Artist Bio: My name is Carmen A. Stevens. My parents’ names are Philip Stevens and Vanessa Anthony-Stevens. I was born in Tucson AZ, I am a member of the San Carlos Apache tribe, my clan is Tudilhili (Black Water). I have always loved history and learning about different cultures and how they do things differently than my tribe and my relatives on my mom’s side. I have always been doing art ever since I was a little girl.
Artist Statement: I will explain my way of thinking about the topic “be a good relative”. When I think of being a good relative, I think of that as helping people with their different needs, listening to them and their stories, making sure to always take care of others and yourself, and keeping the tradition alive. As an Apache, we have to think that everything is our relative and not to treat it badly. We have to think of it as a living thing and treat it as a being worthy of respect.
In my painting, I have painted the relationships between humans and hummingbirds because in my culture hummingbirds are messengers from god. There are four hummingbirds in the background from four different directions and each of the hummingbirds lives in San Carlos. This represents relationships between all things.
