Naasht’ézhí Tábąąhá Girls
Artist
Demian DinéYazhi’ (Native American, b. 1983)
Date
2017Medium
LithographDimensions
Sheet/image : 22 x 30 in. (55.88 x 76.2 cm)Credit Line
Hope College CollectionObject Number
2022.1
Label
Demian Dinéyazhí is a gender non-binary Native American artist and activist who uses they/them pronouns. Born in Gallup, New Mexico as a member of the Diné (Navajo) Nation, Dinéyazhí grew up absorbing elements of both Diné and White American culture, and much of their current artistic practice focuses on the survivance of indigenous cultures in the face of pressure to assimilate into mainstream White culture. As the artist has explained, “survivance” is more than just survival. Rather, it is a form of resistance that encourages cultural resilience by actively continuing native beliefs and practices. This print celebrates the importance of matriarchs in traditional Diné culture and their role in passing on intergenerational knowledge. The title of the print uses the Diné language name for the Zuni People Water’s Edge clan, one of the artist’s ancestral clans.
