navajoshepherd images

Did you know that Navajo Shepherds were among the first people in North America to acquire Angora goats? Before the 1800's, hair goats imported from Spain into Mexico were the common types of goat found in the large flocks of Navajo Sheep. Around 1850, the first Angora goats were imported into the United States. Traders on and around the Navajo reservation were quick to capitalize on this. They imported bucks and encouraged the shepherds to cross their flocks of hair goats with this new goat that grew lustrous mohair. After years of careful selection and culling practices, Navajo weavers shaped this new offshoot of Angora goat. A goat that was suited for the arid southwest and its grueling terrain. Like the Navajo Sheep, these Angora goats had long legs and faces, free of fiber. These goats retained the long, floppy ears of their Spanish and Angora ancestors. Their bodies were narrow with hardly any spring to their ribs. Because some of their Spanish ancestors had dairy qualities in them, these new Angora goats were well suited to provide milk for their young and their stewards. Most importantly, Navajo Weavers bred out any coarse, shedding, and kempy fibers. Making their Angora mohair long, lustrous, and low in any grease. Like their Ankara ancestors, my people's Angora goats retained a fiber that had little to no curl, making it suitable to blend with the wool from Navajo Sheep--unlike the heavily curled American and South African Angora Goats that dominate today's mohair industry. And because the "Navajo Angora" were bred up from Spanish hair goats, they retained the genetic ability to produce naturally colored mohair, from dark black to every shade of gray, tan, red, and brown. What isn't talked about too often is these colored Navajo Angora goats became the grandmothers of the Colored Angora Goats that we have today in the United States. 1/2

The broken diamond twill with wool tufts has kind of become a recognizable Nikyle Begay original. Aside from the complex twill saddle blankets, it's the second most inquired of pattern. This piece is woven exclusively of Rainbow Fiber Co-op yarns, and it was a roller coaster of emotions to weave it. For the past four years, during this time, the RFC crew would've been assembled and been traveling across the reservation, shearing, skirting, grading, sorting, packing, and shipping tons of Navajo grown wool. Our days would start before the sunrise and end long after the sunset. We traveled hundreds of miles, sheared thousands of sheep, and handled tons of wool. It was back breaking work that was made good whenever we saw the smiles, got in on the laughter, and listened to the stories shared with us by our fellow Diné Shepherds. Last year, the Co-op Members and the Board of Directors voted to dissolve the Co-op, on the account that we were too big for a small mill to handle and too small for a large mill to even give us a passing glance. We were also incorporated in the state of California and have hopes to reincorporate on the Navajo Nation, but tribal policies is drawing out the process. I digress. So, with this weaving, I would like to say Axéhéé, Thank You. Thank you for making Rainbow Fiber Co-op a reality and a great success! I appreciate the experience, memories, and friendships gained! And maybe one day, we'll return.... 💕🐑🌈 -- If you'd like to continue to support the shepherds, consider following @kgsbgmn @irenebennalley @taadibei and @jaybegay they oftentimes have raw wool and fiber products available! -- #rainbowfibercoop #rainbowfibercooperative #navajowool #navajofiber #navajosheep #navajogrown #navajo #diné #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei #navajoshepherd

I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of the sheep and how much it warms heart to see the ewes being wonderful mothers. Watching this newborn lamb up and at 'em in minutes and latched onto his mother's teat, is a testament to the sheep that my ancestors procured centuries ago. T'áá Dibé, the true sheep. Welcome to the world Cerro Mojino. 🤎 -- #navajosheep #navajoshepherd #navajochurro #churrosheep #sheep #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibé #lamb #newbornlamb #dibéyazhí #diné #navajo #navajoland

We are grateful for the variety of collectors who choose figurative works from cityscapes to country farms and wildlife, from Native American cultural moments to historic ceremonies and statements of bravery. Our artists have perfected their storytelling abilities and techniques with a beautiful fascination and dedication. Although these works have sold, these artists continue to offer moments in their paintings that stand still and touch the spirit! SOLD: "San Francisco Trolley" by Richard Boyer, "A Lovely Couple" by Maria D'Angelo, "Late August" by Lori Twiggs, "Best Friends" by George Molnar, "Cheyenne Shade" and "Cheyenne War Chief" both by Steven Lang, OPAM. We invite your visit to Mountain Trails Gallery Sedona in the amazing Village of Tlaquepaque to see what else is on offer. #mountaintrailssedona #tlaqsedona #storytellingart #artgallerysedona #visitmountaintrailsgallerysedona #discovertlaquepaque #tlaquepaqueartsandcraftsvillage #tlaquepaqueartsandshoppingvillage #nativeamericancultures #navajoland #cheyennespirit #navajoshepherd #sanfranciscotrolley #cardinalcouple #farmlifeisthegoodlife #pastures #grazingonthegrass #visitsedona #sedonaartgallery @richard_boyer370 @mariadangeloart @loritwiggs @georgemolnar007 #oilpaintersofamerica #westernartcollector #artofthewest #southwestart #sedonamonthly #phoenixhomes #flagstaffhomes

Some tough ones born early this morning #dibé #navajoshepherd #navajochurro #navajosheepcamp #sheepranchersusa #navajoreservation #arizona #navajo

11 month old ewe lamb being a good mamma #sheep #navajosheep #dibé #dibéditsozí #navajoshepherd #navajochurro #navajorez

