History of Navajo Weaving

Brief History of Navajo Weaving

March 11, 2004

The history of Navajo weaving begins not with the Navajo people themselves, but with the Pueblo Indians. Anthropologists hypothesize that the nomadic Navajo, or T'aa dine' as they are called in their own language, moved into the territory that is now New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado some six to seven centuries ago. There they lived in harmony with the Anasazi but remained nomadic. The Navajo did have settlements, however, and it was here that they learned how to weave from the neighboring Pueblo people. The Navajo women, who became the nation's weavers, soon made the art form their own, expanding the range of patterns by skipping over threads in the weft. Thus they were able to create angles that yielded patterns, rather than simply striped bands of color made by the Pueblo. Using this new technique, they were able to weave symbols of their legends and religion into their textiles.

The Navajo have no word for "art," and their weavings initially served a very practical purpose. They were blankets, worn for warmth and protection from the weather, and they became an important item for trade with the Pueblo and Plains Indians. In 1844, Santa Fe traveler Josiah Gregg reported "a singular species of blanket, known as the Serape Navajo which is of so close and dense a texture that it will frequently hold water almost equal to gum-elastic cloth. It is therefore highly prized for protection against the rains."

The reason the Navajo were able to produce such finely woven, water repellant textiles had everything to do with the particular breed of sheep from which they produced their yarns. These were Churro sheep, a breed that the Spanish had imported into the Southwest during the 1500s. These small, hardy animals could survive in the harsh desert environment, and their fleece was long and hairy, and did not contain much grease. Thus it was ideal for hand carding and spinning into fine, strong fibers that could be tightly woven.

As Easterners explored and settled the West, tensions arose, and in 1863, the Navajo way of life changed. The Navajo lands were rumored to be laden with gold, and the U.S. government was intent on acquiring the precious metal. Colonel Kit Carson of the U.S. Cavalry was charged with eliminating the "Navajo threat." This he did with a vengeance, torching crops, orchards and homes, and slaughtering sheep and horses. Faced with starvation, the Navajos surrendered, and some 8000 - more than half of their entire population - were forced to take the 350-mile "Long Walk" to Fort Sumner, New Mexico. After five bleak years during which about one fourth of these people died, the government entered into a new treaty, and in 1868 allowed the Navajo to go back to their homeland.

When they returned to their scorched land, they found that their Churro sheep were nearly wiped out. The government supplied new sheep, with the intention of providing meat. The new sheep were indeed a good food source, but their fleece was very different from the little Churros, even after they were cross bred. The "staple" of their coat was short and kinky, and the wool was very greasy. The yarns produced from this were not as strong and fine and did not absorb the dyes evenly. Thus, the Navajo yarns became thicker, rugs heavier, and the colors less predictable.

By now, the West was opening up to Easterners and to long-distance commerce, and by the 1880s, trading posts were established. Through these, needed items arrived in the West and unique western goods - such as the Navajo textiles - were shipped back East. Among these traders were several who promoted Navajo rugs to Eastern customers and heavily influenced the designs, the purpose, and the very fibers from which they were made. One such trader was John Lorenzo Hubble, who established the Hubble Trading Post. He wanted to revive Navajo weaving as it had been in the 1860s. But he also saw that Easterners would use the weavings as rugs on the floor, rather than garments. Thus he encouraged the Navajo to create a heavier weave. He also had paintings made so that his Eastern customers could see the designs they were buying; at the same time, he had the painters create designs which incorporated motifs from the popular Oriental carpets that many Easterners owned. Thus, influences from Persia, Turkey and China crept into Navajo weavings, side by side with those of the Pueblo, the Spanish and other cultures with which the Navajo had had contact.

Hubble also sent raw wool back East to have it cleaned, so that the Navajo weavers could work with better yarns. He and his fellow traders introduced aniline dyes to supplement or replace the traditional plant dyes, resulting in brighter colors. They also began sending the weavers ready-made yarn so they could produce rugs faster and keep up with the growing demand. By about 1900, these traders were arranging for Navajo weavers and silversmiths to travel to places as far away as Chicago and San Francisco to do demonstrations for their European-American audiences and customers. At the same time, trains brought Eastern tourists to Navajo reservations, where they bought rugs as souvenirs.

