Women empowering women: Celebration of Women Conference returns to Farmington

FARMINGTON — Carisa Yazzie-Gonzalez stood with her arms stretched and focused on her breathing as she learned about tai chi on June 30.

She was one of five women taking part in the class taught by Regina BlueEyes, a recreation specialist at Four Corners Regional Health Center in Red Mesa, Arizona, at the Celebration of Women Conference at the Farmington Civic Center.

The conference was organized by the Navajo Nation-based group Sisters in Circle to provide resources and to help women build their voices in their communities.

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This was the group's 12th conference, and it returned after the coronavirus pandemic halted it in 2020 and 2021.

"It's very informative, empowering," Yazzie-Gonzalez said about the event.

What she liked most is that the sessions ranged in focus from learning about legal rights, building small businesses, supporting the LGBTQ and Two-Spirit community to incorporating art, journal writing and Navajo culture in everyday living.

"It provides me with a lot of resources, because I work with a lot of Native communities," Yazzie-Gonzalez said. "All these resources that they provided today, I can provide that and share that with other families that are in need."

Miss Navajo Nation Niagara Rockbridge commended event organizers for bringing women together to talk about issues, to share ideas and to encourage women leadership.

"Women empowering women, that's something that we always need," Rockbridge said.

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In the art class instructed by Elizabeth Whitethorne-Benally, she talked about facing sexism and ageism as a Diné female artist.

When talking about feedback from male artists about her work, she said, "they look at it and they say, oh this has got to be here, or this has got to be there. I tell them that I paint what I want and how I feel that day, that moment."

Art is about communicating one's experiences, she said.

Theresa Pablo painted her canvas yellow and placed symbols in a corner to represent her four clans. She also painted herself with long flowing hair running underneath the sun.

She explained that her painting shows her celebrating her age and "the freedom of being a woman."

Noel Lyn Smith covers the Navajo Nation for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4636 or by email at nsmith@daily-times.com.

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