KENABA HATATHLIE
DINÉ
AGE: 22
Kenaba is Diné from Kirtland, NM. Throughout her undergraduate career, Kenaba has had opportunities that have allowed her to find her grounding and passion in the Indigenous education field. In exploring pathways in the field, she has developed visual interpretations of what it means to Indigenize and reclaim our journeys. In all aspects throughout her journey and project/creative-endeavors, Kenaba always finds her circling and re-circling back to how her identity is connected to the person or experience. Being in connection is what allows her to find Indigenous relation to all things.
For decades the US government has attempted to extinguish, assimilate, and relocate Native peoples and communities. We remain resilient with over 567 tribes. Meaningful connection to community together with cultural continuity are important contributors to resilience. As a way to foster this resilience practice cultural continuity, we must continue to embrace our identities and Indigenize spaces and places. Sense of belonging has to occur while Indigenizing the contemporary without sacrificing our identities. If citizenship and counting is a tool to stop Native people from being overlooked, we can elevate our voice by existing and reclaiming spaces for our continued existence.
