Navajo Weaving

A talk by Dr. Teresa Wilkins, Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico in Gallup, focuses on Southwest textiles and specializes in Navajo weaving. Her new book Patterns of Exchange: Navajo Weavers and Traders represents her research in trading post archives and interviews with weavers. Wilkins also looks at the intricate relationship between weavers and traders, economic pressures, and how the traders influenced patterns and ideas, guiding Navajo weavers to produce textiles that are emblems for the American Southwest.

Dr. Jennifer McLerran, an MNA research associate and associate professor at Northern Arizona University who specializes in twentieth-century Native art, will talk about the textiles in Many Colored Weaves. The exhibit of Navajo textiles from the Museum’s collection is on display at the Coconino Center for the Arts. Following her 11:30 a.m. talk, a festival shuttle will take visitors to CCA at 12:45 p.m. to view the exhibit and hear additional interpretation by McLerran.

Heritage Insights—Investigations into Navajo Lifeways

Navajo linguist Larry King from Farmington, New Mexico, walks his audiences along a path of history and legend, highlighting the resilience of the Navajo language in the twenty-first century and adding his own humor.

Theresa Boone Schuler, a Diné educator from Flagstaff, will again lead the very popular ethnobotany walks along the Museum’s Rio de Flag Nature Trail and discuss the traditional Navajo uses of regional native plants. Schuler gained her knowledge from her father, a noted Diné herbalist who urged her to pass on the knowledge of traditional healing plants by teaching about identification and usage.

Richard Wiebe, a professor of philosophy and history at Fresno Pacific University, is a MNA research associate and studies Navajo philosophy. Wiebe’s presentation and accompanying visuals “The Four Sacred Mountains of the Navajo” is an exploration into geography and its relationship to Navajo language and beliefs.

Navajo Festival’s Heritage Insight programming is generously sponsored by the Arizona Humanities Council and creates cultural understanding and a forum for dialog.

Performances Under the Big Tent

The Pollen Trail Dancers from Joseph City, Arizona will present social dances and five colorful storytelling dances meant to be performed in the warm season. The Dance of Holy People comes from Navajo Blessing Way beliefs, the Corn Grinding Dance is connected to the coming of age of a young woman and reinforces the relationship between Navajo people and corn, the Sash Belt or Weaving Dance tells the story of Spider Woman’s influence in weaving, and the Basket Dance depicts the important role of baskets in Navajo life.

There will also be a dance that tells the story of the Long Walk of the Navajo People. A fashion show illustrating the changes in Navajo clothing through time will also be presented by the Pollen Trail Dancers, emceed by Brent Chase who also accompanies the dance troupe on the Navajo flute.

Blackfire is Flagstaff’s own high energy rock trio. Rolling Stone Magazine’s David Fricke writes, “Blackfire raise their voices, like a painted-desert X, for anyone with a righteous fight…Blackfire are also Navajo Indians who connect their distortion-warrior originals to the traditional songs of their people.” They will be playing songs from their 2007 CD Silence Is a Weapon, as well as songs from their other CDs. They add to their rock format stories and dance about traditional Diné ways by their medicine man father, Jones Benally.

Clarence Clearwater is a singer/songwriter who returned to the Navajo Reservation more than 27 years ago to learn to speak Navajo and to gain a better understanding of his people and their traditions. Today, his deep voice and stirring guitar can be heard on the Grand Canyon Railway as he entertains passengers. He sings traditional songs in Navajo and contemporary songs in English about his spirituality and the oppression of Native people.