Greetings and Welcome to, Paa’tuuwi (formerly, From The Earth Studio). My name is Lyle Balenquah and I am from the Village of Paaqavi (Reed Springs Village), located on 3rd Mesa on the Hopi Reservation. I belong to the Dep’wungwa (Greasewood) Clan from my mother’s side, and my father is of the Rattlesnake (Tsu’wungwa) Clan.

Paa’tuuwi is the name for the area where my family’s ranch and corn fields are located in the North Oraivi Wash Valley. Paa’tuuwi literally translates as “Water-Bench”, and refers to the occurrence of springs that emerge from between the geologic layers of the sandstone mesas and canyons. I owe much to the history of this landscape in shaping my life and perspectives.

I speak from my own experiences and perspectives first. I do not claim to represent the Hopi Tribe as a formal employee. Nor do I speak for all Hopi People, which is impossible as there are over 15,000 tribal members that come from 12 villages on 3 Mesas, 30+ clans and numerous religious societies. There is much diversity amongst Hopi perspectives.

This blog originally started out as a place to publish and archive my own writings and I will continue to do so. You can read past and current writings here, Blog Posts. Much of my writing focuses on my current fieldwork and other endeavors I am involved in.

This website is also a place to showcase the wearable art that I create using natural turquoise, stone, shell, and other materials. You can learn more about these products & the creative process here, The Turquoise Trail

Through this website I will offer one Indigenous perspective on various topics of Archaeology, Cultural Resource Management, Outdoor Recreation & Education, Land Management, and other topics related to Indigenous culture.

You can read more about my academic and professional endeavors here, Field Experience

All photographs, drawings, visual graphics, etc are taken, produced, edited and owned by me, unless otherwise noted.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to follow and share!

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