Forty-three-year-old Akema (Ahkima) Honyumptewa is from the Hopi village of Hotevilla-Bacavi, Arizona. He is a descendant of the rattlesnake clan of Old Orayvi. An award-winning master weaver in Hopi textiles, Akema constantly expands his artistic abilities by learning new skills, such as using natural dyes to spin strings to make authentic Hopi textiles. He serves as a weaving instructor for his Hopi village. In addition, Akema creates paintings that he sells worldwide that show the beauty of the Hopi culture, dry farms, and recently began learning, from trial and error, how to build ancient houses. He also is a farmer who grows traditional Hopi foods like corn, beans, squash, watermelons, and gourds.

Recently, Akema was in a car crash on his reservation and ejected from the vehicle. After being airlifted to a hospital, he learned he had a spinal fracture and fractured ribs. The medical team and his family encouraged Akema to continue his care at Rehabilitation Hospital of Northern Arizona (RHNA).

Upon entering RHNA, Akema’s goals were to learn to walk again and return to his previous routines. After two weeks of intensive physical and occupational therapy at the hospital, Akema was able to walk out of the hospital using a cane.

“Throughout my treatments, the staff were kind, caring, and supportive,” Akema says. “They felt like friends. They helped me get good results, and I’m continuing to get stronger.”

Akema says he now looks forward to going home and plans to return to his art and gardening since it’s growing season. Recently, he donated a work of art to RHNA as a thank-you gift for the staff.