Shicheii often shares stories of my great and 2x great Deeshchiinii grandmothers being weavers of large area rugs. He'd tell me that the winter months were spent carding wool and spinning it into yarn. And in the spring, they'd use their stashes of dried plants to dye their yarns every of yellow, orange, green, brown, and black. At their summer sheep camp, high up on the Defiance Plateau, where the Deeshchiinii sisters would converge with their flocks of sheep and cache of yarn. They'd fasten their long dowels to fallen ponderosa pines, that were aligned parallel to each other, and begin to warp a large rug. He said he remembers his grandmother and one of her sisters would sit at opposite ends of the long pines and they'd throw a heavy ball of warp back and forth until a large warp was created. The warp would be so long that it would zigzag over and under the loom beams, using all of their might to set the tension. When all of the pre-work was finished, they'd team up and spend the entire summer weaving at least 4 of these large rugs--which paid off their bills at the trading post and brought in extra cash for the upcoming winter. Shimá also told me about her own Deeshchiinii grandmother--who is pictured with one of her large weavings--how one of her nephews welded her a custom loom. A loom that was fitted with a set of hand cranks. The first crank would adjust the height of her loom. The second crank would pull a chain, when fitted properly, would help set the tension of the warp. When I close my eyes and remember visiting my great Deeshchiinii grandmother, I can smell the flour tortillas toasting on the griddle. I can hear her soft voice telling the stories of our Apache ancestors that migrated from Salt River Canyon. And I can still see the gold tooth that always seemed to twinkle whenever she'd smile. Thinking back, I am in awe at how much she accomplished in her lifetime and hope that one day, my experiences and weaving can compare. 💕 -- #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #navajoweaving #navajoweaver #navajo #diné #deeshchiinii #weaver #fiberartistsofinstagram #fiberart

"The maternal instinct has become highly developed in Navajo ewes. It is not uncommon for the older ewes to claim several lambs before giving birth to their own. Young ewes, especially of the fine wool type, will often fail to claim their first lamb: young Navajo ewes rarely, if ever, fail to claim theirs." And excerpt from "Characteristics and Production of Old-Type Navajo Sheep," written by Cecil T. Blunn. I will never stop sharing this! And I think it's because I have been traumatized from raising commercial sheep earlier in life. And lambing season with those breeds used to be a toss up between worrying about first time moms and raising a bum lamb on the bottle. But for the last 20+ years, I've been spoiled by the amazing mothering instincts of the Navajo Sheep. It's a trait that makes lambing on the range worry-free. Take this first time, yearling mother for example. Despite the cold winds and heavy sleet, she had her lamb dry, standing up, and nursing. It's these traits that have made this breed well suited for year round lambing when my ancestors had flocks that numbered in the thousands. And it's these traits that will carry the sheep into the future. 🐑💕 -- #navajosheep #navajoshepherd #sheep #churrosheep #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei #diné #navajo #navajolifeway #sheepislife

This little ewe lamb, Virginia, represents the 22 years of work, dedication, and most importantly, the love that I have put into my flock. I can't believe how much time flies! It seems like it was just yesterday that I picked up her 8x great granddam, Taty, from Maple Tree Farms in Willamette Valley, Oregon. May little Virginia represent the next 22 years of living and loving my flock of Navajo Sheep. 🐑 💕 -- #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #navajochurro #churrosheep #sheep #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei

The first photo, titled "Navajo Flocks," was taken in 1904 by Edward Curtis. The second photo is a still from "A Navajo Journey," released in 1952. These photos show that within a mere 50 years, there is a drastic change in the sheep raised on the Navajo Nation. In the first photo, they are phenotypical of the Old-Type Navajo Sheep, with their double coated wool and smaller frame. Whereas in the still, these lambs are much larger, with bigger bone and meatier conformation, and their wool is lacking the long outer coat. However, there is one similarity that remains between the two moments in time--colored sheep. Growing up, I'd hear from my grandmothers and their mothers, that you'd know a weaver by all of the colors of sheep in their flock. I must've took this sentiment to heart, because as a child, I'd claim all of my grandmother and great-grandmother's colored lambs. Looking at the two photos, those sweet childhood memories and stories shared with me by elders about colored sheep cross my mind. Ron Garnanez once shared with me, "before releasing the rams with the flock, my great-grandmother would perform a ceremony for the rams. She would massage one ram with a badger pelt, in hopes for badgerface lambs. And she would massage another with a beaver pelt, in hopes for brown lambs. She would then blow a smoke of wild tobacco in their faces and bless them with a pinch of corn pollen in their mouths for a bountiful lamb crop." "Even when she was nearly 100 years old," Ron continued, "we'd find her in the pen chasing the rams around with different colored pelts, taking good whacks at them, to continue the ceremony." Looking at the two photos, I think of all beautifully woven textiles that utilized naturally colored wool from Navajo Sheep. And the opposition from an Anglo "expert," who would go out of her way to disprove that the "real" churro, were in no way colored other than the commercial white. Looking at the two photos, I see black sheep, white sheep, sheep with the badgerface pattern and one of them even having a "hip spot," a compliment component of the badgerface allele. Looking at the two photos, I see beautiful sheep and wool. 🐑💕

This lamb came out camouflage! With a swirl of white spotting over a brown based color pattern, helping him blend into the red and white rocks. As the years have passed, so have the fads in sheep breeding, especially with Navajo-Churro sheep. One year it was Badgerface, the next it was Piebalds--piebald meaning big all over spotting--now we're all about breeding for non-fading solid colors. As someone who shears, processes, and weaves with the wool from their own sheep, I've always avoided breeding for spots. Because I need a consistently even colored fleece to blend nicely. But I can't help but love this little guy and his flashy spotting. 💕 -- #navajosheep #navajoshepherd #navajochurro #sheep #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei #navajoland #navajo #diné

"You are beginning again. Take care of the sheep as you care for your own children. Let them grow again before using them for food. If you are hungry, hunt wild animals and collect wild plants. Or go without food, as you have done before [at Ft. Sumner]. These few sheep must grow into large flocks, as our people will prosper again one day." - Barboncito, head representative during the signing of The Treaty of 1868, which freed the Diné from Ft. Sumner and allowed their return to Dinétah. -- #navajosheep #navajoshepherd #sheep #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei #diné #navajo

Dibé bei iiná - Sheep is life 🐑💕 -- #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #sheep #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei #dibéyazhí #lamb #navajo #diné #navajoland

