Elisha charley

RESEARCH FELLOW

Elisha Charley, a Nihokaa’ Diyin Dine’e (Navajo), grew up in Dennehotso, AZ. Her kinship family is Bit’ahnii (folded arms), born for Deeschchii’nii (red streak), material grandfather Tabaaha (water’s edge), and paternal grandfather Táchii’nii (red running into the water). She celebrates a multigenerational lineage of fiber arts and crafts, including weaving, knitting, crocheting, and sewing. She expresses interest in learning how to weave a sash belt, rug dress, Navajo wedding basket, and a water jug. Through reciprocity, she aims to keep the desire for kinesthetic learning and Diné philosophy within her family and community. Her experiences in residential construction are rooted in co-operative construction approaches, starting from her family building her childhood home. Elisha was introduced to the concept of owner-builder by watching her parents manage construction projects in their family home, surrounding neighbors, and livestock structures. These experiences have inspired Elisha to pursue higher education in the design and planning disciplines. 

Elisha is a Ph.D. candidate in the Urban Planning program at Arizona State University School of Geographic Science and Urban Planning. Her research frameworks are Indigenous planning and informality, specifically the intersectionality of Native informal housing and Native informal economy. Her academic voice and agency are rooted in her lived experiences, perpetuating Indigenous futurity. She aims to contribute Nihokaa’ Diyin Dine’e epistemology and Native informality in the Indigenous Planning subdiscipline. Elisha obtained a Master of Arts in Community, Regional, and Planning at the University of New Mexico in 2017. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Interior Design at Northern Arizona University in 2012. She obtained a High School Diploma at Monument Valley High School in 2002. 

elisha@naatsiilid.org | LinkedIn