Herizon is a book dedicated to the author’s nieces with the hope for a more inclusive, empowering future. The story details the journey of a young Diné girl as she helps her grandmother retrieve a flock of sheep aided by a magical scarf. Within the scarf’s powers is the ability to transform, which changes the girl and the world she knows. In an age that has seen the election of the first female vice president in U.S. history and Deb Haaland being appointed Secretary of the Interior, Herizon speaks to the power of the moment and not a distant idea of what could be. It is a story that honors progress and persistence, and can relate to audiences from any background.
NOTE: Herizon is a wordless book as an ode to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) and in honor of all those without a voice.
~https://birchbarkbooks.com/products/herizon
Daniel Vandever, a Navajo from Haystack, NM, comes from a long line of educators and is the grandson of Navajo Code Talker Joe Vandever Sr. Currently, he works as the Communications Director at Navajo Technical University (NTU) in Crownpoint, NM where he also serves as an adjunct instructor. Vandever’s undergraduate degree is from the University of Missouri in Strategic Communication and his graduate degree is from the University of New Mexico in Community and Regional Planning.
~https://salinabookshelf.com/pages/authors-and-illustrators__daniel-w-vandever
Corey Begay is a Navajo artist and graphic designer from Cedar Springs Arizona on the Navajo Nation. Corey graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Visual Communications and currently doing contract work and collaborating with different organizations.
Corey’s current works involve murals, graphic design, illustration, and canvas paintings. I like the idea of seeing my work in as many places as possible and working with others who have the same passion in art, graphic design, and movements as I do. I’m also very inspired by culture, education, nature, expressionism, and hard workers.
Find more resources for the book
https://www.southofsunrisecreative.com/book-resources
You will find a discussion guide and activity guide all related to the book and finding a greater understanding of what the author has presented in his story and how the illustrator brought that story to life.
Learn about the Navajo Nation
https://www.navajo-nsn.gov/History
