Navajo artist blends indigenous and queer identities
Macey Rose | December 5This past Friday, the University of New Mexico Arts Research Technology Science (ARTS) Lab hosted an artist talk and performance event featuring Ryan Dennison. Guests were invited to complementary dishes as a piece of Dennison’s Navajo culture. They were seated in a dimly lit ambient atmosphere noted with subtle hues peeking through the ceiling. The Diné transdisciplinary artist hails from Tohatchi, New Mexico, and began his talk by introducing himself to the audience in Navajo. “Diné,” meaning “person” in Navajo, reviving the indigenous, Navajo way of life as a means to connect one back to their indigenous roots to keep the culture alive. Although admittedly not fluent in the language, Dennison explained through archives of pictures from his community work, artwork and even childhood memories, that he manages to keep in touch with his roots through a variety of artforms.
