Hazel James is Diné adzaan, an Earth, Air, and Water Protector, a matriarch, her maternal clan is Zuni Edgewater People; Born for Black Streak through Wood People; Maternal Chei/grandfather is Big Water; Nali/Paternal grandfather is Salt People. Hazel is a proud mother of four, a nali-grandmother of five grandsons.

Her teachings come from Diné values, principles, and wisdom learned from her parents and grandparents by applying cultural protocols to carry out her work in using a Diné/Indigenous Lens to carry out a unique process, revitalizing Dine’ knowledge and language, to effect positive change centered on unity and healing. She is a community advocate and works with communities and families toward family wellness for decades. Currently, she coordinates a program founded in 2013, San Juan Collaborative for Health Equity, and newly Dine’ Centered Research and Evaluation.   The primary role is to collaborate with partners to integrate cultural teachings into food policy, health, and racial justice work using traditional knowledge, build communities’ capacities in facing environmental health impacts, Racial Justice community education, host indigenous youth planning and design summits to identify solutions for future generations.