Zach Ben of Gadii'ahi, New Mexico shares his story of growing up in Shiprock, New Mexico as a sixth generation farmer. Being homeschooled, running track, sand painting and co-founding Bidii Baby Foods with his wife, Mary, Zach takes us on a stroll down memory lane of farming and how it brings balance to life. Join us as we meet Zach, entrepreneur of Gadii'ahi, New Mexico.
Ojo Encino, New Mexico, Medicine Woman
Rita Tsosie of Ojo Encino, New Mexico, shares the story of how she grew up in a traditional family. Of all her siblings, she's the only one to continue observing traditional practices. Rita is a medicine woman who serves her community members, visiting hospitals and prisons. Off camera, Nick receives a protection prayer. Join us as we meet Rita, Medicine Woman from Ojo Encino.
Kinaalda: Navajo Womanhood Ceremony
We're kicking off a new series with Lorraine Hogue, a Dine' farmer in the Upper Fruitland area of the Navajo Nation. In this episode, she shares with us details about how corn plays an important part in the Kinaalda ceremony, a coming-of-age ceremony for Dine' girls. Join us as we get to know Lorraine and learn more about the importance of corn in Dine' culture.
Navajo Police Officer
Every police officer's career path is different, but Grant Keams' path started while he was just in high school when he was recruited into the U.S. Marine Corps. Transitioning to the police force for the Navajo Nation (where officers number approximately 1.9 for every 1,000 people) was easy for Grant. But let go of whatever picture you've developed in your mind of the type of person he is--because he's much more than that. Join us as we get to know Grant Keams and discover what it's like to be a police officer on the Navajo Nation.
Navajo History
For the past 15 years, Anthony Lee and his siblings have each worked toward collecting facts about and studying Dine' (Navajo) history. Anthony is passionate about preserving the stories, language, and migratory paths of the Dine' people in the aftermath of colonialism. And he has an urgent message for the younger generations of Dine': Learn your history! But he's also really funny and infuses his lessons with humor and honesty. Join us as we get to know Anthony Lee of Shiprock, New Mexico.
Laguna Pueblo Artist
In a cozy studio space in Santa Rosa, California, acrylic paintings are on every wall and propped up on easels. Rain pelts the high window, and the room is cold except for the heat radiating from a small space heater. Yet the room is filled with warmth exuding from contemporary painter, Marla Allison, of Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico. Join us as we travel westward to California to get to know Marla.
Navajo Roper
His origin story is rooted in close calls and overcoming impossible odds, and that's how he has continued to live his life. Meet Shane Hendren, a cowboy who was born in the sky when the nearest hospital refused to admit his mother simply because she's Native. As he recounts his life, it seems as though he's telling the story of many men's lives, and not just his own. In this first episode of the series, we visit him in Bosque Farms, New Mexico, where folks gather at dusk to rope competitively under the bright lights of a local ranch. Join us as we get to know Shane Hendren.
Teaching the Navajo Language at University
When we think of how we learn to speak a language, memorizing words, phrases and grammatical rules is a piece of the puzzle. But is there more to it than that? Dr. Melvatha Chee, Director of the Navajo Language program at the University of New Mexico, argues that for learners of Dine' Bizaad (the Navajo language), learning the culture is an essential part of the process. But in the field of linguistics, infusing it with culture is kind of a no-no, a degradation of the purity of Language. Join us as we find out what Melvatha’s doing about this--including creating an innovative immersive experience for Dine' in Albuquerque, New Mexico, designed to keep cultural teachings and the language alive in urban areas.
Traditional Navajo Weaving: Rock Point, Arizona
Despite a successful sales career that took her overseas, Tasheena Littleben felt like something was missing. So she left the city and returned to the Navajo Nation to her childhood home in Rock Point, Arizona, to search for the one thing she didn't have. Sitting on the deck in front of her home, her gaze wanders over the expansive landscape of red mesas and impossibly big sky. She knows this place better than herself: Knows which plants produce the best dyes, knows the best wool comes from the sheep who've grazed this land, and knows that sitting under a tree working the loom brings her a deep sense of peace. Join us as we get to know Tasheena.
Vietnam Veteran and OR Nurse
In the late 1960s, joining the US Army to become an OR (operating room) nurse meant inevitably serving in Vietnam. At just 21 years old, Navajo/Hopi Rose Wiegand embarked on a path that would leave an indelible mark on her more than 50 years later. Her quiet, humble demeanor belies a remarkable woman who explains what it was like to serve as an OR nurse in Vietnam and what it was like returning to a country where many of its citizens strongly opposed not only the conflict, but also returning service members. Join us as we get to know Rose in the first episode of this two-part series.
Torreon, New Mexico, Medicine Man
After the Long Walk, Manuel Pinto's family settled in the community of Torreon on the eastern edge of the Navajo Nation. They put down roots, passed down traditional teachings, and thrived. Three generations later, his rodeo days behind him, Manuel is a keeper of precious traditional Navajo knowledge--and he was generous in sharing with us during our interview. Head east with us as we embark on this three-part series full of traditional teachings and history.
Navajo Hair & Makeup Artist
How do you walk the line between fashion and honoring your ancestors? Goldie Tom has found a way to honor the women in her family by incorporating traditional Navajo dress into her everyday wardrobe. But understanding the meaning behind traditional dress is crucial to preserving its cultural significance while avoiding relegating customs to a fleeting fashion trend. In this episode, we're talking about traditions, fashion, the life of an entrepreneur, and building an enterprise. Join me as we get to know Navajo Wonder Woman, Goldie Tom.
Navajo Teachings in Architecture
In the field of architecture, students are taught that form follows function. In other words, the shape of a space is determined by how the space will be used. But what if traditional Navajo teachings and the needs of the community inspired architectural design instead? Meet Tamarah Begay, a Navajo architect who takes a holistic approach to designing spaces for Native clients to create beautiful, functional structures that feed the soul. Join us as we dive into the life and work of Tamarah Begay, the first female Navajo licensed architect.
Navajo Skinhead from the Rez
Ryan "Rayzin" Clark grew up in the small town of Cameron, Arizona, located on the far west border of the Navajo Nation. Like a lot of kids in small towns, he turned to punk rock for something to do and became part of something bigger than himself. Decades later, he's an encyclopedia of knowledge about the punk bands that have made their way to this remote part of the U.S. Join us as we talk about shows by some of the biggest names in punk, and maybe even expand your understanding of the skinhead movement as Rayzin gives us a glimpse into his life.
To'Hajiilii, New Mexico, and the Long Walk
Just west of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a band of Navajos (Dine') federally recognized only in the late 1960s. But the community of To'Hajiilee is older than the United States, and its surrounding canyons and hills hold sacred secrets to a history that has never been taught--even to other Dine'. Regarded as "the enemy Navajo" by many Dine', join me as we speak with Marty Monte about the major events that led up to The Long Walk and what led to To'Hajiilee being treated as an outcast by the larger community of Dine' from the Navajo Nation.