Columns

Acoma people have stood and walked upon these lands for more than a thousand years. Aakʼu, our home that was prepared for us after our epic migration, is our identity, our covenant with the Earth, and the living inheritance of every generation of Aak’u meh Hanu’tra, Acoma People, who came before us and every child who will follow. Our name is not a brand. It is not a marketing tool, and it is not available for corporate appropriation.

Re-envisioning humanity’s relationship to nature, authentic Native knowledge, and advancing scientific frameworks is deserving of rediscovery and serious attention. Our systemic traditional knowledge has always been our guiding light, deeply embedded in our worldview, our interpretation of the natural world, and its profound link to contemporary science.

As chief prosecutor of the Navajo Nation, I want to begin with this: most deepfake videos, nearly 90 percent, are not criminal. They may be misleading or in poor taste, but they do not cross the threshold of the law.

Hataałii Avery Denny is president of the Diné Hataałii Association Inc., and a professor at Diné College, where he teaches in the Diné School of Navajo Ceremonial Science. He is ordained in Hózhǫ́ǫ́jí, Naayée’eejí and Tł’éé’jí Hatáál.

Hataałii Avery Denny is president of the Diné Hataałii Association Inc., and a professor at Diné College, where he teaches in the Diné School of Navajo Ceremonial Science