Másaní's hands

Hands of the family matriarch
Photo credit: Venaya Yazzie 2019
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The hands of my Diné másaní (Navajo maternal grandmother) are so beautiful to me. Her desert hands are aged and show the wear of age, and they are tell her story of life a as southwest desert matriarch. As with her hands the story that the Navajo women's life tell is full of historical turmoil, chaos, survival, happiness and language.  The history of the Diné (Navajo) people is rich with story, my people have been through a lot, yet we continue to flourish in our language and cultural ways and teachings.  It is our hands that talk of great history, they hold the power of knowledge.

Last week I took her to eat breakfast at a local restaurant.  When she emerged from her room, she was looked like a Hollywood star, radiant!  She gleamed with grace and turquoise beauty.  As she daily does, she wore her turquoise earrings, bracelets, necklace, pin and rings.  As a child I was blessed to have been raised in the presence of many of my women relatives.  And that included my great grandmother, Louise and her sisters.

Seeing másaní dressed in her best clothing and southwest cultural adornments is normal to our family.  Growing up we (both men and women) have been reminded that we should always wear dootłizhí on our body. Whether it be in the form of a ring or bracelet or earrings, turquoise is part of our identity as a Diné person.

To this day, másaní tells me this. The role of the matriarchs of the family of Navajo people is to continually perpetuate and or restore that balance or family harmony.  Many of the Navajo people are still taught this, and it is most likely included in the daily narrative and family dialogue across Navajoland.

I captured this moment of women’s hand adornment as we sipped our hot tea, waiting for our food to arrive to the table. Másaní talked about the morning events, and of her aches and pains, and then commented on the car parked across the street. Though her voice was heard via her words, it was, and is her hands that tell story.

My Diné másaní’s hands are the glory of her history.  She makes them glow with beautiful turquoise stones, that is her super power, my matriarch Jane.

Blessings and Be Matriarch!

Posted 02-06-19

by Venaya Yazzie

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Made of the earth...

New Mexico Pueblo dancers at Aztec Ruins National Monument

Photo by Venaya Yazzie

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2019

Our bones, flesh and blood are made up of the metals, liquids and minerals of the earth and everything on this planet is made up of the same things. As humans we have being, so everything on the earth does too in our culture, because we are made of the same thing.

John Trudell

When we speak of our Indigenous 'ancestors' what are we really referencing?

Masani and Venaya at Walatowa, NM
Photo credit: Nancy Dahl

When we speak of our 'ancestors' what are we really referencing? Is it their physical appearance in archival photos we refer to? Is it their historical presence in history? Is it their smiles or laughter expression that brings them to mind?  These are all the positive qualities of our 'ancestors' that I mentioned, but what of the not so "wonderful" aspects of the 'ancestors?' Do those qualities and or attributes matter?

In modern conversation that I have, and among many of the Indigenous people of the Americas and into Canada, Mexico and South America, the dialogue concerns references to the past, to the 'ancestors.' We as modern Indigenous people look to our ancestral people of past for guidance and strength as we move into 2019.

In my opinion I would assume that is those best qualities and characteristics that we all hope to keep and attain. It is those qualities are hope or us, so to support and guide us to a better life, a better way of existence. Which brings me to this post concerning the 'ancestors.'

It has recently come to my attention from a fellow artist that not all the 'ancestors' where "good people" or that they're lives concern anything positive. I must confess I am an optimist, that is how I was raised to be and think, so I must confess this questioning of the 'ancestors' presence in my, and our daily 2019 lives vexed me.

As an optimist I tend to look at the "glass half full" perspective, yet I am still very much aware of the "half empty" glass too.  When I speak of my own desert Ancestor, the Dine' (Navajo) and Hopi (Pueblo) people I tend to focus on the productive, or positive side of their existence.  Although this is my innate way of remembering them, I too know that they as individuals where in no means the picture of human perfection.  I am sure they were flawed, as I am too.  My upbringing had many positive blessings, but it also concerned alcoholism, displacement, domestic violence and other social ills. But, through all that, the constant in my life and upbringing was the strong, steadfast presence of my maternal grandmother, shi'masaani.  She was and is my rock.  Through her guidance and support  I am the woman I am today.

When I speak of my 'Ancestors' of whom many I have never met, I choose to speak of their lives as meaningful.  I ponder about their struggles and the vast trials they had to live through, issues of racism and violence, and still they lived their lives.  It is their RESILIENCE that I dialogue about, because it is that kind of human spirit and strength that I hope to be present in my life a a new Ancestor in the 21st century.

I share this image as a way of purposeful perpetuation of the Ancestor narrative.  This image was captured about five years ago from a friend from Santa Fe, NM named Nancy Dahl.  It is my grandmother and I at the annual November 12 Walatowa (Jemez Pueblo) feast day.  I adore this picture because it reveals the matriarch of our family standing in the forefront - she is our root - and from her talk and her memories we become knowledgeable in our family history. This is K'e' - the Dine' familial unit and existence.  For example, my family's tradition is to visit our Pueblo relatives in November because that is our ancestral tradition. My great grandparents ( her mother and father) visited Jemez in their day, when they would take food and goods to trade with the Gauchipin and Romero family there. It is this kind of resilience that I speak of when I mention the 'ancestors.

I understand that we as Dine' people, as tribal people of the southwest, have a plethora of experiences and memories, and that not all of them are good or positive- but is my hope that you, that we, will choose to see the "glass half full" for that is our/ and their legacy of RESILIENCE.

Blessings in all things!

VJY

Posted 01/09/19

by Venaya Yazzie

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

"be matriarch" by yazzgrl art

Another venture I have been working on is the celebration and recognition of the southwestern-Indigenous culture of the 'matriarch.'

