Tied to the Post

COVID-19 testing

Recently I overheard a young child asking her mother when school would reopen. The youngster had apparently grown tired of being home with her older and overly controlling siblings and wanted to reengage with her classmates. After unsuccessfully trying to explain recent events to her inexperienced...

Friends and neighbors

As is so often the case, the worst of times can bring out the best in people. Like everyone else in the world, our area of southeastern Utah, and especially the vast Navajo Nation, are going through a difficult struggle during the coronavirus pandemic. In one of the most isolated areas of the...

A corona

Early this morning, Jana and I were out walking Pearl as the sun began to rise in the east. Pearl, whom many of you have yet to meet, is the successor to Buffy the Wonder Dog. Buffy grew up and spent most of her days lounging on the mat in front of the Kokopelli doors. Winter, spring, summer, and...

Walmart and Native American art

As one might easily guess, there are no theaters in this town of approximately 265 people. Consequently, when Jana and I want to see a movie we get into the car and steer towards Cortez or Durango, CO or Farmington, NM. Living in a small town, which is far removed from any significant population...

It’s black and white

It started with a “Splat,” then came “Black Hole,” “Boomerang,” and most recently, “Diné Diamonds.” What can all those things possibly have in common? Well, when it comes to Twin Rocks Trading Post, the likely answer is Navajo baskets, and baskets it is. First, a little context. Several years ago,...

The irony of ignorance

As I look back on the early days of Twin Rocks Trading Post, I am reminded what Orson Welles said shortly after the release of his cinematic masterpiece Citizen Kane. When asked what allowed him to write, produce, direct, and star in Kane, the 26-year-old novice filmmaker commented that ignorance...

Druids in our midst: The Winter Solstice celebration in Bluff

Tied to the Post Throughout the ages, cultures around the world have found their own way of celebrating the Winter Solstice, that point in the year when the sun reverses its southern course and days begin to lengthen. This event marks the beginning of a new year and new possibilities. Bluff, as...

Sacred places

It was early, pre-dawn as I trudged across what remained of the old alfalfa field toward the deer stand in the cottonwood tree along Spring Creek. The morning was frosty, caused by air currents rolling over and down the flanks of Blue Mountain to the west. The bitter draft kept finding its way...

Whose story is it anyway?

TIED TO THE POST Of all the people we work with, Dennis Ross is one of our all-time favorites. Our fondness for him is not necessarily based in his artistic talents; it is mostly about the way he conducts his life. Biologically, Dennis is half Navajo and half Hopi, which makes for an interesting...

Hastiin

I had a disturbing and thought-provoking encounter last week, and it has been on my mind ever since. I had just been relieved from a morning stint at the café and while pushing through the glass doors to exit the building, I ran into an old friend. He was coming up the front steps for lunch. I have...