Vee F. Browne

Author

Vee F. Browne

Vee F. Browne is from Cottonwood, Arizona and is a member of the Navajo Nation. She belongs to the Bitter Water and Water Flows Together Clans. She is an educator, writer, poet, and test administrator. She has experience in journalism, as a grant writer, and also as an Arizona Interscholastic Athletics Association volleyball and basketball referee.

An award-winning author, Vee has received much acclaim for her children’s books, including Monster Slater, winner of the Western Heritage Award, and Monster Bird, winner of the Rounce and Coffin Club – Los Angeles 1994 Western Books Award of Merit.

Her other books include Marita Tallchief (1993), The Owl (1993), Blue Dawn, Red Earth ( 1996), and Sister Nation (2002), an anthology published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press.

Books by Vee F. Browne

The Stone Cutter and the Navajo Maiden

The story, written in Navajo and English, follows the journey of Cinnibah, a young Navajo maiden who lives in the deep Dinétah. She looks after her widowed father, and every day she grinds corn into flour to make their bread. To do so, she uses an ancient grinding stone that has been passed down in her family for generations. When Cinnibah accidentally shatters the metate, she sets out on a journey to find someone who can help her mend the stone. Her quest brings her to a Moccasin Maker, a Potter, and, finally, the mysterious Stone Cutter. Will he be willing to help her?

A story about loss and recovery, with strong ties to family and community, The Stone Cutter and the Navajo Maiden is an excellent early reader for both Navajo children and school children in need of learning more about Navajo culture.