Elders from the Diné Tribe

Emerson Gorman & Beverly Gorman

Emerson Gorman is a prominent Navajo (Diné) Elder, traditional healer, and cultural leader based near Steamboat, Arizona. He is widely respected for his lifelong commitment to preserving the spiritual, medicinal, and cultural heritage of the Navajo Nation. His work is grounded in the Diné philosophy of Hózhó, which understands health as a balance between physical, spiritual, emotional, and environmental well-being.

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As a practitioner of indigenous medicine, Emerson Gorman treats a wide range of conditions—including diabetes, nerve damage, and bone injuries—through traditional herbal knowledge, ceremonial prayer, and bone-setting techniques passed down through his lineage. He teaches that Navajo medicine originates in close observation of the natural world, explaining that early ancestors learned healing practices by studying animal behavior and natural processes.

His family lineage is deeply intertwined with Navajo history. Emerson Gorman is a descendant of survivors of the Long Walk of 1864 and the nephew of a Navajo Code Talker who served during World War II. Together with his family, he has worked to document and transmit Navajo customs and teachings so they are not lost to future generations.

His wife, Beverly Gorman, is a cultural educator and Clinical Social Worker (LMSW) who complements Emerson’s ceremonial work with clinical and community-based care. Together, they are pillars of their community, blending ancestral wisdom with contemporary knowledge to support healing and cultural continuity.

The couple raised their eight children in a remote area of the Navajo Nation without electricity or running water, fostering a profound connection to the land and traditional ways of life. All eight children later earned university degrees and professional careers.

In 2004, together they founded a cultural camp for Navajo children to revive traditions at risk of being lost. Through this initiative, children learn Diné bizaad, herbal medicine, sheep herding, weaving, and traditional survival skills. She has also played a key role in preserving the Blessingway (Hózhóójí), one of the most important Navajo ceremonies for health, harmony, and protection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, her recordings of traditional prayers were shared widely to support elders and families coping with isolation and fear.

Both Emerson and Beverly Gorman have been featured in documentary and educational projects, including Walk in Beauty, which explores the concept of Hózhó—the Navajo philosophy of living in balance, beauty, and harmony with the natural world.

Patrick Scott

Patrick Scott is a prominent ceremonial artist, spiritual elder, and cultural leader of the Diné (Navajo) Nation. Born in 1966 in Tuba City, Arizona, he is a member of the Tódích’íi’nii (Bitter Water) Clan and is internationally recognized for his contributions to Native American ceremonial arts and spiritual preservation.

Patrick Scott is best known for his mastery of ceremonial feather fans, sacred tools used in Native American Church (NAC) rituals, peyote ceremonies, and healing blessings. His work extends beyond artistic craftsmanship; each piece is created through prayer and intention and is understood to function as an intermediary between the human and spiritual worlds, offering protection, balance, and healing. In addition to feather fans, he also crafts gourd rattles, ceremonial staffs, and drumsticks, all made in accordance with traditional protocols.

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Patrick Scott is a prominent ceremonial artist, spiritual elder, and cultural leader of the Diné (Navajo) Nation. Born in 1966 in Tuba City, Arizona, he is a member of the Tódích’íi’nii (Bitter Water) Clan and is internationally recognized for his contributions to Native American ceremonial arts and spiritual preservation.

Patrick Scott is best known for his mastery of ceremonial feather fans, sacred tools used in Native American Church (NAC) rituals, peyote ceremonies, and healing blessings. His work extends beyond artistic craftsmanship; each piece is created through prayer and intention and is understood to function as an intermediary between the human and spiritual worlds, offering protection, balance, and healing. In addition to feather fans, he also crafts gourd rattles, ceremonial staffs, and drumsticks, all made in accordance with traditional protocols.

His ceremonial artworks are held in the permanent collections of major cultural institutions, including the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (Washington, D.C. and New York) and the Gilcrease Museum, reflecting the cultural and artistic significance of his work on an international level.

Beyond his artistic practice, Scott is a respected leader and advocate for Indigenous knowledge systems. He serves as one of the nine elders of the Aniwa Council, an international collective of Indigenous wisdom keepers committed to environmental protection, cultural continuity, and the preservation of ancestral teachings. Through this role, he has spoken publicly about threats to Diné lands and health, including the long-term impacts of abandoned uranium mines on Navajo communities.

In 2025, Patrick Scott faced a serious cancer diagnosis, prompting the Aniwa community to organize an urgent support appeal. By November 2025, it was reported that he had successfully completed a treatment program at a natural medicine facility in Arizona, which included hyperbaric oxygen therapy and a specialized nutritional protocol. These treatments resulted in notable improvements in his physical strength and energy.

As part of his ongoing recovery and service to his community, current efforts are focused on helping him acquire a home hyperbaric chamber. This resource is intended not only to support his continued healing but also to serve other Diné community members experiencing chronic or serious illness.