Jul 29, 2021
“For me, I felt like when I was running, people were watching. But I didn’t care…I thought, you know what? I’m doing this because I like it and when I’m running I’m thinking about my grandmothers and all the other women who are our ancestors.”
Monica Etsitty Dorame (Diné) is Tábąąhá (Edge of Water clan) and born for Tótsohnii (Big Water clan). She currently resides in Albuquerque, NM and is originally from Ft. Defiance, AZ. As you may have guessed, she is also my Mom! Monica is a library operations manager for government information at the University of New Mexico (UNM) University Libraries and is currently a PhD candidate in the UNM OILS (Organization, Information, and Learning Sciences) Program. Her dissertation will focus on Native American women leaders within higher education. She received her Masters degree in public administration and her B.A. in American Studies, both from the University of New Mexico. Her writing has recently been published in an anthology featuring voices of color within library systems. My mom has been running for the majority of her life and has always been one of my biggest supporters in pursuing athletics. In this conversation, we talk about her experiences within the residential boarding school system, the relationships of women in our family, and her own journey with running as a cultural lifeway.
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Music by Jacob Shije (Santa Clara Pueblo, NM).
This podcast was made possible through the Tracksmith Fellowship Program.