The story begins in 1965 when six-year-old Jay witnesses his mother’s affair and breakdown after his father’s military deployment. After their divorce, he moves to the Navajo Reservation in Arizona with his mother and stepfather. From 1967–1971, labeled “bilagáana,” Jay faces bullying, abuse, and dreams of returning to his father while finding belonging in Navajo culture.
From 1967 to 1971, Jay is a “bilagáana,” the Navajo term for white boy, to his new friends and bullies alike on the reservation. As the chapters unfold, the memoir shifts seamlessly from personal stories about Jay trying to avoid his stepfather’s abuse and pending adoption as he dreams of moving back to live with his single father. Jay escapes to the hills around Window Rock and becomes involved in local activities with his new Navajo friends. His neighbors, the Begay’s, welcome and immerse him in Navajo culture and visits to their elders at their remote Hogan, while the Jackson family teaches Jay to become a real cowboy on a Navajo ranch. As Jay searches for a purpose and attempts to find a path back to his father, he knows that he will have to grow up fast on the reservation.
If you wish to read the book prior to the event, please select the links below:
Website: jayjonesauthor.com
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Bilag%C3%A1ana-Boy-among-Navajo/dp/B0F2399XW2/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-bilagaana-boy-among-the-navajo-jay-jones/1147131299?ean=9798350992182
Jay Jones is the author of the book, A Bilagáana Boy among the Navajo, a true story chronicling his four years living as a young boy on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Window Rock, Arizona. Born in Tachikawa, Japan to two Air Force veterans, Jones lived across the United States before joining the Marine Corps at 17 and served four duty stations before receiving an honorable discharge. Over a diverse career spanning hospitality, security, retail, photography, entertainment, finance and more, he earned his degree in Business Management and retired as a Chartered Financial Consultant. He lives at Dove Mountain near Tucson, Arizona.
