What’s in a name? A lot in the case of Navajo artist Peter Ray James. His father, Fred James, came from a family of counselors; Fred’s father’s name was “One Who Carries the Message.” Peter’s mother, Rena James, came from a military family; her father was a Navajo code talker during World War II. When her son was born, Rena declared that he wasn’t a warrior but was instead a storyteller. She gave him the name Nā’hat’āh Yīĺth Wōod, “One Who Delivers the Message.”
