We caught up with the brilliant and insightful LaDonna Dempsey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

LaDonna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love for you to start by sharing your thoughts about the pros and cons of family businesses.

I was born and raised on the Navajo reservation in southwest Arizona. Growing up, there wasn’t any large grocery chain stores or any shops in the small town of Pinon, Arizona. The nearest grocery store was over three hours away. However, my maternal grandparents owned a local grocery store and gas station, called “Chee Southwest Store”. We were well known in the area and had a great relationship with the community, especially with the elders who spoke only Navajo. As a family, we all had a part in maintaining the store and I learned alot at a young age. Family businesses work with trust, loyalty and teamwork. There may be disagreements along the way but in the end, we all want success for our small business so therefore, we all work hard to make it work. I was able to gain insight and valuable knowledge from watching how my aunties, uncles, grandparents and my mom worked everyday at our family business.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Yá’áté’éh (hello) Shí eí LaDonna Rose Dempsey yinishyé. Tó’dii’chínii nishłi, Nááka’ii Diné’e báshishchíín, Tséjin’kini da’shícheii dóó’o Táneeszáhnii da’shínalí.

Hello, my name is LaDonna Rose Dempsey. I am of the Bitter Water People Clan, born for the Mexican People Clan and my maternal grandfather is of the Cliff Dweller’s People Clan and my paternal grandfather is of the Tangled People Clan. I am full blooded Diné from the Navajo Nation. I was born and raised on the Navajo reservation in southwest Arizona in a town called Pinon.

Currently, I live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest in Portland, Oregon. Thankfully, I’ve been able to make meaningful connections within the Native community here in Oregon. I am an active vendor with the Portland Indigenous Marketplace and NARA Northwest organization.

I make and create handmade beaded earrings, necklaces, medallions and beaded popsockets. Beading is very spiritual and relaxing for me, because it helps me to process my feelings and emotions while also making something beautiful in the end. Good medicine and energy goes into my beadwork. As an artist, I pour my heart, soul and time into what I do. I take pride in my work and I always make sure to leave a meaningful impression with my customers.

A couple things that I am most proud of is; I have a pair of my beaded earrings in a museum in Washington and also, I was interviewed as a featured artist with KATU, the local news outlet in the Portland metro area for Native American Heritage Month.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Two years ago, I lost my dad and it’s been seven months since my mom passed away. Familial loss is the most painful, difficult thing to go through. Losing both my parents took a toll on my mental health which eventually affected my business. As hard as it is to keep going; I am learning to live with the grief and trying to learn how to continue on with my own life. My parents were very proud of me for all my achievements and they always taught me to work hard and go the extra mile. I know they wouldn’t want me to give up. So I try my best to make them proud. As Diné (Navajo), we are a resilient people. My ancestors went through so many hardships and loss, yet they prevailed and remained strong and optimistic. Resilience is essential in our lives, our well-being and mental health; which in all affect everything from our everyday living to operating our business.

I’ve learned to grow stronger through the adversity of losing my parents. Everyday is a challenge but I find the strength in myself to get back up again and do better everyday.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

As an Indigenous person, I walk in two worlds: the traditional world and the civilized world. It’s been interesting adapting to western society, it’s definitely different than the traditional ways of my culture.

For example, one thing that I had to unlearn was eye contact. Culturally, it is offensive to make direct eye contact with anyone because it is very intimate like looking deep into someone’s soul. However, in today’s society, eye contact is very important and it’s a part of communicating with others. It’s been difficult to unlearn this lesson but I am improving on it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/dempseydesignsbeadwork
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/dempseydesignsbeadwork

Image Credits

LaDonna Rose Dempsey