Book-Signing and Talk with Authors Henry Haven & Dale Nations

Saturday, November 23, 2024

11 am – 12 pm

Join us for a book-signing with authors Heny Haven and Dale Nations, PhD who will be signing their book “Navajo Traditional Stories and the Science of Geology” by Dale Nations, Henry Haven & Max Goldtoooth.

Geologist Henry Haven (Dine’) will also give a talk.

The three authors of this book vary greatly in backgrounds and experience but share in the love of the land and a desire to impart their knowledge of it. Comparisons are made of the rock record of geologic events known to geologists, to the legends in stories known to traditional Navajos. Ages and environments of deposition of stratigraphic units progress from the two billion-year-old rocks that are exposed in the Inner Gorge of the Grand Canyon to succeeding rock units known to exist on and under the lands of Dine ‘Bikeyah across the Colorado Plateau that were formed a few million years ago or less. Geologists use observed fossil records and other geologic events to establish a Universal Geologic Time Scale that consists of four Eras of geologic time: the Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras. Navajo medicine men tell stories of their vision of the First Dark World, the Second Blue World, the Yellow Third World, and the Fourth White World. The stories show a major cycle of life beginning and extinction of variety of different species in the four worlds as does the geologic history in the four geologic eras.

*This event is included with Museum admission

Amerind Free Online Artist Talk: The Art of Ryan Singer

 

Amerind Free Online Artist Talk

The Art of Ryan Singer, Diné (Navajo)

We apologize and appreciate your patience on September 16th.  Due to some technical difficulties, we have had to rescheduled to:

Saturday, November 4, 2023, 11:00 am – Arizona Time

Join us as we welcome artist Ryan Singer for an online artist talk.

Ryan Singer is a Diné (Navajo) artist-painter based in Albuquerque, NM. Creating artwork based on his Navajo heritage and incorporating pop culture elements including science fiction imagery. He weaves stories of his childhood memories with nostalgic iconography. He has been included in the “Indigenous Futurism” movement but has been drawing Star Wars characters since 1977. Ryan also enjoys creating portrait realism of Native subjects with a contemporary appeal. His artwork is in collections of several museums and collectors worldwide. Ryan had garnered several awards including from the renowned SWAIA’s Santa Fe Indian Market. He has acquired his BFA in Art Studio from UNM, where he was in a collaborative lithography class with the Tamarind Institute. He now plans on working towards his MFA. Born in Cedar City, Utah, but originally from Tuba City, Arizona, Ryan is of the Tódich’iinii (Bitter Water) clan and born for the Kinya’aani (Towering House) clan. Having grown up in various parts of the Navajo Reservation, Ryan often reflects on his childhood in his artwork through his depictions of science fiction and pop culture icons. Ryan’s other notable works of art include the popular “Mutton Stew” painting which he modeled after Andy Warhol’s “Campbell’s Tomato Soup Can” series but with a distinct Navajo twist; his iconic “Wagon Burner” which has become his trademark symbol. He has been part of exhibitions featuring this new genre of art. He also co-curated an exhibition along with Tony Abeyta at the Navajo Nation Museum about the “Long Walk”.

To register, visit:  https://bit.ly/AmerindOnline09162023

“Hope in a Hogan”, 2022

Amerind Autumn Fest

Amerind Autumn Fest

Celebrating the history, culture, and arts of the Diné (Navajo).

Saturday, October 21, 2023

10:00 am – 4:00 pm

$10 per vehicle

Join Amerind at our annual Autumn Fest as we celebrate the history, culture, and arts of the Diné (Navajo).  Rich in tradition, history, and culture, Diné teachers, artists, singers and dancers will hold a day-long cultural celebration at the Amerind Museum in Dragoon, Arizona.

This year, Autumn Fest will feature performances by the rock band Sihasin, the Jones Benally Family Dance Troupe, and flutist Mary Redhouse, public talks about Diné culture from Diné scholars Wade Campbell, PhD and Poet Laura Tohe, PhD. and the event will also welcome various Native artists who will be showing and selling their art, youth activities and food.  This year Amerind announces the People’s Choice Artist Award, visitors will vote for their favorite artist, the top three winners will win a cash award.

Amerind is pleased to announce the Sihasin band, the Jones Benally Family Dance Troupe, and Mary Redhouse will play as part of The Angelo Joaquin Jr. Cultural Performance Series, with thanks to donor Ann Parker, PhD.

Autumn Fest is Saturday, October 21, from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm at the Amerind Museum in Dragoon, AZ. $10 per vehicle.

Amerind Free Online Artist Talk: The Art of Shaun Beyale

Amerind Free Online Artist Talk

The Art of Shaun Beyale (Diné)

Saturday, July 1, 2023, 11:00 am – Arizona Time

Join us as we welcome artist Shaun Beyale for an online artist talk. Shaun Beyale (Diné)Navajo will discuss his art and his journey as a comic book artist, illustrator, painter, screen printer and, digital artist. From growing up in Shiprock, New Mexico on the Navajo Nation to his early interest in comics, superheroes and his passion for drawing that sparked a lifelong journey to create.  Shaun was drawn toward the genre of comic books and superheroes because it reminds him of the old traditional stories of good versus evil. Using his cultural stories as inspiration to create something new and more modern.  Creating his own Indigenous Superheroes.  Powerful Native women define Beyale’s characters, reflecting his upbringing, being surrounded by generations of strong women, inspired him.  In Navajo culture, we’re a matrilineal society, women tend to have more power and have a strong presence in our cultural stories.

