Finding Inspiration in Every Turn

Artist • Entrepreneur • Cultural Contributor • Music Producer​

Welcome to iJetta — where art, heritage, family, and creativity come together.

My name is Jetta Martineau. I am an artist, entrepreneur, cultural contributor, and the founder of iJetta. My life has been shaped by my Southern Paiute heritage, my family’s history, my involvement in the arts, and my passion for preserving meaningful stories.

As an enrolled member of the Shivwits Band of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, I take pride in my heritage and the generations of knowledge, traditions, and experiences that have shaped my family. My story is connected to cultural preservation, artistic expression, music, dance, and the importance of passing knowledge to future generations.

My Father: LaVan Martineau and His Legacy

My father, LaVan Martineau, devoted decades of his life to documenting Indigenous history, studying ancient rock writings, and preserving cultural knowledge. His book, The Rocks Begin to Speak, published in 1973, and his later book, The Southern Paiutes: Legends, Lore, Language, and Lineage, published in 1992, reflect his dedication to documenting history, traditions, and knowledge passed down through generations.

My connection to his work goes beyond being his daughter. I contributed artwork to his book The Southern Paiutes: Legends, Lore, Language, and Lineage and helped preserve his life's work through, digitizing photographs and documents, and transcribing and editing handwritten notes.

Working with these materials meant helping protect more than old papers and photographs. They represented years of research, family memories, historical information, and cultural knowledge that deserved to be preserved and made accessible to future generations.

I am proud to have played a part in carrying my father's work forward. Preserving his legacy is one of the meaningful contributions I have made to my family's history and to the continued sharing of cultural knowledge.

Learn more about his work through the LaVan Martineau Archives and the Utah Tech University Special Collections and Archives.

Don Crowley: A Family Connection to Western Art

One of the most memorable parts of my life was being a model for the celebrated Western artist Don Crowley.

Beginning when I was about twelve years old, I sat for Crowley as he created paintings inspired by my family and our lives. My sister and I returned to his studio over the years, and he also painted members of my family, including my husband, Randy Wood, and our children.

Crowley was known for his highly detailed Western paintings, portraits, landscapes, and depictions of Indigenous people. He was inducted into the Cowboy Artists of America in 1994 and became recognized for his meticulous artistic style.

My experience as his model was about more than sitting for a painting. It became a lasting connection between an artist and the family whose images helped inspire his work. Photographs, portraits, and personal memories preserved moments from our lives and became part of a wider artistic history.

In later years, the return of our family’s regalia was especially meaningful. It felt like receiving a piece of our own history back and honoring the relationship that had developed between Crowley and our family.

His paintings remain a lasting reminder that art can preserve faces, experiences, and family stories across generations.

I shared more of this personal experience in my article, “A Life in Brushstrokes: My Journey as Don Crowley’s Model”.

My Husband: Randy Wood and the Power of Music

My husband, Randy Wood and I are currently separated, but we are still married. Randy is a singer and drummer known for his work with Northern Cree Singers and for his contributions to Indigenous round-dance music.

Music has been another important part of our family’s creative journey. Randy’s recordings celebrate the rhythms, songs, and traditions that bring people together through music.

My involvement in his musical work includes production and creative collaboration. Music credits identify me as a co-producer on Randy Wood’s recording Round Dance with Me, including the song “The Grey Wolf.”

Being involved in music has allowed me to contribute to a different form of artistic expression. Just as a handmade creation or a painting can carry a story, music can preserve emotion, memory, identity, and cultural connection.

I am proud of the creative journey we have shared and the ways our work connects art, family, and heritage.

Explore Randy’s music through his artist profile at Indians Like Us and his Apple Music catalog.

My Creative Business: iJetta

As the founder of iJetta, I bring my creative vision to life through handcrafted beadwork, medallions, handbags, and other distinctive creations.

My work reflects my appreciation for craftsmanship, artistic expression, and the meaningful connections between culture and creativity.

Every handmade piece takes time, patience, and care. Through iJetta, I share creations that express individuality and invite others to appreciate the beauty of handmade art.

My creative work is part of a larger story—one shaped by my family, my experiences, and the cultural knowledge that has influenced my life.

Visit iJetta to explore my work.

Tribal Leadership, Community, and Cultural Education

My experiences also include tribal leadership, community affairs, and cultural education involving the Shivwits Band of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah.

Public records have documented my service in tribal leadership roles, including chairwoman and vice chairwoman. These experiences involved representing community interests and participating in discussions concerning tribal affairs, government consultation, and economic development.

My name has also appeared among contributors to educational materials relating to Southern Paiute culture and the Grand Canyon–Parashant region.

These experiences reflect my commitment to community, cultural knowledge, and the importance of preserving our history. I believe that understanding the past helps us make meaningful contributions to the present while protecting opportunities for future generations.

Dance, Music, Art, and Family

My life has included many forms of creative expression. From participating in powwow culture and women's fancy dance to modeling for a respected Western artist, contributing to music production, and building my own creative business, each experience has added another chapter to my story.

My family's journey connects artistic expression with cultural preservation. My father's historical research, Don Crowley's paintings, Randy's music, and my own creative work each represent different ways that stories can be shared and remembered.

Together, these connections remind me that our history is not only found in books or museums. It lives in our families, our traditions, our songs, our artwork, and the knowledge we pass forward.

My Purpose and Legacy

I am proud of the life experiences that have shaped me and the family whose work continues to inspire me.

Through iJetta, I hope to share my creativity and celebrate the value of handmade art. Through my family's history, I recognize the importance of cultural knowledge and preserving the stories of those who came before us. Through music, dance, and community involvement, I continue to appreciate the many ways people express identity and connection.

My story is still being written. It is a story of family, culture, creativity, perseverance, and the belief that every generation has something valuable to contribute.

Thank you for visiting iJetta and taking the time to learn about my journey.

Jetta Wood Martineau
 

Founder of iJetta | Artist | Entrepreneur | Cultural Contributor | Music Producer