Circle of giving: Native American elder program keeps weaving traditions alive

Its journey began nearly two centuries ago in the land of the Navajo. Rich in earthy hues of the desert Southwest, the blanket's intricate woven patterns of red, dark blue and tan represent a high level of skill and artistic ability. Now on permanent display at the Ute Indian Museum, the blanket is part of an exhibit honoring Chipeta, wife of Chief Ouray. Although the Utes were not known for their weaving skills, they frequently obtained blankets as trade items from other tribes and gave them as gifts. Crossing cultural boundaries, Chipeta gave this small hand-woven Navajo blanket as a gesture of friendship and her love for children to 2-year-old Una Wheeler in 1876. Una lived with her parents at the (second) Los Pinos Indian Agency located south of present-day Montrose. The blanket remained with the family for three generations, and in 1999, was donated back to the Ute Indian Museum for preservation.

Creating a bridge across cultures is at the center of the "Adopt-A-Native-Elder Program," which helps support ancestral lifestyles of Navajo Elders through  donations of food, medical supplies, clothing, fabric and yarn. A fundamental part of the program offers support for traditional Navajo weavers.

Today, the Navajo Nation extends into the states of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, covering approximately 27,000 square miles, with a population of over 250,000 Native Americans. The majority of Navajo Elders who participate in the program live in remote sections of the reservation in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. Many still raise sheep as a means of sustaining themselves.

The fine art of Navajo weaving reveals practices unique to their culture, such as "lazy lines," or diagonal joints connecting parts of a blanket. Because of the large size of the upright looms, weavers of the past usually could not reach all the way across the apparatus and had to work on sections at a time. Braided selvages, or finished edges on all four sides of a blanket or rug, also mark the Navajo weaver's style. No two hand-woven pieces are ever the same.

Demonstrating these age-old traditions to younger generations is also addressed through the Adopt-A-Native-Elder Program. An annual rug show and sale held in Park City, Utah and exhibits and weaving demonstrations held at Native American sites and museums around the country help to reinforce the ways of traditional Navajo culture.

"This is the fourth time that we've had the exhibit (of Navajo rugs) from the Adopt-A-Native-Elder Program here at the museum," said CJ Brafford, director of the Ute Museum. The current exhibit consists of 47 one-of-a-kind, hand-woven pieces, illustrating popular Navajo patterns such as Two Gray Hills.

"The women (weavers) price the rugs themselves," CJ added. "It (the sale of rugs) is not about us. The money raised here goes directly back to the individual weavers."

The Navajo rugs will be on exhibit at the Ute Indian Museum through July 25. For more information on the rugs or the program, call 249-3098.