Grinding Stone, Mortar & Pestle 1, Mortar & Pestle 2. Images Courtesy of Marlena Robbins.
MARLENA ROBBINS/ NAHASDZAAN PIGMENTS
I am Diné and Mescalero Apache from the Red Running into Water People Clan born for the Bitter Water People Clan. Nahasdzaan Pigments was created during the time of great isolation. We returned home to the land of our mothers, pitched a tent behind grandma's house and tried to create some normalcy out of it. As I drove through the winding dirt roads, reintroducing myself to the land, the vivid colors of the Earth called to me, asking me to create with them. Through this process, I found a deeply rooted level of gratitude for the land, my mother and my grandparents, as they connected me back to myself. The intention of science meets art, interwoven with language and culture, allowing me to listen to the stories of the spaces I was collecting from.
I earned my Master’s in American Indian Studies - Indigenous Rights and Social Justice from Arizona State University, where my research focused on art as a spiritual expression for Indigenous well-being. I have dedicated my work to advocating for art within the fields of Indigenous mental health and community wellness.
I have hosted mindful art workshops for several organizations including the Native Women’s Association of Canada, Center for Native American Youth, Futures Without Violence, Ft. Defiance Indian Health Board, Santa Fe Indian School Art appreciation event, Native Health, Heard Museum Creative Aging Series (2020-2021), Ft. Mojave Special Diabetes program and Santa Ana/San Felipe Teen Art Series.
Mulling and Filtering. Images Courtesy of Marlena Robbins.