More Information:
http://www.blackhorsemitchell.com

My name is Blackhorse Mitchell, bearing the name of two great people in the Navajo History. I was born in the early 1940s on a mesa in the Northern part of New Mexico close to the Colorado border and the Ute Tribal boundary. The name of the place is ‘Tsezhin Bidaat’i’i’, which my great Grandfather, Blackhorse, was named after. My maternal Grandfather was Charlie Mitchell of Tsaile, Arizona where my last name comes from.

I grew up herding sheep on the mesa called Palmer Mesa and down in the canyon called Salt Creek Canyon, which my great grandmother Asdzaan Todik’oozh was named after. She found the mesa as a very isolated place of peace in the fall of 1863. Since then,the ancestry of my clan has remained on the mesa.

I grew up on the mesa but left for boarding school to learn English in 1951. I was sent to Ignacio, Colorado, and from there I left for art school at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was there, in 1963, that I became a writer and Miracle Hill was born as my achievement in the literary profession. In May of 1978 I went to the University of New Mexico and earned my BS +14 in Elementary Education. I went on and got my MA +36 in Secondary Education from the same Institution in May 1993.

Presently I teach Navajo language full time at the Shiprock High School in Shiprock, New Mexico. Besides teaching at the State School, I work as an adjunct teacher for Dine College of Shiprock, where I give workshops in Navajo pottery, basketry, moccasin–making, and Navajo music. Recently I finished a few more projects. I have a CD out by Cool Runnings Music, of Window Rock, Arizona titled “Where Were You When I Was Single” and a Documentary DVD — MUD, on Navajo pottery.” It has been my pleasure to share with you my artistic abilities and I welcome you to my world of artistic skills.

Sascha Stipsits writes:
While we were organizing Blackhorse Mitchell's first visit to our Czech Headquarters in Slavonice there was much anticipation and speculation as to how the presence of a 'real' Native American would be received.

So we were al truly pleased when the workshops, concerts and seminars were met with genuine interest in the history and present day way of life of the American Indians. The reception was overwhelming and these day will stay in our memories for many reasons, not the least of which being the awe and respect with which the people observed Blackhorse presenting the ancient healing art of sand painting in their mids

Only a day later we were back in Slavonice were another meeting had been arranged by our local partner organization, and there we met for the first time people from the town who so far had not participated in any of the Centre’s events. Most of them were seniors, well informed and loaded with questions for Blackhorse. He answered with great patience and as always loosened the atmosphere by performing his famous Navajo Sheepherders blues. Instead of the projected hour we were there for two and a half and could have stayed the whole night around the fire there in the Bohemian woods

We were also approached by some of the public wanted to organize additional workshops with Blackhorse, in the northern end of the Czech Republic. Much has been shared during this unique cultural exchange and we are being encouraged to continue such programs in the future.