My name is Alicia. I am Zuni Edge Water born for the Cliff Dweller clan. My maternal grandfather is of the Mexican clan and my paternal grandfather is of the Many Goats clan. My parents are Freddie and Minnie Chee. I am from Cameron, Arizona also known as Na’ni Hasani (the Iron Bridge) and Dzil Libe (Grey Mountain).
I am from the Navajo tribe and it is customary to introduce our selves by our clans and acknowledging our parents and home. Our origins have been passed on orally, however, today it is becoming more scarce for younger generations to know their clan ship and to recite it in their native language. Our identity diminishes every day and becomes a greater challenge for younger generations to learn the creative mapping of our origins.
- My parents’ last names are government names, the government didn’t know how to pronounce Lichii in English or translate it and so they gave the name ‘Chee’ to my great paternal grandfather. Lichii means red war paint. My great grandfather use to live in the area where you could find the plant that produces red paint. My mother’s maiden name was Knight. In Navajo it was Naatani, the one who speaks for others.
- Our clan the Zuni Edge Water (Nasht’eezhi Tabahi) Clan originated when a young Zuni girl ran away from the Spaniards who abducted her from her home. She was found by the Edge Water clan. They adopted her into the family and gave her the clan Zuni Edge Water. My father’s clan is self explanatory, Tsin Jikini is the Cliff Dweller clan. My father’s last name Lichii is a plant that is found within the canyons. My maternal grandfather’s clan is of the Mexican (Naakai Dine) Clan. I’ve been told different versions of this clan. One, there was a band of Navajos who captured some horses from the Spaniards and rode the horses better than the Spaniards could. The other, the band that stole back from the Spaniards. My paternal grandfather’s clan is the Many Goats clan. The amount of livestock a family had reflected their wealth.
- All of our grandmother’s guidance referred to nature. She would tell us remember your clan and be like water, ”you’ll always find a opening, you can mold a rock, and smooth rough surfaces.” We are very fortunate to have heard her stories, the year she was born Geronimo passed away in 1909. My grandmother spoke of her child hood days of starvation and witnessing the government slaughter our many sheep. She spoke of the Uranium era, witnessing birth defects, fearing the future of her unborn child, losing the men in her life; her father, husband, brothers, and uncles. She suffered from uranium exposure herself when she washed my grandfather’s mining clothes covered in yellow tailing. My siblings and I never met our grand fathers, they had passed on before we were born. All we have in their memory is their clans. To sum it up, my origins from my father’s side use to be fearless (Lichii) Cliff Dwellers (Ts’in Jik’ini) who had a abundant amount of sheep. My mother’s origin reflects kindness when the Edge Water clan adopted a young Zuni girl. Along with being kind they were leaders speaking on behalf of others, and taking back what was taken from them by the Spaniards and or being talented with horses.
Our identity is based on oral stories, the more endangered our stories become the less we know who we are and this applies to all races. The most vital ingredient that keeps our stories alive is the nature around us. The red paint plant, Lichii is an endangered plant and very few of our elders know where to find it. Also, the contamination of the Earth has made it even more rare for it to grow.
Knowing my background, you will notice that my art work reflects my upbringing. I am very fond of creation stories and storytelling among various cultures. I believe all cultures are linked one way or another with our stories. I especially enjoy stories that value nature, stories that express humans are not separated from nature nor superior. Another upsetting similarity we have in common is environmental adversity which tends to fall onto the back burners. I’m drawn to researching such ordeals and hopefully bring awareness to these causes.
