I gotta speak on this Indianz article about Rebecca Roanhorse and address some statements said in the article. I want to preface with this, I have colleagues and went to school with people in the Navajo Writers Collective and I understand where they are coming from.....

BUT... I understand where Rebecca is coming from too because I had a marriage with a non-Diné woman and I know the special status in-laws have especially woman in-laws. My ex-wife was Crow & N. Cheyenne and I kid you not - she was treated better in my family than I was. haha....

It is true because she was accepted as a child from my parents. They never said "in-law know your place" - they said "shi'awee" and proceeded to teach her important family and Diné cultural and ceremonial beliefs. They never treated her bad and accepted her fully....

Furthermore, I need to remind all of us Diné people of the MOST famous in-law to ever helped us. Remember, Bosque Redondo & Jesus Arviso? For those that forgot, Jesus was from Sonora, Mexico - captured by Apaches and traded to a Navajo family - where he learned Navajo and culture

Jesus was crucial in the 1868 Treaty and interpreted Barbancito's important words into Spanish, which was translated into English for Gen. Sherman. I firmly believe in-laws contribute to the greater Diné society and if it were not for Jesus - we would not be home right now......

Also the Navajo Writers Collective is coming from a place of preserving all that is great with our Diné culture and teachings. I respect that and I respect their position in this debate - but I should also say that we have to be careful in using our traditions to be static....

From my perspective as a Diné archaeologist - I have seen our record of history constantly incorporating new technology, ideas, and people! Our clan ship history speak of incorporating people and Diné people is not a nationalistic identity but a conglomeration of peoples.......

This is currently unfolding right now on social media - can we dress up dogs or allow in-laws to write about Diné culture. I have always tried to look at in a balanced way - similar to the spirit of Hozho - to critically evaluate information and to process this.....

So I am including a historical perspective to this debate - for sure Diné people have clans, songs, and cultural traditions from other communities including our Pueblo relatives. I call them relatives because we are - after the 1692 De Vargas re-entry into NM........

Many Pueblo people fled to Dinétah (Northern New Mexico) and into Hopi area and allied themselves with my Diné ancestors - after this moment we saw a vastly different Diné culture after this moment - food, clothing, ceremonies, clans, and possibly spirituality changed.....

I believe Pueblo ideas of food, clothing, ceremonies, clans and spirituality was incorporated into Diné culture - Did this upset conservative traditionalist - PROBABLY but this process is a two-way process - in that moment Pueblo peel also adopted our songs & technology too.....

for instance.... we used a Sinew-backed Bow - which was strong for hunting buffalo and elk - which we learned living on the plains and they adopted that - also we exchanged our prized hides for their use and they taught us weaving. so its a mutual beneficial relationship.....

What has made this debate so contentious is the capitalistic public consumption of our Diné culture. Can Rebecca profit from these ideas and as her "in-law status" can she do this? I don't know because we have mutual support of her work and resistance to her work....

... I know for a fact that her Diné family allowed her to use the stories to be published - so is that enough too? Also she used a Diné consultant to make sure the content is culturally appropriate - so she displayed ethical intent to make sure she didn't cross the line.....

Also this debate is going to continue to grow because this is the process of growth! Our Diné philosophy of SNBH is constantly about growth and learning - I BELIEVE this philosophy has led us to grow in population but also use technology for our own benefit....

Technologies that benefited us include weaving, incorporating sheep subsistence, horse culture & the use of Spanish lances for warfare, food recipes and contemporary examples - SOCIAL MEDIA, books, and the next digital technology.... its in our dna to grow!

... it seems these cultural shifts also fall along generational shifts - I am certain this debate happened in the past too - like the buckskin clothing vs. rug dress debate, or the rug dress vs. skirts, or the hair bun vs. letting your hair down, this will always happen....

This is so because we are not a unified Nation - we are groups of clans and people under a similar culture & language. I don't know where the answer is but I think we should look at it from a balanced way - in the spirit of Hozho.