Navajo blankets, rugs, and tapestries are the best-known, most-admired, and most-collected textiles in North America. There are scores of books about Navajo weaving, but no other book like this one. For the first time, master Navajo weavers themselves share the deep, inside story of how these textiles are created, and how their creation resonates in Navajo culture. Want to weave a high-quality, Navajo-style rug? This book has detailed how-to instructions, meticulously illustrated by a Navajo artist, from warping the loom to important finishing touches. Want to understand the deeper meaning? You will learn why the fixed parts of the loom are male, and the working parts are female. You will learn how weaving relates to the earth, the sky, and the sacred directions. You will learn how the Navajo people were given their weaving tradition (and it was not borrowed from the Pueblos!), and how important a weavers attitude and spirit are to creating successful rugs. You will learn what it means to live in hozho, the Beauty Way. Family stories from seven generations of weavers lend charm and special insights. Characteristic Native American humour is not in short supply. Their contribution to cultural understanding and the preservation of their craft is priceless.