Shaun has recently created Indigenous Superheroes for the Marvel Universe, a lifelong dream. He hopes that his characters and comics will be a source of education about contemporary Indigenous culture.  His motto is “empowerment thru art”.  He creates and shares his empowering art with hope to inspire future generations to find their inner “Monster Slayer” to face life’s challenges.

To register, visit:   https://bit.ly/AmerindOnline07012023

Amerind Free Online Lecture – “Mom, You’ll Be Home by Summer”: A Diné Story of Cancer, Death, Grief, and Hope with Jennifer Nez Denetdale, PhD (Diné)

 

Amerind Free Online Lecture

“Mom, You’ll Be Home by Summer”: A Diné Story of Cancer, Death, Grief, and Hope with Jennifer Nez Denetdale, PhD (Diné)

Saturday, December 10, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona Time

Sponsored by Desert Diamond Casinos

For Diné, death is difficult to talk about. In the wake of so many deaths during COVID-19, we should be more open to addressing what is a part of life, the end of life. Denetdale shares an excerpt from a work in progress about the death of her mother from cancer. It is a story of death, grief, and hope.

Dr. Jennifer Nez Denetdale (Diné), is a professor of American Studies at the University of New Mexico. The author of “Reclaiming Diné History: The Legacies of Navajo Chief Manuelito and Juanita,” two books for young adults, she has also published numerous essays, articles, and book chapters. She has been recognized for her scholarship and service to her nation and community with several awards, including the Rainbow Naatsiilid True Colors for her support and advocacy on behalf of the Navajo LGBTQI, the UNM Sarah Brown Belle award for service to her community, and UNM’s Presidential Award of Distinction. She is the recipient of the Women’s International Study Center Fellowship and the Newberry Consortium of American Indian Studies Fellowship, both in 2019. In 2020, she was awarded UNM’s 6th Annual Community Engaged Research Lectureship. Dr. Denetdale is the chair of the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission (NNHRC) and has served on the Commission for ten years.

This online program is free, but space is limited. To register, visit: https://bit.ly/AmerindOnline121022

Amerind Free Online Artist Talk: Writing our Stories with Diné (Navajo) Master Weavers Barbara Teller Ornelas and Lynda Teller Pete

Weaving by Navajo Master Weaver Lynda Teller Pete, with geometric shapes in lavender, white, and light brown.

Amerind Free Online Artist Talk Writing our Stories with Diné (Navajo) Master Weavers Barbara Teller Ornelas and Lynda Teller Pete

Amerind Free Online Artist Talk

Writing our Stories with Diné (Navajo) Master Weavers Barbara Teller Ornelas and Lynda Teller Pete

Saturday, March 19, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona Time

Amerind welcomes Diné (Navajo) master weavers Barbara Teller Ornelas and Lynda Teller Pete for the free online talk, “Writing our Stories.” Fifth-generation weavers who grew up at the fabled Two Grey Hills trading post, Barbara and Lynda are considered among the very most skillful and artistic of Diné weavers today. During their presentation Barbara and Lynda will discuss the experience of writing their book “Spider Woman’s Children,” a work delving into the realm of Diné weaving.

Barbara Jean Teller Ornelas is a fifth-generation Master Navajo Weaver and culture bearer, raised near the famed Two Grey Hills Trading Post on the Navajo Nation. Her father, Sam Teller (1918–2000), was a Navajo trader for thirty-two years, and her mother, Ruth Teller (1928–2014), was a weaver, gardener, quilter and photographer. When Teller Ornelas was ten, her paternal grandmother dreamt that her granddaughter would become a great weaver who shared their traditions around the world. Fifty-six years later, Teller Ornelas has not only honed her artistry as a Two Grey Hills weaver, but shared it with audiences internationally in the form of workshops, lectures, and exhibitions.

For Teller Ornelas, weaving is a living thing, and she uses her weavings to tell stories—a legacy passed down by her great-grandfather, a Keeper of Stories who was a prisoner of war at Bosque Redondo after the U.S. military forcibly relocated the Navajo people in 1863. Teller Ornelas is herself a survivor of two U.S. government residential schools—institutions which aimed to eradicate Navajo culture. In the face of this, she has dedicated her life to preserving and innovating Navajo weaving. Her designs reference both her matrilineal traditions and lived experience. As a teacher, she has shared her knowledge with students from Arizona, to Peru, to Uzbekistan, building solidarity with other indigenous peoples. Today, her mission is to connect Navajo people in her own cultural ecosystem with their heritage by passing on this crucial ancestral knowledge, and nurturing new generations of Navajo weavers.

