Tyrrell Tapaha

Tyrrell Tapaha is a Dine weaver and fiber artist from Goat Springs, AZ. Their work encompasses the intergenerational pastoral living handed down through Tapaha’s grandfather, great-grandmother, and other relatives willing to teach.

Tapaha produces woven textiles and felted objects for both aesthetic and utilitarian uses. These textiles are made with raw natural fibers predominately grown on the Navajo Nation and hand-dyed with local flora from the Four Corners Region. Tapaha’s weavings are tied to a life lived and intimately interwoven with feelings, memories, and experiences.

In addition to their fiber and textile work, Tapaha also works full-time as a sheep herder in the Four Corners region of the Navajo Nation.

Plenary Panelist

Preserving Heritage Crops and Livestock: A discussion with stewards in the Southwest

It takes many hands to keep the tradition of raising heritage crops and livestock going. More than food, crops and livestock that exist on the margins of commodities embody culture, biodiversity, and stewardship of a holistic approach to agriculture. In this panel discussion, hear from producers who are maintaining a place-based, sustainable agricultural practice by growing culturally relevant and ecologically resilient crops and livestock. Learn about how they navigate a premium market as a small-scale producer. Understand the challenges faced by those in both the early and later stages of their lives and careers as farmers and ranchers. And, get to know what makes some of the resilient heritage crops and livestock grown in the Southwest special.

Moderator: Mary-Charlotte Domandi
Panelists:
Kiera McCabe (Skoden Farms)
Sarah Jones (Jones Family Farm and the Rye Resurgence Project)
Tyrrell Tapaha (weaver and sheepherder)