"The maternal instinct has become highly developed in Navajo ewes. It is not uncommon for the older ewes to claim several lambs before giving birth to their own. Young ewes, especially of the fine wool type, will often fail to claim their first lamb: young Navajo ewes rarely, if ever, fail to claim theirs." And excerpt from "Characteristics and Production of Old-Type Navajo Sheep," written by Cecil T. Blunn, Pictured is Hala, who had a whirlwind labor. She started off by collecting lambs from other mothers. And then she tried to nurse her newly collected bunch of lambs, while fighting off their respective mothers. While she was in labor and nesting, all of her newly adopted lambs decided to play king of the hill on her back. All is well now that she has her own lamb to tend to--little Virginia. To observe first hand in my own flock, the same traits that were written about my ancestor's sheep over 80 years ago, is quite mind boggling. Because it was only 80 years ago when Navajo sheep were slaughtered by the thousands during the Navajo Stock Reductions and then the sheep were forcefully "improved" by the BIA and then local traders by crossbreeding with inferior breeds. Despite those atrocities against them, the sheep that survived held these important traits and have imprinted them on their future generations. -- #navajosheep #navajoshepherd #navajochurro #sheep #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei #diné #navajo

A lot of my earliest memories are of going to my grandma's or great-grandma's house for the weekend. I'd talk about my grandma's and their flocks sheep to anyone who'd listen. Lambing season was my favorite, I'd tell everyone that all of the black and brown lambs were mine, because one day I was going to be a weaver and I needed all of those colors to weave. As a kid, the 25 minute drive to my grandma's was always felt like the longest. But as soon as the truck was in park and I managed to undo the seatbelt, I'd bolt right for the sheep corral. I'd go from jug to jug, peaking through the cracks of the wooden panels, admiring the lambs and listening to the ewes mutter to their babies. Eventually my grandmother would join me and ask for my help to arrange a new set of twins and their mother in their own private jug. Or to she'd hand me a glass Coke bottle filled with warm milk, that was capped with a rubber nipple to feed the orphan lambs. When I close my eyes and imagine my childhood, that is home. Now, as a thirty something year old, I still get the same feeling when my own sheep are lambing. The world around me might be going to hell in a hand basket, but whenever I see a newborn lamb taking its first stand and it's mother softly muttering to it, I smile from ear to ear. This is home. 💕 -- #navajosheep #navajoshepherd #navajochurro #taadibei #dibéditsozí #dibé #diné #navajo #navajoland

Dibé dits'ozí //Navajo Churro sheep This is a drawing of Navajo Churro sheep . This is just not a drawing of just sheeps. This is to remember how we can live with animals hand in hand. This is to remember that America used to be called Turtle Island before colonization. This is to let you know that native Americans, that indigenous people have the knowledge of how to stop environmental problems and that their solutions are sustainable. Once greed stops and the natural time of how seeds grow, how soil stays healthy, takes the exact time, as it takes a seed to grow. We can not scale the speed up, because if we do so, at another place on the planet there will be destruction. This is to remember that we all are indigenous, but not all, not everybody still values our dependence on mother nature. This is to let you know that 5 % of the world population still lives the natural way , and these indigenous, they take care of 80 %!!! of the world's biodiversity. And they get less than 1 % of all the money that goes to the project in this science field. This is to remember that things in the past really were so brutal and still are. You cannot steal land and take all the value of the people who live there away, you just can't. These sheep, once the living stock of the navajos, were distroit by ko https://podcasts.apple.com/.../sacred.../id1591832998... #navajo #lylejune #navajoshepherd #nihizhipodcast #landback #turtleisland #posca #molotow #indiginous #nature #motherearth #drawing #illustrationartists

I've often wondered, "why am I so drawn to the sheep, drawn to the loom, and drawn to the land?" So one day, I worked up the courage to ask my grandmother. "My mother, her aunts, my grandmother, and my aunts," she began, "they all had sheep, they all used weave. And when you were a newborn, I was given the task of placing your umbilical cord in a safe, sacred place." "I took your umbilical cord to the heart of the sheep corral," her eyes welled with tears as she continued, "I placed it on the ground and swept some dirt and sheep poop over it, ND then I offered up a prayer." She held my hand and said, "I prayed that no matter where you are in the world, your mind, your body, and your soul will always be with the sheep." At this point my eyes welled with tears, she hugged me and said, "I feel that my prayer was answered." -- So much goodness has surrounded me these past few days. Thank all of you for following along with me on this journey we call life. Axéhéé 🐑 💕 -- #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #navajoweaver #navajo #dibé #diné 📸: @rachelbujalski

Here’s one of my favorite yarns. I don’t knit or crochet but I love the wild irregularities and incredible combination of colors. I could never bear to think of it captured into a project - so I just let it be - an inspiration in form, fiber and luscious textural colors. It is a symbol of raw potential. #wovember2023 #navajoshepherd #ecologywa #experiencewool #smithsonianmagazine #americancraftcouncil #campaignforwool #thewoolmarkcompany #dyeinghousegallery #textileartsla #americanwoolen #bellevueartsmuseum #stefanocatalani #susanbtextiles #museumofcraftanddesign #internationalfeltmakersassociation #unionofkazakhartisans

6 November & I’m contemplating SPIN - a word that evokes a lot of emotion in the current world. Head Spin, Hand Spin, Tail Spin, Political Spin, things could spin out of control… This first edition copy of a book published in 1958 is one of those books that pushes & pulls me. It’s definitely in my head spinning category. But as the chapter titles demonstrate - it’s evokes intrigue and desire to understand. Sigh. The last photo is the last page of the tiny but mighty book. I’m grateful I work in an art form that is pre- verbal, spinning is more my speed in that realm. #wovember2023 #navajoshepherd #ecologywa #experiencewool #smithsonianmagazine #americancraftcouncil #campaignforwool #thewoolmarkcompany #dyeinghousegallery #textileartsla #americanwoolen #bellevueartsmuseum #stefanocatalani #susanbtextiles #matildamcquaid #museumofcraftanddesign #internationalfeltmakersassociation #unionofkazakhartisans

5 November is an homage to these hand-knit socks made by a giving friend who knows how much I care about WOOL! Thank You to Amanda Hewell! #wovember2023 #navajoshepherd #ecologywa #experiencewool #smithsonianmagazine #americancraftcouncil #campaignforwool #thewoolmarkcompany #dyeinghousegallery #textileartsla #americanwoolen #bellevueartsmuseum #stefanocatalani #susanbtextiles #matildamcquaid #museumofcraftanddesign #internationalfeltmakersassociation #unionofkazakhartisans