Navajo tapestry weaver Lynda Teller Pete was born into the Tábąąhá (Water Edge Clan) and born for the Tó’aheedlíinii (Two Waters Flow Together Clan).  Originally from the Two Grey Hills, Newcomb, NM areas of the Navajo Nation.  She lives in Denver with her husband Belvin Pete. Weaving is a legacy in the Teller family. For over seven generations, her family has produced award-winning rugs in the traditional Two Grey Hills regional style. Along with her weaving, Lynda is collaborating with fiber art centers, museums, universities, fiber guilds and other art venues to educate the public about Navajo history and the preservation of Navajo weaving traditions. Lynda and her sister Barbara wrote Spider Woman’s Children, Navajo Weavers Today in 2018. This book is the first book written about Navajo weavers by Navajo weavers since the time of Spanish and colonial contacts. Lynda has also collaborated with three authors on the book, Navajo Textiles: The Crane Collection at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in 2016. Lynda has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice in Public Programs from Arizona State University.  Lynda and Barbara’s new book “How To Weave a Navajo Rug and Other Lessons from Spider Woman” published by Thrums Books/Schiffer Publishing is now available.

From the age of six, when Lynda was officially introduced to weaving, instilled the belief that beauty and harmony should be woven into every rug. “In our Teller family, we regard weaving as our life’s work. Weaving represents our connection to the universe. It is our stories, our prayers, and our songs that are told, chanted, sung, and preserved in the weaving motions. Every weaver has stories to tell about his or her weaving, and every weaving has stories to tell about the weaver: the sights, the sounds, the smells, and the signature styles. And each weaver is unique. I touch tapestries woven by my grandmothers, my mother, my sisters, my cousins, my niece, my nephew, my granddaughter, my grandson and I see their hands strumming the warps. I hear the resonating beats of their weaving combs, and without seeing them, I know who is weaving just by the sound of their beats. I see tears, fears, and joy, and I hear laughter, soothing words of comfort, and loud congratulatory cheers. Unlike our elder Navajo weavers, people will know our names; they will see our faces, know our stories, and they will hear our songs and our prayers on each tapestry that we create.” Today, Lynda Teller Pete continues to carry this weaving tradition.

This online program is free, but space is limited. To register visit: https://bit.ly/AmerindOnline031922

Free Online Lecture: Diné/Navajo Resistance in the Archives/Reading Milton Snow’s Photographs Post-Navajo Livestock Reduction, 1930s-1950s with Jennifer Nez Denetdale, PhD

Free Online Lecture:

Diné/Navajo Resistance in the Archives/Reading Milton Snow’s Photographs Post-Navajo Livestock Reduction, 1930s-1950s with Jennifer Nez Denetdale, PhD

Saturday, August 14, 2021, 11:00 am – Arizona Time

Jennifer Nez Denetdale, PhD will draw upon the photographs of Milton Snow and interviews collected by a sociologist who recorded Navajo resistance to John Collier’s draconian policies to reduce Navajo livestock by fifty percent. Denetdale will also explore depictions of Navajo responses to livestock reduction, from seeming agreement to outright resistance.

Dr. Jennifer Nez Denetdale (Diné), is a professor of American Studies at the University of New Mexico. The author of Reclaiming Diné History: The Legacies of Navajo Chief Manuelito and Juanita (2007), two book for young adults, she has also published numerous essays, articles, and book chapters. She has been recognized for her scholarship and service to her nation and community with several awards, including the Rainbow Naatsiilid True Colors for her support and advocacy on behalf of the Navajo LGBTQI, the UNM Sarah Brown Belle award for service to her community, and UNM’s Presidential Award of Distinction. She is the recipient of the Women’s International Study Center Fellowship and the Newberry Consortium of American Indian Studies Fellowship, both in 2019. In 2020, she was awarded UNM’s 6th Annual Community Engaged Research Lectureship. Dr. Denetdale is the chair of the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission (NNHRC) and has served on the Commission for ten years.

This online program is free, but space is limited. To register visit: http://bit.ly/AmerindOnline081421

Free Online Lecture via Zoom: From “Chief” to Code Talker: Four Profiles of the Navajo Code Talkers with Laura Tohe, PhD

Free Online Lecture via Zoom:

From “Chief” to Code Talker: Four Profiles of the Navajo Code Talkers with Laura Tohe, PhD

Saturday, August 1, 2020, 11:00 am, Arizona time

During WWII a group of young Navajo men enlisted in the Marines without knowing that they would be called on to develop a secret code against the Japanese military. This select group of Code Talkers devised a Navajo language code that was accurate, quick, never broken, and saved many American lives. This talk profiles four Code Talkers who reflect on their lives growing up on the Navajo Nation homeland, their military service as Code Talkers, and the personal and spiritual costs of war that many struggled with after the war.

Laura Tohe is Diné.  She is Sleepy Rock clan born for the Bitter Water clan.  She is the daughter of a Navajo Code Talker.  She holds a Ph.D. in Indigenous American Literature. She is Professor Emerita with Distinction in Indigenous Literature at Arizona State University and is the Navajo Nation Poet Laureate.

This program is made possible by Arizona Humanities.

*Please note a recording will not be available of this lecture, be sure to catch the program live on Zoom.