Native American Information
Impact of Native American Culture on Our Household Furnishings & Arts
�Typically, no matter where one lives, we can find influences of our general area.� This fact is as true in the Southwest.� All we have to do is go down the street to the local drug store, grocery store, landscape supplier, or motel/hotel lobby, and we will find distinct influences of our vicinity.� It's not unusual to find arts and crafts hand made by Native Americans in any of these stores.

And, in addition to these, we also have a large selection of specialty shops dealing with the sale of these items, ranging from jewelry, to rugs, to artwork for the wall or shelf, to decorative or usable pottery.� The following rug is an example of the type of hand-woven Native American rug one finds in our vicinity.��

Photo Credit:� Navajo Rugs of Hubbell Trading Post� **

Because of it's historical background and significance, the Hubbell Trading Post is a National Historic Site.� Their link also has a map of Navajo Country in the northeastern corner of Arizona, information on the weavers, descriptions of how the weaving is done, and more.� So be sure to check this link out for the information they have available on their site.

Another example of the variety we have to select from can be seen in the following picture.

Photo Credit:
Classic and Contemporary Amerind Art� **

It's quite typical to walk into a small shop with a wall-to-ceiling display of rugs similar to these.� To learn more about weaving, please visit the above two sites, as well as others listed below or on my Native American links page.� When visiting the second site above, Amerind Art, be sure to go to the pages he has listed on the left side of his opening page--each topic describes the region and describes the type of rugs and/or crafts produced by that region.� (An indepth discussion concerning the history of Navajo rugs is located at the bottom of this page.)

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�Okay, so you've shopped for something to cover your floors.� What about the walls?� Again, there are a number of shops in our area that have a huge selection of all sorts of framed art.� We can choose between paintings, etchings, sand painting (samples below), etc.� The most predominant theme here, of course, is Native American or Southwestern or Spanish.� Typically, Native American artists will describe the topic of their artwork.� For example, the below right picture is titled "Corn Mother," created by a Navajo artist. Another example is one that we have on our wall, which depicts the four seasons.� If you look closely, these pictures have a story to tell about the culture, beliefs and/or history of the Native American people.

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Credits (both pictures):� Cristof's **

Another example of Native American sandpainting is this following picture.� One thing you should have noticed by now is the importance of color used to help portray the "message" of the artwork.
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Sand Painting of
Four Sacred Plants Used in Indian Ceremonies
Credit:� Redchief�� **

Well, now it's time for a question.� Have you been noticing the background that's used for this section?� Do you know what's depicted?� Well, here's a hint:� it has something to do with sleeping.� Got it yet?� Okay, here's the answer:� the background is made up of "dream catchers."� Basically, the dream catcher is one of the most beautiful in Native American mythology.� It is believed to have originated with the Oneida Indians in the northeastern part of the United States.

A dream catcher was usually place above an infant's cradleboard.� The web of a dream catcher would filter all the dreams and let only the good dreams flow through the open circle.� The dream catcher was kept throughout life and its power enhanced the fetishes and personal belongings.� I've included two examples below so that you can see them in more detail.

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Credits:
Dreamcatcher (left) & (right) **

The final example I'll present is what we would consider "normal" and necessary for all homes--that is, the lamp.� As you can see, the influence of the Native American culture is depicted throughout many items, which.� It's not unusual to visit homes in this area that are totally immersed in the culture of our area.� In other words, they are entirely decorated using all of these examples, plus those covered on all of these pages, as well as paint, lines and furniture, to reflect this influence.

Indian End of the Trail lamp
Credit **

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Navajo Rugs
" The Navajo

The Navajo, who call themselves "the Dineh" (the People), are the most numerous of the American tribes, numbering around 260,000. The Navajo reservation is the largest in the United States, covering over 17,000,000 acres. The reservation is located primarily in Northern Arizona, with portions in Utah and New Mexico. The major north-south routes going through the reservation are US 666, US 191, and US 160. I-40 runs east-west just South of the reservation. The reservation holds some of the most spectacular geographic features of the Southwest.

Coming from a nomadic stock, the Navajo established no communities as they settled in the Southwest. Unlike the Pueblo Indians, they scattered their semi-permanent dwellings (hogans) over the entire territory. They gradually became more agrarian as they hunted, raised sheep, goats and horses, and began to cultivate corn and cotton. Through periods of great conflict, famine, and isolation, the Navajo people have maintained a high degree of independence, adaptability, and strength. Nowhere does their ingenuity and adaptability show more than in their artistic craftsmanship. The Navajo have become� world-renowned for their rug weaving, their silver work, and their sand-paintings.

About Navajo Rugs

Navajo weaving probably started soon after the Pueblo Rebellion in 1680. Since 1100 A.D, the Pueblo people had been raising cotton and weaving it into clothing
on upright looms. Sheep arrived with the Spanish more than 400 years later. The o?pressive Spanish rule brought about a revolt and the Pueblo people sought
asylum among Navajo groups. The weaving process may have been introduced to the Navajo at that time. By the early 1800s, the Navajo were widely recognized to
be among the finest of weavers. At the present time, Navajo rugs are recognized world-wide for their beauty and durability.

In traditional hand-spun weaving, many hours of work would be involved. After the wool is clipped from the sheep, it has to be cleaned, carded, spun, washed,
dyed and re-spun. The loom must be set up and strung before weaving can begin... and then the rug is woven. A rug of very average quality would take in excess of 300 hours and a finely woven piece much more. Even the most expensive rugs would rarely provide a minimum wage. Because the yarn preparation is so time consuming, commercially spun wool is used more and more by the Navajo weavers.

While many designs are used throughout the reservation and not all weavers choose to adhere to the patterns associated with their locales, Navajo weavings are
generally identified with definite areas and called by the names of those areas and their trading posts.

Types of Navajo Rugs

Following is a list of the major types of rug patterns. When a rug design from a specific region is not named after that area or its trading post, then the region is indicated in parentheses. Types woven throughout the reservation are indicated as "no specific area".

���� --Burnt Water...intricate geometric designs, bordered, mostly commercial vegetal dye yarns
���� --Chinle...primarily vegetal dyes, borderless with terraced designs and squash blossoms in wide bands
���� --Crystal...borderless, all vegetal earth tones, browns, beiges, golds, oranges in horizontal stripes and bands
���� --Four-in-One (no specific area)...rarely done, four separate designs within a border
���� --Gallup Throw (no specific area)...borderless runner with simple stripes or chevrons, sometimes a yei figure; usually with cotton warp
���� --Ganado...red as background with black, white and gray geometric designs
���� --Klagetoh...mostly gray as background with red, black and white geometrics; often more complex in pattern than the Ganado rugs
���� --New Lands (from Sanders)...soft colored commercial vegetal-dyed yarns, with intricate designs like Teec Nos Pos
���� --Pictorial (no specific area)...woven scenes with figures of animals, humans,perhaps trucks, fences, trains, etc; usually quite colorful
���� --Raised Outline (from Coal Mine Mesa)...raised design on one of the surfaces
���� --Saddle Blankets (no specific area)...unbordered, usually simple stripes or bands
���� --Sandpainting (no specific area)...rugs with sandpainting designs, usually unbordered
���� --Storm pattern (from West portion: Gap, Tuba City, Shonto, Tonalea)...bordered, symmetrical, gray, white, red, black, with lightning symbols and rectangular figure in center with lines to the four corners
���� --Teec Nos Pos...highly intricate design, bright colors, designed border
���� --Twilled Weave (no specific area)...plain, diamond, or herringbone twill design
���� --Two-Face (no specific area)...rugs with different designs on either side
���� --Two Gray Hills...natural colors (black added), bordered, geometric with center focus
���� --Wide Ruins...soft pastel vegetal dyes, borderless, with stripes and bands and usually hand spun; Pine Springs rugs are Wide Ruins with more green tones
���� --Yei or Yei-Be-Che (from Shiprock, Lukachukai)...colorful rugs with yei figures or the Navajo Ye-be-che dancers
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Historical Periods in Navajo Rug Weaving

Classic Period (1650-1868)

The early weavings, made of wool, were used as wearing blankets. Designs were simple bands and stripes, diamond type patterns, and diagonals. The brown and
white natural colors of the sheep were used and later the indigo blue dye and the red from bayeta cloth (aka baize). Chief style blankets developed during this
classic period, woven with wide horizontal stripes. (The origin of the name "chiefs blankets" is unknown as the Navajo did not have tribal chiefs.)

Transitional Period (1869-1890)

During the period 1863 to 1868, the U.S. government kept the Navajo people in captivity at Bosque Redondo in eastern New Mexico. When they returned to their
home lands in 1868, the sheep had been destroyed and the lands overgrown. With little raw material for making wool blankets, they used the western style clothing of government issue. Commercial yarns such as the germantown yarns with bright chemical dyes found their way to the Navajo weavers. Designs moved towards
bright, dazzling patterns and there tended to be a decline in the craft during this period.

Rug Period (1890-1930)

As trading posts became established on the reservation, new materials as well as new markets were developed for Navajo rugs. The traders supplied Pendleton blankets for the Navajo and their weavings moved from the wearing blankets to floor rugs. They returned to hand-spun wool. New commercial dyes were used and new styles developed. Bordered rugs became predominant. A broad market was reached through the use of mail-order catalogues. With the advent of the
railroad, more and more tourists were coming to the Southwest and the Fred Harvey hotel and restaurant chain hired Indian craftspeople for demonstrations at
various train stops. In the early 1900's, the French Rambouillet sheep were introduced to the reservation and their wool was very difficult to clean, card, spin, and weave. As a result, the weaving moved into another serious decline and standards deteriorated.

Revival Period (1930-1940)

With the encouragement of benefactors and reservation traders, there developed a gradual regionalism in weaving. Old vegetal-dye methods were used again as were much-improved soft colored commercial dyes. There was a return to the more simple pastel shades, using stripes and bands without borders. The Chinle and
Wide Ruins styles were created during this period.

Regional Period (1940-present)

Styles associated with locations on the reservation became increasingly recognized. Standards of quality and versatility have remained high during this regional period with new levels of artistry and innovation being achieved. In this last 50 years, there have been times of decline in the numbers of active weavers. The time involved in weaving, with all of its preparation, forced some weavers to seek other employment. The prevalence of commercial yarn and processed wool in a wide range of colors during the past decade has brought an increase in the number of weavers and has allowed the expansion of elaborate design and excellent quality."

Credit for the above discussion on rugs:
������� http://www.potcarrier.com **

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**DISCLAIMER:� In no way do we endorse, promote, or advertise for the businesses referenced on our pages in this Native American section.� They are only offered as links because of a wealth of information contained on them concerning various aspects of the culture and history of the Native Americans, and to give credit for the pictures/passages used herein for educational purposes.� Again, we are not endorsing, promoting, or advertising for any of these companies.� They may be/probably are reputable businesses and this statement in no way should be deemed as either a negative or positive vote for them.

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