Joanne Blackwater

Joanne was born Elousie Teller on the Navajo reservation & was a full blood Navajo. She had her name changed legally to Joanne Teller as she was dissatisfied with Elousie. She was primarily a Del Muerto canyon Navajo girl. In meeting Norman L. Blackwater, Jo's spiritual power & knowledge ascension began with write up in her book on her spiritual experiences, The Navajo Skinwalker, Witchcraft, & Related Phenomena. Contact was made with Joanne from the Navajo Nation Film Office on a TV film segment that was to be filmed by director Phil Tuckett with a contract from TNT. Jo's part in the hour long video is to depict a Navajo medicine woman praying against "evil" forces in a 1950's traditional Navajo woman's garb. What is not known is, at the time of the first shooting with the Shiprock geologic structure in the background, 2 Navajo Holy People appeared that only Jo could see. This account is in my newest work tying numerous related, but not linked then, spiritual events on & off the Navajo reservation plus a greater background from current relevant spiritual research. The location of Jo's praying segment is just over the Chuska mountain range from her familial home-site in Del Muerto, AZ, 60 miles away. The initial questions to the Navajo Nation Film Office to, why recommend us?, was answered in a funny uneasy manner denoting some fear of the subject & our book, The Navajo Skinwalker, Witchcraft, & Related Phenomena seemed to fit Tuckett's video outline. We initially refused to do the shoot due to script disagreements on depictions & erroneous ideas of this native power way. But, talk, kiss & re-write actions prevailed & the Jo did the shoot.