10/10/2026
🎶 Celebrating Yavapai-Apache Culture & Traditions
Students gathered at the Camp Verde Library to learn about the Yavapai-Apache people, their culture, and their deep connection to the Verde Valley through a presentation by Marley Juan, Yavapai Culture Manager, followed by a special performance of traditional bird songs.
Meet the individuals who shared their knowledge, experiences, and cultural traditions with the community:
Marley Juan – Yavapai Culture Manager
A lifelong resident of the Middle Verde Reservation, Marley manages the Yavapai Culture Department at the Nation’s Cultural Resource Center. A longtime advocate for her Tribe and community, she holds her cultural teachings close to her heart. Her heritage includes Wipukpaya and Tolkepaya on her mother’s side and Kwatsaan from Fort Yuma on her father’s side.
Ky’noe Honwytewa – Yavapai Culture Specialist
Raised in the Verde Valley and from the Wipukpaya people of Sedona, Ky’noe serves as a Yavapai Culture Specialist. Through traditional bird songs and dancing, Ky’noe works to preserve and revitalize cultural heritage and knowledge.
Ronald Juan – Singer
Originally from the Fort Yuma Quechan Reservation, Ronald has lived in the Verde Valley for more than 30 years. He comes from the Kwatsaan people of Yuma and has spent over a decade practicing and teaching bird singing to local youth through the Yavapai-Apache Nation.
Ethan Lewis-Beauty – Singer
Born in Cottonwood, Ethan comes from the Wipukpaya people of Sedona, Havasupai from the Grand Canyon, and San Carlos Apache. Having worked in several areas within the Nation, he has been practicing and singing traditional bird songs for nearly a decade.
Adali Gante-Salazar – Singer
Born in San Diego and raised primarily in the Phoenix area, Adali comes from a family with roots in Guerrero and Tamaulipas, Mexico, and has lived in the Verde Valley for approximately five years. Adali is employed with the Yavapai-Apache Nation and has been practicing bird singing for three years.
The bird songs shared during the performance have been passed down through generations and learned through Native language. The singers also shared the dedication required to learn these traditions, especially given the history of previous generations being prohibited from openly practicing their songs and language.
Thank you to Marley, Ky’noe, Ronald, Ethan, and Adali for sharing their knowledge, experiences, and traditions with students and the community. Their work helps preserve cultural knowledge and pass these important traditions on to future generations. ❤️
Yavapai Apache Nation