I am very fortunate to have been raised within the matriarchal society of the Dine' (Navajo) people of New Mexico.  The Navajoland (Navajo Reservation) spans three states in the Four Corners area of the America. The main land base of the Navajo is in Arizona and flows over to Utah and New Mexico.  We are blessed to be surrounded by other Indigenous nations including: Hopi, Zuni, Apache, and Ute people. The land itself is a blessed place to be, for we have the desert low lands and the high desert mountain areas of Navajoland.

For my Dine' people the land is everything to us.  The origins of who we are as humans first and foremost concerns the land.  Our identity concerns the land, its in our songs, prayers and clanship origins. And to this is the rooted existence of tribal matriarchy.  We as Dine' are a lineage of the our clanship groups, which are continually passed through the female.  When we born, we are belong to the clanship of our mother, and will never change throughout our lives. And, in a matrillenial culture, we are "born for" our father's clanship - this clan affiliation will change for our children because they will be "born for" their father's clan.

I give this brief history of the Dine' ways of being because it is where I drew inspiration for my new message "be matriarch" by yazzgrl art.  I share this image of my new 'be matriarch' decals because they are so cute and have a great message. They are 2.75" x 2.75" and available now on my Square site store.

'be matriarch' decals

Many matriarch blessings to you!

Ear Art Matriarch Earrings by Venaya Yazzie

Yazzgrl Art original earrings by Venaya Yazzie

2019

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

My new Ear Art Matriarch Earrings are pictured below.  I continually find inspiration from my ancestral matriarchs from my tribal affiliations: Dine (Navajo) and Hopi Pueblo people.  The newest line of my earrings have originated from their existence.  We as southwestern tribal Indigenous people still carry great respect and reverence for the women (and men) who lived in history. Today, we as the new generation of Indigenous are empowered as we understand how they lived and survived.

I make this jewelry in homage to them: our history, our voice, our resilience today is due to them.

Keep perpetuating that Indigenous Adornment!

My newest Ear Art Matriarch Earrings by Venaya Yazzie are now available on the Square site store. Follow link:

Yazzgrl Art Matriarch Earrings

Yazzgrl Art original earrings by Venaya Yazzie

2019

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Yazzgrl Art original earrings by Venaya Yazzie

2019

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Yazzgrl Art original earrings by Venaya Yazzie

2019

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Dine' Beadwork

Christmas gift share!

I received these 'beautyful' beaded earrings for my Christmas gift fro my aunt.  I really love these earrings. The colors red and black really make this authentically Dine' - as many Dine' women use these colors in their rug weavings.  My aunt said she purchased them from a Dine' (Navajo) beader from Arizona. These are so great as they are made with posts instead of hooks.

The design aesthetic of these earrings really reminds me of the Dine' (Navajo) rug designs! She has great color hues in her work.

Hope you have a great rest of the 2018 year and be blessed in all your ways in the new year!

Blessings all around.

The beauty of our Indigenous ways

The simplicity of our Indigenous female existence is priceless!

I love to view and study the historic photographs of my southwest tribal people: Hopi and Navajo. We are resilient human beings, we've endured many hardships and much turmoil, yet we continue to be strong in our cultural heritage and ways of being.  I love this image for many reasons...

First, is that it shows that mother/grandmother/matriarch and young girl bond.

Second, the image shows the historic method of Hopi Pueblo women's hair tying.

Thirdly, it show the tribal women's garments of that time.

Lastly, it depict their Indigenous Adornment via their tribal jewelry pieces.

Our southwestern Indigenous people are so fascinating, everything we do and make is connected to a very spiritually-rooted place, in this way we know we are protected.

Much Blessings.

VJY

Those ribbon-inspired full length skirts!

Our Creator-gifted ways

All across 'Indin'country' we are all inspired by the cultural items that we make.  We are a diverse community of Indigenous people and thus make wearable items that reflect our rich Native cultures.  From the Canadian reserves to the beautyful peoples of South America - many of us have great respect for one another.

The recent trend in the skirt-making activity has spread across Indin' Country. The long length women's ribbon skirt one of those creations that every seems to adore.  Having made cultural regalia through the years I have also made these skirts.  I have included these image so showcase my work below.

Ribbon-inspired full length skirts made
by Venaya.
Photo: Venaya Yazzie 2018
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Lovely matriarch models a ribbon-inspired full length skirt
made by me.
Photo: Venaya Yazzie 2018
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

By request I have made several versions of this ribbon skirt, and from that I was inspired to continue this work.  I am not fully sure of where the skirt originated in Indin' Country but I am leaning toward the people of the powwow circles. Ribbon is a material that is in high use in making different powwow clothing.

But, overall, tribal people use a plethora of westernized materials to make truly unique culturally styled garments and accessories. The Dine' people of the Four Corners area use mostly velvet/velveteen and satin material to construct their cultural clothing pieces.  The Apache people in the Dulce, NM community use plenty of cotton calico fabric to make their women's dresses.  And the many Pueblo communities of New Mexico use lots of lace and floral printed fabric to make their traditional dresses.

The modern Indigenous people are amazing! I am so in love with our creative collective.  We have been highly gifted by Creator God to be able to make our own unique attire.  I really believe in the cross-cultural sharing or inspiration that we all seem to share.  I know from experience though that it is not appropriate to take and copy tribal designs and iconography.  Instead one show find their own inspiration and be inspired by what our Indigenous brothers and sisters are creating.

Keep the creative spirit flowing!

Blessings all around you.

(posted by Venaya Yazzie

12-13-18)

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2018