DINE (NAVAJO) WEAVING

According to lore, it was Spider Woman, a powerful protector of the Dine (Navajo) people, who gave them the gift of fine weaving. It was a valuable gift indeed, for today Navajo weavings are highly prized for their quality and artistry. Many Navajo men and women, living on the vast reservation, depend upon weaving for their income.

Spanish settlers brought the small, sturdy churro sheep to New Mexico when they began colonizing parts of the region in the late 1500s. Churro wool is exceptionally long and silky and Navajo weavers quickly learned to make the most of its fiber. At first, weavings were mostly utilitarian—blankets and saddle blankets. But the owners of trading posts on the reservations sensed the marketability of rugs and showed weavers how to make them.

The oldest patterns of Navajo weaving are based on the landscape and on the rich stories of their history and spiritual life. Trading post owners showed weavers examples of Oriental rugs, and soon elements of those designs became incorporated. Today, many weavers work within traditional designs, but others create their own stories. Colors sometimes come from the shade of the wool itself. Weavers also use vegetal dyes in soft tones made from boiling native plants. The use of commercial analine dyes dates from the days of the trading posts and is considered authentic. They are used to produce the bright colors in many Navajo textiles.

The main regional styles include:

Two Grey Hills-central diamond motif in blacks, browns, and greys
Crystal and Wide Ruins-banded patterns, usually in vegetal dyes
Burntwater-central design with border, usually vegetal dyes
Storm Pattern-squares representing sacred mountains in the corners, pattern tells a story
Teec Nos Pos-intricate patterns influenced by Oriental rugs
Ganado Red-deep red color requires the use of commercial dye
Yei and Yei-be-chai-figures represent spiritual beings with healing powers
Blanket Revival-contemporary weavings using classic blanket patterns