Arts

Artists express Diné culture through art

By Colten Shone
Special to the Times

PHOENIX, March 19, 2011

Carmen Hunter always had a camera in her hand while growing up. When she was seven years old, she would take a lot of snapshots. Her mission was to document her life.

It wasn't until 13 years ago that she started to get serious with her photography. It was all because of a photograph she took of her granddaughter.

"I realized that with that photograph I needed to do this for her," she said.

Hunter grew up near Canyon de Chelly. She jokingly said that she holds the key to the canyon. But the key she really wants to hold is the key that opens the door to Diné culture. Hunter is trying to preserve the culture through her pictures.

"We're losing our culture, our heritage, our language," she said. "We need to do something now. You know for the future generation to see where they come from."

Many of her photos are of Navajo elders. Elders wearing traditional clothes, elders in ceremonial settings by a fire, and women weaving traditional rugs. Sadly, she says, those elders are gone now.

Hunter hopes through these pictures, of her life and of traditional Navajos, her granddaughter will know where she comes from.

"This is what I remember from when I was younger," she said.

Hunter said she'll never get back the money she put into this lifelong project, but she said that doesn't matter. She takes comfort in the fact these photographs inspire the younger generation or bring back memories for other people.

"These people come in and sometimes people cry, even men," she said.