Let’s talk about Nov 4! A day that makes me think of Dibé dits’ozí - the Diné (Navajo) word for the breed Navajo-Churro. Dibé frequently have 4 horns! They also grow a remarkable fiber, and are considered the only Heritage Breed in the USA. They are endangered (thanks in a large part to the USGovernment’s “Navajo Livestock Reduction” imposed upon the Diné in 1930). I could rant a lot about this and the other acts of horrific treatment of Indigenous Peoples by colonization but recommend you research that on your own. It is deep and dark - and very important to know. There is much more than can be covered in a single post. I used a lot of Dibé wool for this project, thanks to Kim Kerley, shepherdess of Mtn. Niche Farm. The photos here show a few process images from a collaboration with @rysiasuchecka for the @gatesfoundation bench. My assistant on this project and many was Emma I Y A L L. The photo credit of these sweet sheep is Kim Kerley. Bench fabrication by @villageinteriorsinc There is a wealth of information online about the Diné and Dibé- a sheep with wonderful fiber to work with! #wovember2023 #navajoshepherd #ecologywa #experiencewool #smithsonianmagazine #americancraftcouncil #campaignforwool #thewoolmarkcompany #dyeinghousegallery #textileartsla #americanwoolen #bellevueartsmuseum #stefanocatalani #susanbtextiles #matildamcquaid #museumofcraftanddesign #internationalfeltmakersassociation #unionofkazakhartisans

Out with Lavern, Róisín, and Chamisa, as well as with the rest of the flock. There is no place I'd rather be! Best way to spend my birthday. 🤎 #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #sheep #dibéditsozí #taadibei #dibé #diné #navajoland #birthday #scorpio

"Navajo Sheep have this innate ability to adapt their fiber to diet, land, and climate. So every sheep is technically a unique product to one region and family. The product changes with time as the family works in relationship to local weavers. The cycle begins with dirt, forage, rain, and sunshine and the family’s ability to nurture natural processes.” - @zefren_m - Every 6 months, in March and September, you'll hear my hand shears working hard to harvest the wool from our flock. I'm always delighted to see that their fleeces are healthy, lustrous, and soft to the touch. Throughout my life, I've been most fortunate to have been given the chances to examine historical textiles in private collections. Magnified beneath microscopes, I've made notes that the fibers in Navajo weavings before 1860, have retained beautiful luster, phenomenal handle, remain colorfast, and most interesting, have fiber diameters that suggest both the inner and outer coat of my ancestors' sheep were finer than what I see now. Today, Navajo Sheep are berated by auctioneers and commercial spinners for being too coarse. This idea that the 'true sheep' are scrubby coarse animals has been influenced by the writings of scientists, meant to justify stock reductions and improvements, has led to historical revisions, exclusion, and gatekeeping of our sheep by newly formed foundations. I have digressed. The stories from my elders and the opportunities to study historical textiles, are the reasons why I have made conscious decisions in my flock. And as I shear, spin, and weave their wool, I feel that I am on the right track. 💕 -- #navajosheep #navajoshepherd #taadibei #dibéditsozí #dibé #sheep #wool

It's been a couple years since I've taught an in-person workshop, watching the group chat, learn, share, and laugh, has made me so happy. We skirted, washed, carded, and spun a beautiful fleece from a Navajo ram. We also spun a fleece "in the grease," and learned to ply using traditional Andean and Navajo Techniques. We also spoke about the issues that are important to and that threaten continuing the Navajo Pastoral Lifeway. Thank you @lylajune and Iiná Institute for providing a safe space to share my knowledge with new friends, fellow fiber artists @zefren_m and @tsinbikee and fellow shepherd @jrob1.7 Axéhéé tʼáá ánółtso! -- #navajoshepherd #navajolifeway #sheepislife #fiberart #fiber #wool #sheep #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei

Spent the morning sipping on a cup of watered down coffee, listening as my granny spilt piping hot tea--filling me in with all of the hot goss from around town. I leapt up, starling her, promising I'd be right back as I have something in the truck she just has to see. She smirked as I unrolled my latest weaving, her eyes seemed to be gleaming with amazement, that's when she sent her bony elbow into my left ribs and said, "who is this cowboy you weave all of these blankets for? I'd like to meet him before I'm too old!" We giggled and I explained that this blanket is going to make its home in the Bitteroot Valley. I told her that the couple in Montana, who ordered this blanket, has made their life's dream come true and are raising beautiful Andalusian horses. I proceeded to show her their ranch and their horses on my phone, explaining that they imported some of the first Andalusian horses from Spain. "Nizhoní," she says, "a beautiful blanket, for beautiful horses." She put her hand on mine and I noticed right away the age on them. Her nails are fairly long, well kept, and painted. She has age spots and the veins wrap around her hand like garland on a Christmas tree. I told her, "your hands remind me of great grandmas'." Her eyes welled with tears, she hugged me and said, "my mom wove beautiful horse blankets too. I was taken away to Oregon [Chemawa Indian Boarding School] I regret not learning how to weave so good." 🥺 -- Tufted Broken Diamond Twill Saddle Blanket. It measures 30"x32". The yarn and tufts are acid dyed with red, orange, yellow, and black. -- #navajoshepherd #navajoweaving #saddleblanket #weaving #fiberart #navajo #diné

"We weave for horses," Roy Kady (@roi.ka2099) once said, "so weave for them fine blankets and fashion sturdy implements for them to wear proudly." 🐎 -- I can't begin to tell you the emotions that are felt when photos are shared with me of my blankets being used. I've taken Roy's teaching to heart, so for all of the beautiful horses in the world, I'll continue to create. 💕 -- #horseman #horsemanship #saddleblanket #navajoweaving #navajo #diné #dibé #navajoshepherd

