Sihasin is one of my favorite words in Diné bizaad. It means “reflection” as in the act of reflecting. Innately as Diné, we are instructed to make space for this necessary action. As a life-long journaler, I love being in this state innately. There is so much I learn about myself, the projects I amContinue reading “Sihasin in the Time of the Little Winds”
Author Archives: Jaclyn Roessel
Naahi∤ii is K’é. In Solidarity with Black Lives Matter.
Grownup Navajo is a community founded upon Diné teachings and philosophies. We believe in the inherent wisdom of our ancestors’ and beliefs given to us by the Diyin Diné’é. Foundational to these is the concept of K’é. An ideology, philosophy which translates into “kinship”. K’é is a practice of how we relate to each otherContinue reading “Naahi∤ii is K’é. In Solidarity with Black Lives Matter.”
Spring Awakening
Since my son was born, I have held a deep, omnipresent longing for rest. Usually, this is a feeling I can sense as soon as my eyes peel open. Today was different. I woke to my playful babe, smiling and poking at my breast ready to be nourished at dawn. His twinkling eyes andContinue reading “Spring Awakening”
I Tell Navajo Stories…Like Grandma
I come from an open-arms people and a family who shares. I have built a career sharing my thoughts, poems, snapshots of my life and myself. But last year, I felt a call to shift into a new way of being. 2018 was a year filled with many life changes both personal and professional.Continue reading “I Tell Navajo Stories…Like Grandma”
In Her Hair…
There are millions of stories in her hair. From the past, Of the future… Holding the strands in her hands she feels the power of her people’s resilience, the resonate breath of generations of people who have come before, …and the life of those yet to be born. ++++ Written for the answers weContinue reading “In Her Hair…”
Injustice & K’é in the Borderlands
Growing up I heard many stories. Shared by my late Nalí’s (paternal grandparents), my masaní (maternal grandmother) and from my parents about our life as Diné (Navajo). Whether it is was the poetic story of my Nalí Hastiin seeing my Nalí asdzaan for the first time. Or the stories my masaní would share about her time at boarding school. These stories were reminders of love,Continue reading “Injustice & K’é in the Borderlands”
Dream Medicine and Reflections of the Future
I believe in time travel. I believe in the power of dreams because on some days, I can feel the memory of this ability within my vessel too. I understand dreams to be medicine. Sometimes, it is these tools which first communicate illness in our bodies, distortion in the fabric of our relationships and families.Continue reading “Dream Medicine and Reflections of the Future”
T’áá hwó’ ají t’éego…It is up to You
I have missed writing. T’áá hwó’ ají t’éego. It hurts to write. Like the struggle of returning to my running practice a couple of weeks ago. My body is not used to sitting to type. I have grown accustomed to writing for myself. My mind does not want to focus on one thought. It hasContinue reading “T’áá hwó’ ají t’éego…It is up to You”
Náádąą Rising & Other Reminders from the Cornfield
When I started my new adventure, I had no idea how much “new” I would be surrounded by. From finding a new coffee shop to hang out in to searching for a favorite new eatery to get carry-out from, life has been full of “firsts”. I’ve have also been seeking the answer to a newContinue reading “Náádąą Rising & Other Reminders from the Cornfield”
Creative Rezilience & Community
The path is created by walking it. I hear my late Nalí asdzaan (paternal grandmother) in my ear everyday saying, “you know what to do.” This message is now coupled with the reassurance of my parents, who remind me to trust my strength. Opportunities have manifested from invitations to empowering events, messages from followers andContinue reading “Creative Rezilience & Community”
Grownup Navajo 