept in the identity of the Dine' people of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico, USA. In this presentation I will talk on this subject and also on the historical pre-Columbian trade that was perpeuated within the Indigenous tribal groups of the region, which also included trade from Mexico, the Pacific Gulf and South America. The event is sponsored by San Juan College Cultural Immersion Group and Native American Center - and will be a Zoom presentaion. It is open and free to the public. Information is available on the official flyer announcement. Link to the San Juan College site and to join Zoom: Blessings, VJ