Each careful step, leaping from one ledge to another, and navigating these steep bluffs is neither difficult nor impossible for our flock Navajo sheep. As I watch them browse, I often think about the elders who have shared with me the stories about their grandparents evading capture from the US Army and how they too, stayed safely hidden from Bureau of Indian Affairs Agents, as they collected Indigenous Children to ship off to boarding school, by simply trusting and following the sheep. Real, lived history is in each hoof print on these sandstone rocks. History that thankfully my ancestors, and the sheep's too, were able to survive. -- #everychildmatters #diné #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei #navajo #navajoshepherd #navajosheep

Laura Center Navajo Rug Restoration since 1977 I'm re-posting this in celebration of the 101st! Santa Fe Indian Market @santafeindianmarket this weekend - Aug 19 and 20, 2023. The size of Santa Fe, New Mexico doubles for this world event - the largest indigenous market in the world! https://swaia.org These are still shots from a FANTASTIC promotional video by @_mike.lawrence which features weaver Venancio Aragon You can see Venancio this weekend at Indian Market booth # 523 SF T-E The full 3 minute promotional video can be seen at @indigilensproductions (in their reels) and @aragontextiles This documentary project is in development and is being produced by @indidilensproductions, a predominately indigenous crew, and being directed by Maliaq Kairaivak @alaskan.sunshine They will be filming later in the fall. The documentary will explore the struggles of preserving Navajo textile arts in the modern age and highlight the power of intergenerational transmission of knowledge in our Indigenous communities. Told through the voices of weavers and with a predominantly Indigenous film crew, this film strives to craft a de-colonial methodology for documentary filmmaking. Pic 1- Indigilens Productions @indigilensproductions Speaker -Venancio Aragon @aragontextiles Pic 2- Featuring weaver Venancio Aragon, Navajo @aragontextiles Pic 3- Director - Maliaq Kairaiuak, Alaskan @alaskan.sunshine Pic 4- Director of Photography - Jeanette DeDios, Apache/Navajo Pic 5- Director of Art - Crystal Lynn Dugi, Navajo Pic 6- Musical Composer - Conner Chee, Navajo Pic 7- Tax deductible donations may be sent to the New Mexico Film Foundation which is funded and supported by the George R.R. Martin Literary Foundation. https://www.nmfilmfoundation.org/fiscal-sponsorship-program-3 Pic 8- Please support and Share - Venancio Aragon at his loom Pic 9- Thank you (I apologize for not posting the video here, I’m still an Insta newbie who is learning 😬) #navajorug #southweststyle #santafestyle #howtosantafe #newmexicotrue #SantaFeNM #SantaFe #NewMexico #TheCityDifferent #cityofsantafe #navajoshepherd #santafeindianmarket #navajorugweaver #navajo_cultural_arts_program #nmfilmfoundation

This gorgeous ram joins us from my friend and fellow Diné shepherd, Joe Benally's flock over at @dibe_be_iina The ram comes from an ancestral flock of Navajo Sheep that Joe inherited from his mother, who was a shepherd and accomplished weaver. Joe and his wife Carol, along with their daughter and grandchildren, tend to their flock of sheep and run their own yarn shop. The ram, with five horns and a recessive agouti pattern, might be the most flashy ram we've used here on the farm! We're excited to see his lambs next year! 🐑 -- #navajosheep #navajoshepherd #navajochurro #navajochurrosheep #heritagesheep #sheep #diné #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei

Clouds and light rain has blessed us early in the morning. Which is quite fitting, as I wove this piece with moisture in mind. The swirls pay homage to the water clans that I descend from. So just as the sun peeked thru the clouds, I gave an offering of white corn meal and gratitude to the weavers before me. -- This is truly a one-of-a-kind twill riding blanket, using 8 sheds to create the pattern of swirls, a pattern that has probably not been woven since the ancestors called these rocks home. It is 100% wool, Navajo-Churro yarn on Corriedale warp. It measures 27"x31" *SOLD* -- #navajoshepherd #navajoweaving #navajoweaver #weaving #twillweave #twill #weaver #fiberart

During the last 400 years Navajo Sheep have become well adapted to the region in which they live. They are able to subsist and produce a relatively greater amount of clean wool and lamb than are sheep of improved breeds that are introduced to the region and handled in a similar way. Their hardiness has resulted, in part at least, from both the Navajo's management practices and the adverse feed conditions with which the animals have had to contend throughout their lives. A continuation of these adverse conditions over several centuries has allowed natural selection to play an important role in the adaptation of the sheep to the region. Navajo sheep lack the mutton conformation found in the improved breeds. They are long-legged, upstanding, narrow-bodied, and extremely light-boned. Since no selection toward a fixed type had been practiced by the Navajo, a varied miscellany of characters of relatively little economic importance is found in Navajo Sheep. These include color and color patterns, wattles, short ears, and horns. The Navajo Sheep are characteristically open faced, clean legged, and often have little to no covering of wool on the belly. Navajos are sometimes called "hairy sheep," because of the long, coarse outer-coat of fleece. The outer-coat is composed of long, coarse, hair-like fibers, often attaining a length or 10-12 inches in a year's growth, while the undercoat is made up of fine wool fiber rarely exceeding 5 inches in length. In addition to the fine wool fibers, kemp fibers are found in the undercoat. The kemp fibers are slightly over an inch in length and usually have an average diameter in excess of 65 microns. The fecundity of Navajo ewes is relatively high. The maternal instinct has become highly developed in Navajo ewes. It is not uncommon for older ewes to claim several lambs before giving birth to their own. Young ewes, especially of the fine wool type, will often fail to claim their first lamb; young Navajo ewes rarely fail to claim theirs. These ewes, considering the available food, are among the highest milk producers of any sheep. Their udders are large and well developed, with teats small enough for the young lamb to grasp easily.

@indianartsculture #horizons exhibit, #germantown textile and @photo Raphael Begay. Reclaiming the narrative of #diné weaving.

