A Posting by Michelle Salabiye, Emerging Artisan, Moccasin Maker, NCAC Cohort 2016/17
Ya’at’eeh shik’ei doo shidine’e! Shi ei Michelle J. Salabiye yinishe. Maiideeshgizhnii nishli, Naakai Dine’e bashishchiin, Tsi’ naajinii dashicheii, Todich’ii’nii dashinali. I was raised in a small modest Rez town known as Nazlini, Arizona. I have a baby Maii named Noah Johnson, whom I lovingly call my son. I am an Emerging Artisan in the Navajo Cultural Arts Certificate Program and majoring in General Science here at Dine College. I also work with Aramark here on Tsaile campus. My emphasis of choice is moccasin making. Or perhaps better explained by our NCAC instructor - Moccasin Making chose me!
I am honored to be instructed by the famous and humble Mr. Harry Walters, who instilled the Navajo principles and stories behind the moccasin. Mr. Walters also provided historical insights as he was an Archaeologist and who also developed the Museum and the Archive building here in Dine College. It’s safe to say we learn a handsome amount of Navajo stories, philosophies and historical background. We couldn’t have had a better instructor!
I always have had a practical and sentimental fondness of leather. The nostalgic aroma of leather awakens memories of wearing my moccasin to ceremonies, graduations, and running. The practical aspect is the sub-processes (how to prepare, tan, and crust the hide) - this intricate part of procedure caught my inner laborious being. It’s safe to assume that I chose this cultural art form because I am enraptured by everything leather, but what I have learned from my instructor, Harry Walters is that your craft can actually choose you.
“Your artwork chooses you,” Mr. Walters explained to me after the first day of Moccasin Making class. He continued to explained the concept of
"intuition"... "that’s how you know.” I recall him saying, “when an artwork has chosen you, it falls freely and naturally into your hands.” Certainly hard work is entangled with acquiring a new task successfully. I wondered if Moccasin Making would allow itself to fall intuitively for me as it had for him.
When our class received our supplies earlier that day I remember thinking to myself, “This is really happening! I’m going to learn how to make moccasins!” I knew nothing beforehand of the anatomy of a moccasin nor the inner workings of leather crafts but I didn’t feel the least bit disheartened. And though I was discombobulated with my awl that first month, I was still eager to learn a skill that felt like a breath of fresh air.
Our class started the course making miniature sized moccasins. This was two weeks of trial and error before we finished. It involved a tedious consistent routine. Rather than use a needle and thread, we were given an awl and sinew. Each time we were to sew, we first had to puncture a hole with the needle so that it would go in appropriately. If it was inconsistent or the stitching was not in its correct form, the moccasins would turn out unmatched or uneven. Trust me...It is harder than it looks. Mr. Walters was so patient with each of us. He was reassuring and provided a lot of support.
As the months rolled in, so did our moccasins. We were mastering the skill magnificently, our stitches, cuts, and confidence were on point. The anxiety of not being a natural slowly but steadily rolled off my shoulders. I felt the trust build up in myself that I can surely produce moccasins satisfactorily. With a dream team of the NCAP, instructors, and classmates I’d say that I was in the right place at the right time. With this combination, how could I fail? My last piece showed how far I have come. I made a male version wrap arounds. It had a few errors, but I knew where and how to correct them. I feel like with my next project after the next will only get better! As Mr. Walters says, “There’s always room for improvements.”
A Posting by Ty Draper, Emerging Artisan, Moccasin Maker, NCAC Cohort 2016/17
Hello, Fellow Blog Readers! My Name is Ty Powers Draper and I am from Canyon Del Muerto, Az. I am Taneeszahnii, my father’s clan is Naashgali
Dine’e, my maternal grandfather’s clan is Bit’ahnii, and my paternal grandfather’s clan is Ashiihi. Before I had applied for the Navajo Cultural Arts Certificate Program, I had just finished earning my Fine Arts A.A. at Diné College. I come from a family of very talented people. Some of us are artists, while others are doctors. In a world full of dreamers and realists, we share the same ideals - to always be ambitious and to always look for goals that will enable us to continue on with our creativity.
This could not speak more truth as the time has come to say good bye to another year and another program at Diné College. I am currently finishing my experiences as an Emerging Artisan with the Navajo Cultural Arts Program (NCAP) in the emphasis area of moccasin making. NCAP’s classes, workshops, and field trips were tons of fun. Though they were strenuous and time consuming at times, it was definitely worth the experience.
I had the privilege to meet so many diverse, talented, and hardworking people. One of those influential individuals was Harry Walters, my mentor in this journey of cultural refinement and the instructor for our moccasin cohort. From the creation stories to the creation of the moccasins, he detailed his teachings from tradition. So much so, that in addition to meeting at the College, we also had classes taught right at his home in Red Valley, Az. I remember the first time being there. There was a calm essence when we arrived, welcomed by the warmth of the sun, in the midday of the winter season. The scent of cedar and juniper trees filled the air. As the day went on we visited different parts of his summer and winter camps. The stories of his grandparents and generations before them ignited the scenery. The crowded memories of the past engulfed our curious minds. The knowledge of different invasions of the Spanish and Europeans allowed us to gain a new perspective of the land. This taught us about respecting our craft and to be thankful for our gifts.
The opportunities that this program supplies, including the carefully chosen instructors such as Mr. Walters, have had profound effects on me as an artist. I have gained so much from the traditional concepts and as well as the contemporary ones. Initially, being a part of the Fine Arts Studies, I developed a yearning for the cultural arts. I found that within our Navajo history, much of our art is undocumented history, meaning that much of it remains within the realm of oral histories. Now that I have a better understanding of both the contemporary and the cultural arts, I would like to innovate the teachings of the past and bring those concepts and practices to the future of our creations. In other words, NCAP has enabled the contemporary artist, such as myself, to reconnect with the techniques of the past. My creations frequently include the color “blue.” It represents turquoise and in the Navajo stories “turquoise” represents the blue world and different stages in life. There is always a meaning behind the development of my artwork.
“Mother Earth and Father Sky guided me through my craftsmanship. The essence of duality exist in all of us, we all come from a female and male embodiment. We should not overshadow one over the other. Having the traits that are passed down through each generation is something we as “Diné” hold sacred, our gifts ignite our spirit.” –Ty Powers Draper