Coming Home: Navajo Designer Amy Denet Deal on Identity, Healing, and Sustainable Fashion

What is home?
Is it a place, a memory, a landscape—or a journey? In this episode, Judy Oskam explores the transformative meaning of home with Amy Denet Deal.  She's the founder of 4 Kinship, Indigenous Futures Forever, and the Diné Skate Garden Project.

Amy’s story is one of remarkable courage and clarity. In her mid-50s, she left the corporate fashion world and returned to her Navajo roots. Her journey home reveals how healing and creativity intersect in powerful ways.

In this episode, Judy and Amy talk about adoption and culture.  They both share an adoption connection. 

Returning to Her Roots

• Amy shares her early life story of being adopted out of her Navajo community in the 1960s—before the Indian Child Welfare Act.
• Amy describes the moment she chose to “come home” in 2019. Selling everything and driving to New Mexico to reconnect with her culture.

Healing and Identity

• Amy shares about meeting her birth mother for the first time 
• .The emotional work of reconnecting with family, community, and heritage.

From Fashion Executive to Indigenous Fashion Leader

• A look inside Amy’s career in corporate fashion and the ethical concerns that pushed her toward sustainable design.
• The founding of 4 Kinship, a brand rooted in Indigenous artistry and community impact.

 Creating Spaces for the Next Generation

• Why skateboarding became a tool for youth empowerment, health, and suicide prevention.
• Long-term dreams of a fiber farm—possibly in Scotland—to support her daughter’s fashion future.
• The deep connection between land and clarity of purpose.

Memorable Quote

“Home to me is a feeling of calmness and clarity. Coming back to my homelands quieted the noise and helped me understand exactly why I’m here.” - Amy Denet Deal

A Reflection for You

Judy closes the episode with a question for listeners:

 What does home mean to you?
Is it a place, a person, a memory—or a journey you're still traveling?

Photo by Shaun Price. 

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