Mae Peshlakai
Mae Peshlakai | |
|---|---|
 Peshlakai in 2023 | |
| Member of the Arizona House of Representatives from the 7th district | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2023 Serving with Myron Tsosie | |
| Preceded by | Brenda Barton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mae Walker |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | 4; including Jamescita |
Mae Walker Peshlakai is an American Navajo weaver, silversmith, and politician serving as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives since 2023. A Democrat, she represents Legislative District 7, which includes the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe. Peshlakai co-founded a fine arts studio with her husband in the 1970s and has engaged in local politics in Cameron, Arizona, for nearly 30 years.
Early life
[edit]Peshlakai grew up on the Navajo Nation and is a survivor of a boarding school.[1] Her maiden name is Walker.[2] Her mother, Dorothy Walker, and her sister, Angie Maloney, are also weavers.[3] As of 1997, her sister worked as a district sanitarian in Tuba City, Arizona.[4]
Career
[edit]Peshlakai is a Navajo weaver, silversmith, and maker of jewelry and beadwork.[4][5][3] She took up silversmithing after marrying her husband, James Peshlakai, who was a silversmith and goldsmith.[1] In the early 1970s, she and James opened a fine arts studio in Flagstaff, Arizona and traveled to nearly all 50 states to give art and cultural demonstrations.[1] Their jewelry was purchased by notable figures including U.S. president Gerald Ford, The Beach Boys, and John Denver.[1]
In 1971, Peshlakai met Arch Gould, a patron of Navajo weavers, at a weaving demonstration.[3] In 1991, she and her sister taught a summer course at the University of Hawaiʻi Lab School and gave a demonstration at the Honolulu Academy of Art's Linekona Art Center.[3] They have taught weaving in the Southwest, New England, and the Pacific Northwest.[3] In November 1997, the sisters demonstrated weaving and discussed Navajo culture at Gettysburg College.[4]
As of 1997, Peshlakai was the co-owner of Peshlakai's Consulting Service, Navajo Experience Catering Services, and was also a sheep and cattle rancher.[4] She continued to own and manage her own small business as of 2023.[1]
Politics
[edit]Peshlakai's involvement in politics began in the 1970s, when she and her husband campaigned for Coconino County Sheriff Joe Richards.[1] She has been active in Cameron Chapter House politics for nearly 30 years.[1]
In November 2022, Peshlakai was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives to represent the newly formed Legislative District 6.[6] She and her Democratic running mate were unopposed by Republican candidates in the general election.[6] As a legislator, she is a member of the Democratic Party from Cameron, Arizona.[1] By December 2023, she was representing Legislative District 7, which includes the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and six other tribes.[1] Her legislative priorities include education, health care, infrastructure, and veterans' issues.[1] She serves on the military and public safety committees and is the chairwoman of the Indigenous People's Caucus.[1]
Personal life
[edit]Peshlakai is a Navajo elder who speaks both Navajo and English.[7] She owns property in Cameron, Arizona, at the western edge of the Navajo Nation.[7] As a traditional Navajo, she believes in the Beauty Way, the concept that Navajos are protectors of all living things.[1]
She was married for over 50 years to James Peshlakai, an artist and storyteller who died on February 4, 2015.[1][2] Peshlakai and her husband have four adult children, a son, Darcy, and three daughters, Jamescita, Stephanie, and Shalta.[2] As of 2015, Peshlakai had 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.[2] In 2023, her grandchildren work for the Tuba City School District.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Bindell, Stan (December 5, 2023). "Catching up with Arizona Rep. Mae Peshlakai". Navajo-Hopi Observer. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Allen, Krista (February 6, 2017). "Influential Diné storyteller passes on". Navajo Times. Retrieved November 1, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Ramirez, Tino (July 12, 1991). "Dream Weavers". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. p. 17. Retrieved November 1, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Navajo guests will vist G'bg College". The Gettysburg Times. November 13, 1997. p. 10. Retrieved November 1, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Stephenson, Hank (July 12, 2022). "The Daily Agenda: Thank a government worker". Arizona Agenda. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Aleshire, Peter (November 9, 2022). "Republicans cruise to victory in state Legislative District 7". Payson Roundup. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Abramsky, Sasha (January 3, 2023). "How Democrats Beat Arizona's Extremist Republicans". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
