Weaving in Beauty

Our class picture with Jennie Slick's mother, Anna Ashley. From left, Carole Rose, Kathie Snyder, Betsy Fisch, Connie Delgado, Ilene Blum, Liz Higgins and Jennie Slick.

Tempe, AZ  Five months ago, Jennie Slick and I started our classes in Window Rock for this year.  Sitting here in Tempe now, in some ways it seems like five years ago, and in other ways it was more like five minutes.  We had a wonderful class in May.  One of the special treats was being able to visit with instructor Jennie Slick’s mother, Anna Ashley.  At 93, Anna no longer weaves and she is confined to a wheelchair much of the time, but she still spins a lot of the edging cords that we use in class and she is very pleased to think of all of the students who have taken the time to make the journey to her home to learn more about the Navajo way of weaving.  The shawl that Anna is weaving in the picture is a gift from student Mike Barnette and was woven by his wife, Peggy.  Presenting the shawl to Anna was one of the highlights of our class, but there were many crowded into that week.  

We had two great visits with Barbara Jean Teller Ornelas (who is doing a class in Tucson November 13-15 with her sister, Lynda Teller Pete), meeting up with her at the Two Grey Hills Trading Post and at Toadlena Trading Post.  At Toadlena, we also talked with caricaturist and weaver Pamela Brown, who had done a wonderful rug to commemorate the engagement of trader Mark Winter and Linda Larouche.  We gathered the first plants of the year and used some that we’d saved over the winter to dye some wonderful colors that will join with others to make up the weaving that we are doing now and those to come.  We saw foals with their mothers running in Canyon de Chelly and we listened as Bruce Burnham and Bill Malone told us stories about trading, justice and standing by your friends when they are in trouble. 

You can see more pictures from the class here.    It was the best class ever, just like all of the others.  Yes, it’s more like five minutes ago.

Hagoshíí (so long for now)

Mary Walker

Note: Registration for our 2012 Window Rock class schedule is open.  You can read more about the class and register for it here.  Registration for the 2012 Spider Rock Girls Boarding School class will open on November 1.

Spider Rock Girls Boarding School students work at their looms at Spider Rock

Chinle, AZ  We have just returned from a wonderful and unforgettable  day of weaving at Spider Rock.  Emily Malone and her daughter Larissa Blake graciously opened their home at the base of Spider Rock to our students and even taught us how to make frybread and Navajo tortillas.  It turns out that making a good looking piece of frybread is not as easy as one might think, but perhaps we were distracted by the view.  Emily and her family use their property in Canyon de Chelly during the summer and live on the canyon rim in the winter and are the teachers of the this class.  

According to Navajo history, Spider Rock is the home of Spider Woman, who taught the Navajo people to weave on a magical loom constructed by Spider Man.  We are very grateful that Emily and Larissa believe that the gift of Spider Woman may be shared among all five fingered beings and we will always treasure our journey to the place where Navajo weaving began. 

Hagoshíí (so long for now)

Mary Walker

Weaver and teacher Sarah Natani spins at the Heard Museum Indian Market in 2009

Tempe, AZ The listings for Sarah Natani’s 2011 weaving workshops have just been added to the Where to Learn Indigenous Techniques page.  Sarah will be offering classes in Mendocino, California (June 13-17), at the Taos Wool Festival (September 26-30), at her home in Table Mesa, New Mexico (September 19-23) and at the Hill Creek Fiber Studio in Columbia, Missouri (November 13-18).  Tuition for each class varies by venue.

At its core, Navajo weaving is totally self-sufficient, produced only with the materials and skills already in the possession of the weaver and students in Sarah’s classes will experience a glimpse of the full range of skills and activities that encompass weaving in that Navajo sense.   From Sarah’s viewpoint, the process of weaving begins when a lamb is born and continues until the finished product goes on to the people who will ultimately use it.  Sarah is a wonderful guide for that process.

Hagoshíí (so long for now)

Mary Walker

Tempe, AZ I’ve completed an update of the class listings on the Where to Learn Indigenous Weaving Techniques page.   These represent all of the in person classes that I know about, have heard rumors about or think might be going on with as much contact information as I can find.  Mark Deschinny, for instance, hasn’t done a class offering on his site for awhile, but the last time I talked to him, he was available to do private sessions by prior arrangement.  Lynda Teller Pete and her sister Barbara Teller Ornelas are adding classes in Dragoon, Arizona and Ojai, California this year and Lynda is teaching several classes in the Denver area, where she resides.  Leslie Smith Jackson of Wild West Weaver will be offering a workshop at the Peters Valley Craft Center in Layton, New Jersey and don’t overlook the workshops at the Sheep is Life Celebration in Tsaile, AZ.   Classes offered during the Celebration include Basic Navajo Weaving with Ilene Naegle, Sash Belt Weaving with Gilbert Begay and Horse Cinch Weaving with Roy Kady.  You’ll find classes listed in Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico and Texas.

An on site class with a good instructor can really move you up the learning curve and expand your horizons.  If you know of classes that I’ve missed, please let me know.  Class listings are free of charge and based on the information that I’ve received or researched.  Please contact the organizer for details and registration.  If you take a class, consider doing a guest article on your experience!  You’ll get fame, glory and possibly a Weaving in Beauty tote bag.  Who said freelance writing doesn’t pay?

Hagoshíí (so long for now)

Mary Walker

Learn to weave!

If your New’s Year’s Resolution involves learning how to weave Navajo style, we’re expanding our class offerings to help you achieve that goal. We are adding two additional weeks to our Weaving in Beauty Textile Tour schedule. The first session is June 16-23 and is being offered in partnership with the Currier Museum in New Hampshire. Four seats are currently open in that class. This class concludes on the Thursday of the Sheep is Life Celebration, so there are some nice opportunities to include that event in your learning experience.  The second week that we’re adding is September 15-22 and should include a visit to the Friends of Hubbell Native American Arts Auction if they maintain their current schedule.   You can read more about the Weaving in Beauty class and register here.

Registration is also open for the next session of our online classes in beginning and intermediate Navajo weaving techniques and for next year’s Camp Weave-Alot Advanced Seminar.  Camp Weave-Alot has been expanded to include spinning and natural dyes.  I know that you might not think that’s weaving, but it is in the Navajo context, so we’ll stick with our kitschy class title for the time being.

Since I  seem to be working my way into spending my whole summer in Window Rock, if you don’t see a class that fits your schedule or needs, it may show up soon.  At any rate, let me know what you’re looking for and we may be able to arrange it!   Don’t forget, we also have a three hour class in Window Rock every month on the Thursday evening before the Crownpoint Rug Auction.  The first session is $15 and subsequent classes are $10.  Everyone is welcome, but contact me to register so I can plan for instructors and equipment!

As Stella Cly of Monument Valley would say “With the comb, you are not only putting a design together, you are also chasing away the evil spirits of poverty!  Learn to weave!”

Hagoshíí (so long for now)

Mary Walker