We, the Diné believe that the horned toad is a great warrior that is fashioned in the finest, impenetrable armor. He carries with him, arrowheads that never miss their mark. And his helmet, it is fashioned with flint points that protect his wisdom. Because of his calm and gentle demeanor, we refer to the horned toad as if he is our own grandfather--nihi cheii. When a horned toad makes his presence known, he is gently picked up and placed over our heart. While our heartbeat connects with his, we ask that he continues to protect us and sees us through life's battles. He is then thanked with an offering of corn pollen and placed back where he was found. The Broken Diamond Twill or "Horned Toad Head" is woven to pay homage to our cheii (grandfather) and that our warriors may have the same great protection as he does. -- #navajoshepherd #navajoweaver #navajosheep #navajoweaving #navajotextile #saddleblanket #twill #weaving #navajo #diné #dibé

This is a still shot of a FANTASTIC promotional video. It can be seen here: @aragontextiles on contemporary Navajo weaving which is being produced by a predominately indigenous crew. In this pic, Venancio Aagon @aragontextiles is digging up burdock root for dying wool. This Premier Documentary is being produced by @indigilensproductions and @aragontextiles with video credits by @_mike.lawrence_ and directed by @alaskan.sunshine Jeanette DeDios, Apache/Navajo, is director of photography Crystal Lynn Dugi, Navajo, is art director Connor Chee, Navajo, is the musical composer The full 3 minute promotional video can be seen at @indigilensproductions (in their reels) and @aragontextiles 👏👏👏👏 You can help support this production by making cash deductible donations for this film to the New Mexico Film Foundation which is funded and supported by the George R.R. Martin Literary Foundation. https://www.nmfilmfoundation.org/fiscal-sponsorship-program-3 + + + + " 'Art is not seen as separate from other cultural components like music, philosophy, religion, or history. To study Navajo art, one must study the whole culture.' (quote by) Harry Walters ~ Navajo elder, archaeologist, teacher and previous historical museum creator and director at the Diné College in Tsaile , Arizona, Navajo Nation"* *sourced from page 29, "Woven by the Grandmothers ~ Nineteenth-Century Navajo Textiles from the National Museum of the American Indian", Eulalie H. Bonar editor, Smithsonian Institution Press, 1996. #navajorug #southweststyle #santafestyle #howtosantafe #newmexicotrue #SantaFeNM #SantaFe #NewMexico #TheCityDifferent #cityofsantafe #navajoshepherd #santafeindianmarket #navajorugweaver #navajo_cultural_arts_program #cowboysindiansmagazine #instahga #nmfilmfoundation #indiedocumentary

Sheep shearer demonstration at El Rancho de las Golondrinas @sfgolondrinas a few years back. Please read DocMcNeal's comment below regarding the origin of this non-profit's Navajo-Churro flock. #navajorug #southweststyle #santafestyle #howtosantafe #newmexicotrue #SantaFeNM #SantaFe #NewMexico #TheCityDifferent #cityofsantafe #navajoshepherd #santafeindianmarket #navajorugweaver #navajo_cultural_arts_program #sfgolondrinas #ghostranchorg

Navajo Twill weave ca. 1890 48" x 31" handspun wool and warp Aniline dyes and naturals This amazing early example is a beautiful and creative way of using 4 harness twill. I've wondered if, because of the thickness and size, it was intended for use as a saddle blanket. First pic - full view Remaining 4 pics are details I did minor restoration to this weaving in 2010 for the @shiprocksantafe gallery. I started restoring Navajo weavings back in 1977, 46 years ago. The first several years I didn't take photographs of the rugs, then I used a Polaroid camera for several years.... hundreds of pics. Then I started using a regular camera as the technology improved....even more hundreds. And more recently, in just the last few (3?) years, I've started using my phone. It's so handy now to send of the pictures of the restoration process as I work on my client's rugs and so appreciated by them. So going back through the thousands of pictures I've taken of the 3,000+ rugs I've restored is such a rewarding and inspiring reminder of how lucky I've been to work on these Diné weavings. #navajorug #southweststyle #santafestyle #howtosantafe #newmexicotrue #SantaFeNM #SantaFe #NewMexico #TheCityDifferent #cityofsantafe #navajoshepherd #santafeindianmarket #navajorugweaver #navajo_cultural_arts_program patch.mckay That count was several years ago Patti, probably closer to 4,000 but don't want to go back and count the receipt book entries, etc. Now I just get to review them for these postings.....enjoying the desserts of my labors and sharing them with the Diné weavers here and of course, the world...and still being amazed at the ones I'm currently working on.

Navajo Contemporary weaving ca. 2004 - 28" length x 24" width woven with commercial yarn from the @brownsheepco A local Santa Fe client bought this weaving at the Shush Yaz Trading Company (still in operation) in Gallup, NM in 2004. The weaving was woven by Alice VanWinkle. I restored this beautiful weaving in 2010. Alice Van Winkle is listed on page 242 of "American Indian Art Series - American Indian Textiles 2,000 Artist Biographies" by Gregory Schaaf, published by CIAC Press Santa Fe, NM, 2001. It reads: "Alice Van Winkle (VanWinkle) (active ca. 1960s-present: Classic Revival, Burntwater, Pictorial) RESIDENCE: near the Crystal area of the Navajo reservation; Navajo, NM, 23 miles north of Window Rock; BORN: ca. 1950 FAMILY: Clan Dzilitil' ahnii (Mountain Cove People); daughter of Nellie Joe (1); sister of Lillian Joe, Gloria Cambridge Begay, Janice & Alice Van Winkle" The first picture is of the severe curl up of the side and end cords. The second picture is after I loosened the side and end cords and pressed the weaving using a wet pressing cloth and steam iron. I've come across several curled corners on the contemporary weavings. It's my understanding the weavers who hand-spun the yarns around the turn of the last century corrected the over-spin that was needed when making the plied side and end cords. The cords were over-spun for the strength that was needed when they were placed on the loom. To remedy the overspin they would skein up the plied cords, soak it in water, and then hang the wet skein with a weight at the bottom of the skein either with a cinder block or a board with a rock on it. It's very seldom, I've had to deal with curled up corners on the older weavings which have been the majority of my work for the last 46 years. #navajorug #southweststyle #santafestyle #howtosantafe #newmexicotrue #SantaFeNM #SantaFe #NewMexico #TheCityDifferent #cityofsantafe #navajoshepherd #santafeindianmarket

