- Details
- By Shaun Griswold
In the poster for an upcoming concert, Jacob Shije is playing a vintage black-and-white 1960s Silvertone 1446 guitar, a symbol of the Santa Clara Pueblo musician’s love of blues legend Jimmie Vaughan.
Shije’s initials are on the body of the guitar in reflective letters, just like Vaughan's. The dark sunglasses and leather jacket he wears on stage are another tribute to the musical style that booms from the guitar whenever he plays with his band, The Jacob Shije Trio.
Artists who can blend the old into the new create multi-generational appeal. Shije does this on and off-stage, a big reason why he’s thrilled to perform in this upcoming show in Santa Fe on Feb. 26 with headliner Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers.
Farmer, a Cayuga Nation actor with roles in Smoke Signals and Reservation Dogs, embodies the heart of Native American love expressed through humor. The legendary performer is a catalyst for Shije’s latest non-music sidequests, which have the attention of thousands online: Valentine’s Day card meme creator.
Here’s how it started.
In 2025, Shije made a batch of digital Valentine cards with messages of love that reference specific Pueblo experiences he has had with friends and family.
The first one centers on two Pueblo people in traditional ceremonial dress. A man stands before a woman about to climb kiva steps. The text reads, “Will you be my Feast Day partner?” A nod to Pueblo ceremonial customs that resonated with Shije’s followers on social media.
“It started with one, and then I was like, OK, I'll do another. And then it just kind of kept growing,” Shije told Native News Online.
The others he made have popular Native American cultural references, both contemporary and modern, similar to his music. They include nods to Blue Bird flour, Rez cars, green chile, La Bamba, and Adam Beach. The meme featuring Farmer is one of the most shared and is also loved by the featured actor.
“I made it from Smoke Signals where he's like, ‘Who's your favorite Indian?’ And people send that out to people to be like, ‘Who's your favorite Indian? It's you,’” Shije said. “I love sharing from other movies that I grew up with, figuring out how to put those into it, but in a joking way for these memes.”
Native American traditional languages have singular and diverse ways to say “I love you.” Some of these include: Ayóó'ánííníshní (Navajo), Kenkamken (Yup’ik), Tecinḣinda (Dakota). While these are just some of the hundreds of phrases that translate, they are not monolithic, and not as widely used due to many factors tied to colonial systems. Humor is a universal response by Native people to colonial oppression. Forging kinship through teasing is at the heart of Native humor, and its evident through the memes Shije and others have designed to spread love to Native people online.
Taylor Bennett-Begaye (Diné), communications manager for arts advocacy organization Harness, shared digital Valentine’s Day cards made by the Navajo company Jak Tribal Clothing, with Native hearts in mind. The colorful messages include “Will Haul Woods 4 U,” “No Sonny Boys,” and “Chili Cheese Fries?”
“I share these memes because our shared Native humor is truly unmatched and at the end of the day, we’re all rooting for (Indigenous) love,” Bennett-Begaye said.
She shared her thoughts on what Shije has created and is excited that he now sells physical copies of the designs.
“They are elite cards from the humor to the solid designs,” she said. “ Wish I’d known sooner that you could order them. As a New Mexico girl born and raised, the NM-focused ones I fear would work on me.”
In that humor is love, and that’s where the intention becomes genuine for an artist like Shije, whether he’s rocking with blues legends or making memes that bring some light to social media feeds.
“I feel like everybody just needs to be loved and wants to be loved,” he said. ”Hopefully people read these cards and they're like, ‘oh, that's funny.’ And just forget about all the other nonsense that’s going on in their lives, hopefully it makes people laugh.”
Kristen Lilya contributed to this report.
More Stories Like This
Southwestern Association for Indian Arts Appoints New Board ChairArtesian Arts Festival Call for Artists
Q&A: Actor Kali Reis on Playing Cops, Jamming to Spice Girls, and Hiding Snack Wrappers from Wardrobe
Seminole Tribe Announces 2026 Tribal Fair and Pow Wow at Hard Rock Hollywood
Help us defend tribal sovereignty.
At Native News Online, our mission is rooted in telling the stories that strengthen sovereignty and uplift Indigenous voices — not just at year’s end, but every single day.
Because of your generosity last year, we were able to keep our reporters on the ground in tribal communities, at national gatherings and in the halls of Congress — covering the issues that matter most to Indian Country: sovereignty, culture, education, health and economic opportunity.
That support sustained us through a tough year in 2025. Now, as we look to the year ahead, we need your help right now to ensure warrior journalism remains strong — reporting that defends tribal sovereignty, amplifies Native truth, and holds power accountable.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Your support keeps Native voices heard, Native stories told and Native sovereignty defended.
Stand with Warrior Journalism today.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher