Hello! My name is Keshia Julian. I am Jicarilla Apache, and my clan is Ollero or “white” clan. Currently, I am enjoying living back on the Jicarilla Apache reservation or “Rez” for 3 years now. It’s been neat growing up in cities most of my life and having the opportunity to get back to my roots of learning my culture & rez life. It has been fun & I wouldn’t trade living in Dulce for the city lights. Since moving home, I am happily working at the Jicarilla Cultural Arts & Heritage Center for 3 years. This experience started off as my 2nd job in my whole work career. It’s been an informative and fun experience. I love having the chance to learn from alot of other Jicarilla Apache artists. My coworkers are all so nice, we love to create, and we’re all fun to work with.  Before I got hired as a Basket Trainee with the Cultural Arts & Heritage Center, I was a full-time student living in Hollywood, Florida. When I found out I was expecting my 1st daughter Gretchen at age 19, I was starting my journey to attain my degree while being pregnant. I did not know what to expect I was excited and happy for my little girl, so I choose to focus on pregnancy and starting my little family. I started to learn more about my native culture being so far from home and never growing up on the rez. I did not know much of my own Jicarilla culture, just the basics such as Go-Jii-Ya and Kesta. I had many friends that were Seminole living in Florida. I would often find myself going to work with them during my pregnancy at the culture center on their reservation so by hanging out many days with all the ladies and kids I started to learn my daughter’s culture. Since I was in the sewing room for many hours, I began to pick up sewing. I figured since I was about to be a mom, I wanted my daughter to follow and be a part of her Seminole culture. When she arrived, the many days of being in the sewing room was so neat to see all the hard work and time that went into traditional clothing and the true value we all should take into our culture. It was then I soon found myself telling my daughter’s father that I needed to learn to sew. Much money went into my daughter’s dresses and native jewelry because she was my first daughter. I was determined to have my baby girl in as much boogie native style as possible. She was my own little doll but who would have thought having my daughter really help me acknowledge more native culture and wanting to know even more. With all that implied, I began to catch on to the sewing and beading. I remember growing up. I always heard my mom’s sewing machine going all day in the kitchen sometimes into the night, and I would find myself sitting there, talking to my mother about anything and everything. Now I have the chance to be able to pass things to my kids so far, my girls have the experience with beading, sewing and pottery and they all enjoy it and I’m glad to introduce them to art and help them create their own artistic vision. These moments are very memorable to me. Having the opportunity to be at a job to create art has been a blast. I’ve learned many things about the Nation’s history, knowledge, and techniques. Other artists are always willing to show me their shortcuts or tricks in basketry, pottery, sewing, beading and leatherwork. It’s neat to be able to learn so much culture as well having an awesome job that helps me meet my own goals of passing down what I’ve learned to anyone who willing to learn. In a culture where it’s rare to know how to make traditional clothing and jewelry I’m excited to share my notebooks of notes that I have collected from many and most of my learned knowledge and stories from 3 years of working at the Jicarilla Cultural Arts and Heritage Center. Showing my kids some of the stuff that I have learned has really inspired my oldest daughter Gretchen, she says that she would like to be an artist when she grows up always makes me wonder if my job is what sparked my daughter’s imagination to create any of her visions of art. Til then, I too, will continue to work on becoming better in my art and learn as many techniques from many of the artists in and out of work to accomplish some beautiful baskets for the future. I can’t wait to see how big and creative I can push myself to make pottery. I really enjoy mixing my own style in with all my creations. I’m always in a mindset that if the colors don’t match or their too much that’s always my que to knowing I’m going in the right direction on projects. I’ve never been scared to go out the box. Sometimes I have some pieces that just don’t make sense but it’s cute cause it’s a strawberry and it really doesn’t have to make sense with creating any project. I think that’s what’s so awesome working with the new director Sheldon, he’s supportive of your own artistic styles and vision. Having a supportive boss who fosters our new art ideas for job projects makes our work even better. Because our heart is aligned with our passion. Other than work you can find me fishing. I love to fish it’s so fun and peaceful. Or I’m hanging out with my family enjoying some good food. I am a mommy of four girls. It’s never a dull moment, there is something we aren’t getting into.  Thank you so much for reading about my craft and artistic journey! 
-Keshia Julian