I was up before the sun this morning, to get some quality time with the flock before the wind kicks in. I led the sheep up to the rocks and just stood there watching them graze. Tears welled up in my eyes as a warm and comforting feeling came over me. As the cool tears ran down my sun-kissed cheeks I wondered, "do I ever not cry in these rocks?" Twenty years ago, at the age of 13, I began my own flock of Navajo sheep. Along this journey I've made lasting friendships and met many beautiful sheep. There was one person that I instantly gravitated to. Ingrid Painter started raising Navajo sheep in the 1970s and played an integral role in conserving this wonderful breed, as well as establishing Jacob and Shetland sheep in North America. Ingrid has many stories of her adventures in life. From growing up in Egypt to finding herself on desolate dirt roads in northwestern New Mexico in search of Navajo sheep. And what are those stories without knowledge? Ingrid has wrote and contributed to a few books about sheep, coining the description "deer-like," to describe the elegant build of Navajo sheep and how they graze on the land. She has always held world renowned Diné weavers like Julia Jumbo, Clara Sherman, Sarah Naataanii and Katherine Nathaniel in the highest regard for their craftsmanship and dedication to maintaining flocks of naturally colored Navajo sheep. Ingrid has taught me a great deal of what I know about sheep color genetics and throughout the years has sold me rams that have sired many fine offspring with fun-to-look-at colors. This has opened up my own path to studying and documenting the traditional names and stories that Navajo shepherds have about sheep colors and patterns. Recently, Ingrid and her husband decided to sell the remainder of their flock. After 50 years of raising sheep, I couldn't pass on the opportunity to have at least one of her ewes, continuing her hard work and legacy. Y'all, meet Ha'Penny. A beautiful ewe from Puddleduck Farm, who is striking and is quite deer-like with her isms. Ha'Penny is why I cried happy tears this morning. I'm grateful to have such meaningful friendships through sheep. 🐑💕 -- #navajoshepherd #navajosheep

Navajo Runner ca.1910-20 75" x 36" This beautiful runner was bought in northern NM from my client's great aunt's husband in 1920. First pic - Before washing with @textival_rug_and_textile and my restoration in 2021. Second pic - After the washing and my restoration. #navajorug #southweststyle #santafestyle #howtosantafe #newmexicotrue #SantaFeNM #SantaFe #NewMexico #TheCityDifferent #cityofsantafe #navajoshepherd

Navajo Transitional blanket rug ca. 1890-1900 97" x 63" wool warp: 7 epi wool weft: 17 epi 1 - After washing with @textival_rug_and_textile and my restoration 2 - Face-on view of weaving hanging in the client's home before reaching me for services. 3 to 6 - Details of the wonderful personal touches of the individual weaver that I love ❤ finding in the old weavings. "I believe this blanket/rug, is associated with trader J. B. Moore, who established the Crystal Trading Post in western New Mexico on the western side of the Chuska Mountains, at Washington Pass in 1896. This red/orange color is seen in his 1903 catalog and especially in the later 1911 catalog called "The Navajo". The date of the later catalog is the year Moore abruptly left the trading post and moved to Texas. His friends took over the post for a few years. This 'Maltese Cross Pattern' can be seen in one of J. B. Moore's loose-leaf single sheet leaflets presumably printed sometime between 1903 and 1911. It appears on page 41 of "J.B. Moore United States Licensed Indian Trader A Collection of Catalogs Published at Crystal Trading Post 1903 1911", published by Avanyu Publishing Inc. out of Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1987. [The Avanyu Press was run by the owners of the @adobegallery which is currently located on Canyon Road in Santa Fe, NM.] And in Plate XV of the 1911 (pg 60 ibid) catalog there are two sets of bands that span the width of the textile at the top and bottom as in this blanket/rug. The bands still had a feel of the traditional banded blanket designs." -An excerpt of a lengthy 'Report' I wrote for this rug's owner in 2017 after my restoration on the piece. #navajorug #southweststyle #santafestyle #howtosantafe #newmexicotrue #SantaFeNM #SantaFe #NewMexico #TheCityDifferent #cityofsantafe #navajoshepherd #sheepislife

#Repost @best.of.sheep with @let.repost • • • • • • This beautiful 📷 by Navajo Shepherd • @ navajoshepherd is accompanied by the history of this breed of sheep and the Navajo. “Navajo folklore says that t’aa dibé (the first sheep) were a gift from the Holy People. But as a failure of our own pride, those first sheep were taken away and promised to return when …..” find the full post on their page. -- #navajoshepherd #sheep #navajosheep #navajochurro #navajochurrosheep #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei #diné #navajo #navajonation #heritage breed #sheepphotography

This beautiful 📷 by Navajo Shepherd • @ navajoshepherd is accompanied by the history of this breed of sheep and the Navajo. “Navajo folklore says that t’aa dibé (the first sheep) were a gift from the Holy People. But as a failure of our own pride, those first sheep were taken away and promised to return when …..” find the full post on their page. -- #navajoshepherd #sheep #navajosheep #navajochurro #navajochurrosheep #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei #diné #navajo #navajonation #heritage breed #sheepphotography

In the second season of the Fields of the Future Podcast, BGC alum Juliana Fagua Arias (MA 2021) sits down with shepherd, weaver and co-founder of Rainbow Fiber Co-op (@rainbowfibercoop) Nikyle Begay (navajoshepherd) to talk about their experiences raising and tending to sheep: . “In my culture, brown sheep are revered as being very, very sacred. I mean, sheep to us are sacred. They're a gift from the deities. But this was a time where my people believed that every being on earth spoke the same language. And they kind of had like a persona. And they wanted to be involved. So, the rainbow beings, they created the most sought-after beautiful sheep, which was brown. And they told the humans before they were gifted to them that, "Hey, we're not going to just give browns that easily." In that traditional story, they say that "we’ll bless you with browns every now and then." So, in a sense, that was my ancestor’s way of explaining that brown is very recessive, that it's a blessing to have a brown sheep. So that's kind of what brought me into it, being a weaver, and brown being very, very, very gorgeous. But that's kind of what drove me to breed these different colors within my flock.” . Listen to the full episode on Spotify or through the Bard Graduate Center website. . photo courtesy of Nikyle Begay's instagram. . #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #navajochurro #shapedbytheloom #sheep #wool #southwest

