Jeneda Benally facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeneda Benally
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Benally in 2004
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| Background information | |
| Born | June 26, 1974 Flagstaff, Arizona, United States |
| Genres | Alternative rock, punk rock |
| Occupation(s) | Bassist, songwriter, storyteller, actress, model, artist, dancer |
| Years active | 1989-present |
Jeneda Benally is the bassist and co-vocalist alongside her brothers in the Navajo punk rock band Blackfire. She currently plays bass and sings with her brother Clayson Benally in the multi-award-winning duo Sihasin.
Musical career
In 2012, they formed Sihasin, the Navajo word for “hope”, releasing their Ed Stasium-produced debut album, Never Surrender, in 2012 to critical acclaim and numerous awards on the American Indian Music scene, and received the honor of being called the "#1 Freedom Fighting Band to Get You Through the Trump Years" by The Huffington Post in December 2016. They also collaborated on the song “Sister Moon and Brother Sun” for the 2017 Grammy-nominated album by roots children's duo The Okee Dokee Brothers. Their punk rock version of the Christmas classic, “Winter Wonderland” was featured in an ad campaign with Tony Bennett for Hyundai.
Benally has been featured on NPR, as an actress in Nanobah Becker's film The Sixth World, and has appeared in numerous TV specials and in national and international press. Benally has traveled the world sharing her Navajo culture and important critical issues. Besides her duties in the band, she is an activist for various causes. Not only has she been a Miss Flagstaff Indian Days Powwow Princess, she is also a national Native American Honor Roll Society member. In 2022, her dog Mr Happy Face was declared the world's most ugliest dog.
Activism
Having performed internationally with her family's dance troupe, The Jones Benally Family, Benally is also well known for her work for human rights, sacred sites, forced relocation, and environmental and animal rights. Benally was part of the Delos Convention for the U.N. in Greece and was a plaintiff in the federal court case against reclaimed wastewater in order to protect the Sacred San Francisco Peaks.
