The Ear of the Wind – Navajo Nation

Effie stands within a window in the Navajo Nation rock formation known as The Ear of the Wind. Listening, she hears upon the wind her people’s ancient, ongoing song of survival, strength, courage and connection. Effie is part of the Bitter Water clan. Her clan would not have survived if it were not for her great, great grandmother who at one time was kidnapped by Mexicans. Intending to bring her to agricultural fields to work in slavery, they bound her feet and tossed her over a horse. At night, they’d tie her in a blanket and a guard would sleep on a corner of the blanket to prevent her from escaping. She eventually managed to free herself, but it was not long after that she was kidnapped by Kit Carlson and made to walk the 400 mile march in bare feet to an internment camp in New Mexico.

Today, Effie is a member of one of only eleven families that live in this particular location. When I visited in 2022, she welcomed me onto her small plot of land that has horses, sheep, and a simple house with one solar panel. She has no running water, but spoke not of the hardships of her life but of love for her horses and one in particular she said works well with her. They have a relationship that is hard to describe but is instantly recognizable as remarkable.