Stewart Billie spent his early years in the Navajo Nation, and moved away as a child. Learning the family trade from his father, he became a Navajo silversmith and tufa cast artist, traveling nationwide selling squash blossoms, bolo ties, and concho belts. He was 21 when he had his first son, Lestat Standing Bear, who remembers him being ‘the busiest guy that I knew” at that time.
His second son, Unity, was born in 2004. And when the boys were still young, Stewart became a single father. Realizing he needed to dedicate more time to his family, he moved his sons and father, Watson Billie, back to the family’s land in Nahodishgish, New Mexico.
As city kids, Lestat Standing Bear and Unity found the quiet of Nahodishgish difficult at first. And the area only got quieter in the spring of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Their school was shuttered, and activity on the reservation was suspended.
Looking to combat the palpable fear in the air, the family decided to start a heavy metal band. Stewart became the drummer, with Lestat as lead singer and guitarist, and Unity as bassist. They named their band Narbona, after a Diné Chief.
Stewart and Lestat came to StoryCorps to talk about their relationship, and how they started the band.
This broadcast is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Originally aired October 4, 2024 on NPR’s Morning Edition.