Leading with Fire: Navajo Cultural Arts and Holistic Well-Being

Crystal Littleben

Miss Navajo 2017-2018, Office of Miss Navajo Nation
Blog #1: Navajo Cultural Arts Holistic Well-Being Series

 Ya'at'eeh! It's been awhile... I know... but I hope my NCAP followers haven't forgotten me! This is Crystal, the former NCAP Project Coordinator and the current Miss Navajo Nation 2017-2018. Born in Tuba City, AZ twenty-six years ago, I was raised in Round Rock, AZ. I am of the Red House People Clan, born for the Coyote Pass Clan. My maternal grandfather is of the Deer Springs Clan and my parental grandfather is of the From Under His Cover People Clan.

I graduated with at B.A. in Psychology from of Northern Arizona University with a minor in Native American Studies. After my reign, I do plan to return to NCAP as the Project Coordinator to continue my work, educating our Navajo people about our cultural arts and language. But in the meantime - during my reign - I have been afforded the opportunity to bring my personal, professional, and educational experiences to the forefront through my pageant platform - improving the holistic well-being of Navajo communities through Navajo cultural arts, stories, and language.  Before addressing some of my current and future reign projects, I wanted to take a moment to explain my understanding of Diné holistic well-being.
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The Diné Lifeway is integral to a person’s daily life - it is not something that lies outside of who we are or relegated to a certain time of day or specific location. Our lifeway is a holistic approach that not only influences how we think, plan, and behave, but it also explains why we make the decisions that we do. This framework, which includes physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual components, has been applied to many areas of thought and teaching, including Diné College’s Educational Philosophy and the Navajo Nation Department for Self Reliance's Pathway to Self Reliance. Furthermore, they are deeply tied to an individual's thinking (nitsáhakéés), planning (nahat'á), doing (aadííliil), and growing (bee niisééldo). Each action coincides with cardinal directions, as well as ceremonial colors, mountains, and stones.

Preparing for the Miss Navajo Nation Pageant tested my abilities to follow this model and now I am implementing it as a pathway to holistic well-being for my reign. Starting in the east with our physical well-being, the Office of Miss Navajo Nation is building momentum as we continue working with and improving our emotional well-being in the south, mental well-being in the west, and spiritual well-being in the north.

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With that approach in mind, the Miss Navajo Nation 5K Run Series, was one of my first initiatives to create Diné holistic well-being programming. Beginning with the east, the morning of the planting season, my 5K Run Series incorporates physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual approaches to Diné well-being.  Running can be a sacred practice for many cultures, and it most certainly is for Native communities, including our Diné Peoples. It is the motivating factor for running series like: HNCP's Just Move It Program, NHI's Running Medicine Events, and Diné College's Peer Mentor's Run Series to name a few.

The Miss Navajo 5K series shares their mission - that running can strengthen our Indigenous communities - and emphasizes that running can  better themselves from physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual perspectives. The Diné women’s puberty ceremony, for example, challenges our young women to run towards the east every morning as an act of physical endurance, emotional balance, mental strength, and spiritual connection. The participants of the Miss Navajo 5K series are asked to face these same challenges during their runs. Even in the manner that the runs have been planned out took into account the holistic geography. Beginning in an Eastern location (Sanders), the runs will follow circular path around the Navajo Nation (Dilkon, Tuba City, Shiprock, Tsaile, and Fort Defiance). Following this model, younger generations can experience how our  well-being is interconnected within this framework and helps us remain in balance with ourselves and the physical and  spiritual worlds.

In addition to physical exercise, I also utilize the Navajo cultural arts as a way to practice this pathway. The cultural arts, like silversmithing, weaving, basket making, and moccasin making to mention a few, require the artist to be physically prepared, emotionally capable, mentally apt, and spiritually attune in order to fully understand and produce quality and sacred work that has become to represent the  Navajo people’s artistry. 

I first became aware of these components as I picked up the art of silversmithing when I joined NCAP. Taking workshops and classes, I had to connect to my physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual self in order to learn and practice with traditional stones, wool, tools, and designs. I found that when one was out of balance, I had difficulties concentrating, my designs wouldn't come quickly, and my work was rough and required extra filing. Some of my stressors included school pressures, family struggles, personal challenges, and even worrying about my puppies. Once I stopped avoiding my stressors and addressed those issues head on with the purpose of finding a solution, my work was directly impacted in a positive fashion. I gained confidence not only as silversmith but also as a Diné woman.  While I understand that these pieces can be created without the cultural connections, I am seeking to better understand and support a holistic approach to the cultural arts. 

In collaboration with the NCAP, the OMNN has created this Navajo Cultural Arts Holistic Well-Being Blog Series to showcase the importance of my platform. Over the next 6 weeks, we plan to release a blog that addresses one cultural arts emphasis and its holistic components each week. With help from the Diné College Psychology Bachelor of Arts Program, I have gained a PSY B.A. intern, Mr. Johnnie Bia, who has expressed an interest in learning more about Navajo Holistic Healing and the application of holistic healing in efforts that promote well-being. Mr. Bia will also be able to showcase the knowledge he learns through his hands on research by attending events hosted by Miss Navajo Nation and the NCAP. As a deliverable, Mr. Bia will share his experiences and newfound research through this Navajo Cultural Arts Holistic Well-Being Blog Series. 

This summer, as our crops are growing, I will be conducting a Summer Weekend Workshop Series across the Navajo Nation with the NCAP to lead my community through holistic well-being model with cultural arts. More information will become available for these community-based workshops - Stay tuned!