Yá'át'ééh, Ahbihay!

October 2022. Paracord, hula hoops, feathers, and wood.

Albert Hale

(March 13, 1950, February 2, 2021)

Navajo Nation

“Yáʼátʼééh all the way, what the hey!” -Albert Hale

Albert Hale was born in 1950 in Ganado, Arizona and was a member of the Áshįįhí or Salt clan. His mother was a sheepherder and his father worked at the Fort Wingate U.S. Army depot. His father was beaten to death in a jail in Gallup, New Mexico, and the police officer did not receive any repercussions. Hale obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from Arizona State University and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of New Mexico School of Law. While practicing law in the Navajo Nation, he served as the president of both the Navajo Nation Bar Association and the State Bar of New Mexico. In 1994, he was elected as the President of the Navajo Nation, serving until 1998. He was passionate about retaining Navajo culture, particularly through language preservation, as well as fighting for and maintaining tribal sovereignty.

Ahbihay was my adopted uncle. He always had a funny story to tell. He was always laughing and smiling. He was a great and loving man.

This life-sized bolo tie represents Ahbihay’s larger-than-life personality. The feathers symbolize the hawk feathers that he wore on his traditional hat, paired with sunglasses because he liked to look “cool” and he always did.