Shawna Yazzie

Shawna Yazzie belongs to the Diné or Navajo. Her first clan comes from her mother because the Diné are a matrilineal society
belonging to four clans. Her clans are big water clan, Red Cheek People clan, Towering House clan, and Tangle People clan. In this way, she identifies as a Dine woman from Pinon, Arizona. Shawna is a first year Master’s Degree student in Native American Studies at UC Davis. Her research focuses on bringing Peace and Harmony back to the Diné: through the Kinship System while utilizing Diné Sa’ahNaagheiBik’ehHozhoon(SNBH) philosophy. She hopes to bring back the traditional teachings of the Kinship System while weaving the importance of land, stories, ceremonies, relationships, and prayers which are foundational to clans. Shawna holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Native American Studies from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado and an Associate’s Degree in Diné Studies from Diné College, a four year tribally controlled college located on the Navajo Nation. 

NAIS KEYWORDS: Indigeneity, tradition, land, colonialism, Indigenous Epistemologies/Knowledges