The Navajo People

1
A Brief Introduction To The Navajo Rug
2
This flock of sheep provided wool for making rugs.
Description by Edward S. Curtis The Navaho might
as well be called the "Keepers of Flocks". Their
sheep are of the greatest importance to their
existence, and in the care and management of
their flocks they exhibit a thrift not to be
found in the average tribe.
3
This Navajo lady is carding the wool to prepare
it for spinning.
4
She then spins the wool. Notice her silver and
turquoise jewelry.
5
A Navajo weaver in the early 1900s.
Description by Edward S. Curtis The Navaho-land
blanket looms are in evidence everywhere. In the
winter months they are set up in the hogans, but
during the summer they are erected outdoors under
an improvised shelter, or, as in this case,
beneath a tree. The simplicity of the loom and
its product are here clearly shown, pictured in
the early morning light under a large cottonwood.
6
A loom like this is used by Navajo ladies to
weave their beautiful rugs.
7
A weaver works on a re-creation of an original
nineteenth-century rug at a Hubbell Trading Post
demonstration area.
8
The weavers take their finished rugs to the
Hubbell Trading Post to trade for food and other
merchandise. The ladies spend months weaving one
rug that can sell for thousands of dollars.
Hubbell Trading Post in Arizona
9
A Navajo rug from the Ganado region.
10
A Navajo rug from the two grey hills region.
11
Self Check
Most Navajo rugs are made from cotton.
True
False
12
Self Check
You are correct. Most Navaho rugs are made from
wool.
13
Self Check
Navajo ladies weave their rugs on a loom.
True
False
14
Self Check
Very good. All Navajo rugs are woven on a loom.
15
References(please note that these references are
not complete!)

• Northwestern University Library, Edward S.
  Curtis's 'The North American Indian the
  Photographic Images, 2001. http//memory.loc.gov/
  ammem/award98/ienhtml/curthome.html
• The Navajo Nation home page
• Edward S. Curtis's The North American Indian
  Photographic Images Illustrations and Captions
  from Volume 1
• The Images of Navajos List View
• The Images of Navajos Gallery View
• (images 37-48)
• (images 49-60)