Styles of Rugs
Over the next century, as Navajo weaving grew in popularity and buyers exercised more influence, new colors and styles emerged to adapt to customers' tastes. At the same time, however, each region of the widespread Navajo reservation developed its own distinct styles. As a result, some rugs are known by the name of the community.
- For instance, a Ganado rug, from Ganado, Arizona, is known for its bordered classic style, geometric elements and red background.
- Teec Nos Pos, which means "cottonwoods in a circle", is a settlement in the northeast corner of the Navajo nation. Rugs in the Teec Nos Pos style are characterized by bold, elaborate designs that many believe were influenced by pictures of Persian rugs. An elaborate center is often enhanced with stylized symbols such as feathers and arrows, and sharp, angular designs are woven in bright colors.
- Two Gray Hills rugs are woven of natural, undyed, handspun wool in whites, blacks and browns. Subtlety is created by carding together various shades of these colors. Borders with "spirit lines" characterize these rugs, symbolic of the weaver's desire to release her creative energies back into the universe so that her spirit will not be trapped within the rug.
- Crystal rugs originated in an area just north of Window Rock, Arizona. This style is based on bands of color with a wavy line effect produced by alternating two or three different colors in the strands of the weft. These bands often incorporate complex patterns, such as squash blossoms, arrows, stars, crosses, triangles, bear paws, or diamonds.

Still other styles are named after different influences.
- Chief weavings are based on textiles believed to be the finest and most expensive of the early Navajo blankets. These were presented as gifts to the chiefs and high -status members of other nations, or were traded for important and expensive items. Originally, these were extremely soft and tightly woven. Now, whether or not the Chief rugs are of such fine quality, the distinctive designs are what give them their name. Although these patterns have changed over time, they are generally characterized by strong, simple design elements such as crosses, triangles and stripes.
- Popular Germantown rugs are named for the brilliantly colored three- and four-ply yarns shipped in from mills in Germantown, Pennsylvania. These feature bold geometric patterns, and one variety known as Eye Dazzlers became popular for the use of brilliant reds, greens, yellows and blues.
- Pictorial carpets, as the name suggests, depict many specific symbols, often complex, including representations of people and gods as well as other figures. Several different elements were generally repeated throughout the overall design of the rug.
- Sand painting carpets borrow their designs from this art form, often depicting figures representing people and gods as well as other symbols.

Rockwell Museum of Western Art Collection of Navajo Textiles
The permanent collection of the Rockwell Museum of Western Art includes numerous examples of Navajo textiles, including most of the major styles. The earliest are Germantown rugs dating from the 1880s, and represent every decade up through the 1970s. Most were made by Navajo women whose names were never recorded. A few of the more recent weavings are identified by the name of the individual artist.

These textiles, like many of the paintings and sculptures in the Rockwell Museum, were donated by founding donors Robert F. Rockwell, Jr. and his wife Hertha, and by their children, Robert F. (Bobby) Rockwell, III and Sandra Rockwell Herron.

A Distinctive Approach and an Authentic Western Experience
The Rockwell Museum of Western Art owns one of the largest and finest collections of Western and Native American art in the United States. All of the Rockwell Museum's exhibits and services - galleries, events, art packs, Trading Post, and the adjacent Cantina - reflect the people, places, and ideas of the West, immersing visitors in an authentic Western experience.

The Rockwell Museum puts equal emphasis on creating a stimulating and enjoyable experience and displaying art. Galleries and exhibits offer new ways to see and think about the West. The old and the new, placed side-by-side, inspire comparison and curiosity. Special programs make art and the many facets of American culture come alive for visitors.

Through its rotating exhibits, the Rockwell Museum of Western Art ensures that there is always something new for the public to see and enjoys. Special exhibitions such as the Navajo Weavings are mounted several times each year, often drawing from the museum's permanent collection of over 1100 works of art.