ZUNI, N.M. (Jan. 30, 2026) — The Zuni Youth Enrichment Project and its partners at Ho’n A:wan Productions will bring traditional Zuni storytelling to the stage this month through the 8th annual Delapna:we Project. Community performances will take place at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, and 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15, at the new Zuni Fair Building.
Ho’n A:wan Productions is a collaboration of Zuni community members who are dedicated to preserving and elevating Zuni language and culture through the performing arts. This year, they will present the story “Turkey Girl.”
As always, it will be a shared cultural experience rooted in language, values and intergenerational learning for Zuni youth and families. This innovative project is made possible with support from the First Nations Development Institute, U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and New Mexico Behavioral Health Services Division.
This year’s production opens in a present-day Zuni household, where a middle school student named E’tsana is encouraged to wear traditional clothing for a presentation — but she doesn’t have anything that fits, and she is being bullied at school for her appearance. That contemporary family story transitions into the traditional tale of Turkey Girl, who wants to attend a dance but doesn’t have regalia.
“This is our version of the Cinderella story,” said Kiara “Kiki” Zunie, ZYEP’s youth development coordinator. “Although Ho’n A:wan Productions made ‘Turkey Girl’ into a film in 2023, it hasn’t been performed live on stage yet, and it holds topics the leaders feel strongly about. That’s why it was chosen for 2026.”
The script spans approximately 30 pages. While it is shorter than previous productions, it incorporates important lessons around language use, familial relationships and experiences that the audience will likely find relatable.
Rani Yamutewa, ZYEP’s youth development leader, noted that those who have been watching Delapna:we Project performances since the beginning can expect the unexpected this year.
“They’ll hear more Shiwi’ma and see cast members in roles outside their norm,” she explained. “They’ll also experience a celebration of self-confidence, positive support systems, and most importantly, laughter.”
According to Zunie, longtime viewers will delight in the return of familiar characters as well — including the much-loved rabbit minions from last season.
The Delapna:we season officially kicked off with auditions for 26 participants, ages 6 to 57, on Jan. 7 at ZYEP. Everyone who auditioned received a role, and all but three are returning cast members.
Rehearsals began Jan. 11 and will continue through showtime, with cast and crew meeting on Sunday mornings and Monday evenings to practice language, movement and storytelling. This year’s project leaders are Keith Edaakie, Curtis Quam, Coleen Vicenti, Norene Lonasee, Diana Kostelecky, Carle Eustace, Leanne Lee and Ryann Cornelius.
Also last month, more than 50 participants and their family members gathered for the annual Delapna:we Family Night on Jan. 14, which included Zuni language games, cultural education and a shared meal prepared by ZYEP’s Food Sovereignty team. Families enjoyed Three Sisters bison stew, oven-baked bread, wheatberry salad with prickly pear vinaigrette, and sweet blue corn tamales for dessert.
“We played a Zuni language brain-buster game, and we shared a video flashback of the first production so our youth could see how far they’ve come,” Yamutewa said of the evening’s festivities. “We also included a tribute to the late Henry Natewa, the original storyteller whose work helped inspire this project’s beginnings.”
In addition to the live performances, ZYEP is re-airing Delapna:we productions from previous years on its YouTube channel (@ZuniYouth) each Thursday at 7 p.m. Mountain time. These re-airings will remain available through the conclusion of the 2026 storytelling season:
- Jan. 15: “History of Delapna:we,” “Coyote & Badger,” “Rabbit Praying for Snow” (2018)
- Jan. 22: “Coyote Tales” (2021)
- Jan. 29: “Turkey Girl – The Movie” (2022)
- Feb. 5: “Shumak’olo:wa – The Movie” (2023)
- Feb. 12: Repeat of Jan. 15 showing
These stories are priceless treasures for the Zuni people. After being shared and passed down for generations, they were in danger of being lost by the mid-20th century. Fortunately, the Doris Duke Foundation in New York provided necessary funding in the 1960s so the Zuni community could record 19 elders sharing more than 800 stories.
Afterward, the recordings were housed at the Library of Congress. With support from Washington, D.C., Zuni leaders brought them back to Zuni Pueblo.
Cultural educator Curtis Quam, curator of the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center in Zuni, digitized nearly 400 hours of those archived stories. He approached ZYEP in 2018 to see if there might be a way to bring the stories to life through the performing arts.
And so the Delapna:we Project was born. Today, it plays a vital role in bridging the learning gap between the elders of 60 years ago and today’s Zuni youth.
To learn more about the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project and its programs, and for information about making donations, partnering with ZYEP, and volunteering, call (505) 782-8000 or visit zyep.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest news and events, follow the nonprofit youth organization on Facebook (/zuniyouthenrichmentproject), Instagram (@zuniyouthenrichmentproject), YouTube (/ZuniYouth), and TikTok (/zyep09).
Founded in 2009, the nonprofit Zuni Youth Enrichment Project is dedicated to promoting resilience among Zuni youth so they will grow into strong, healthy adults who are connected with Zuni traditions. ZYEP fulfills its mission by providing positive role models, enriching programs, and nurturing spaces that contribute to the healthy development of Zuni youth. ZYEP strives to provide every child with the encouragement and opportunities they need to reach their full potential.