Navajo Yei rug ca. 1961-65 59" x 39" This client's mother bought this rug between the dates of 1961-65 in Morenci, Arizona which is southwest of WhiteRiver, AZ. I restored the moth damage. 1-Before washing with #textival_rug_and_textile and my restoration. 2-Carding and spinning wool for the end cords after I've rewarped the broken warps. 3-Moth damage to body and cords. 4-Completed restoration. #navajorug #southweststyle #santafestyle #howtosantafe #newmexicotrue #SantaFeNM #SantaFe #NewMexico #TheCityDifferent #cityofsantafe #navajoshepherd #sheepislife

Keeping with a Navajo Transitional blanket/rug theme..... Restoration done on both weavings was done for the @ShiprockSantaFe Gallery. These weavings are not as kempy as the last post but still much of the very long outer kemp hairs have been worn off. Because of their excellent condition it's likely these were never used on the floor or put in a very low traffic area. Or the wool was slightly improved as seen in 2 detail. It's always been my hunch that when the man first purchased these back around the turn of the last century, he brought it home to his wife and she said 'There is no way we are going to lay those colors in our parlor' and into the chest it went. Perfect! 1- Navajo Transitional ca. 1890 70" x 54" 2- detail of 1 3- Navajo Transitional ca. 1900 97" x 57" 4-detail of 3 #navajorug #southweststyle #santafestyle #howtosantafe #newmexicotrue #SantaFeNM #SantaFe #NewMexico #TheCityDifferent #cityofsantafe #navajoshepherd #sheepislife

Navajo Transitional blanket/rug ca. 1890-1900 Restoration on this weaving was for the @ShiprockSantaFe Gallery. I have worked on over 3,000 rugs in the past 46 years and have only seen two Transitional rugs in nearly new condition. This is one. The other one I saw was early in my restoration career at the Streets of Taos gallery and could not believe that it was Navajo because of the long kemp hairs in the wool that were still in tact. Looked like a modern pile rug. After the Navajo were released from Bosque Redondo in 1869 they began building up there flocks again and cross breeding within their own flocks because of the restrictions the US government put on them. As a result, a poor quality of wool developed which contained more long brittle kemp hair and less soft hairs in the wool fiber. It is very rare to see these weavings in the original form because the kemp hairs are worn off/away and what remains is a very loose weave because 1) they are woven normally on a warp of cotton string and 2) the fullness of the yarn has been reduced when most of the brittle kemp hair is worn away. (See thin areas from foot traffic on the Transitional below - gray cross in red circle.) What also makes this a rare blanket/rug is that it combines wedge weave in the central design area. The bands on both ends are indication to me that it's a carry over from the banded designs of the blanket period before the traders strongly encouraged borders for the rugs they were then promoting. The first picture is the complete weaving and the rest are details. Note the augmented corner tassel and the rare gray line from it into the white on the corner in the last picture. Weaver's Pathway/Spirit Line? Marian Rodee writes of this wool in her book "Old Navajo Rugs Their Development From 1900 to 1940 With keys to their identification" U of NM Press, 1981, in chapter 3 with a picture detailing the fiber. What a carpet ride, eh? #navajorug #rugcollector #southweststyle #santafestyle #howtosantafe #newmexicotrue #SantaFeNM #SantaFe #NewMexico #TheCityDifferent #cityofsantafe #navajoshepherd #sheepislife

Sheared for shinalí asdzaa (paternal grandmother) yesterday and we really enjoyed ourselves. She could tell that I was quite intrigued while listening to her tell me about the good old days. She said that her and her parents used to make their rounds in the spring helping their relatives shear. In those days Diné shepherds had large communal flocks. As a young teen, her goal at each stop was to shear at least 200 sheep, so she'd make $100 in cash or trade. In those days, she said that she'd get paid .50¢ a sheep. We talked about how sad it is to see those same flocks break up and disappear when the matriarch of the family passes away. She reminisced in the memories of her late mother, telling me that she had, "shaggy 4 horn sheep like yours." And how those sheep always led the flock home. Toward the end of our day, she sighed and told me how much she'd like to herd sheep again, because then she would have absolutely no cockle burrs. Ah...I love my nali and owe her everything for teaching me to live the shepherding lifeway. 🥹💕 -- #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #navajo #diné #navajonation

"Navajo folklore says that t’aa dibé (the first sheep) were a gift from the Holy People. But as a failure of our own pride, those first sheep were taken away and promised to return when our humility was regained. History says that the Spanish Churra sheep were driven up from Mexico in the mid-1500s. This expansion led to the eventual acquisition of the sheep by my ancestors, a reacquaintance if you will, with an animal that they’ve remembered in their creation stories, sacred chants, and prayers." An excerpt from an article that I wrote for Spin Off Magazine's upcoming 2024 Winter Issue, about our wonderful breed of sheep. So come learn with me and give it a read, the link is in my bio. Axéhéé! 🐑 💕 -- #navajoshepherd #sheep #navajosheep #navajochurro #navajochurrosheep #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei #diné #navajo #navajonation #heritagebreed

Y'all!! I woke up this morning realizing that it has been 20 years to the day that I've started my own flock of Navajo sheep! This has been a beautiful journey, one that has allowed me to see the world and develop long lasting friendships, all while helping preserve my culture and our sheep. I'm chuckling as I write this, thinking about the 13 year old me in the first photo, where I'm posing with my first brown sheep named Copper. Did I know what I was getting into? Did I know that I'd shear thousands of sheep and skirt tons of wool within that time? Did I know that I'd eventually become a registration inspector with @navajochurrosheepassoc Did I know that I'd help @navajosheepproject coordinate their annual sheep sales? Did I know that I'd be a life long member of @dine_be_iina_inc and did I know that I'd help start a meaningful cooperative for Diné shepherds? In the second photo is 33 year old me, posing with two of my very best friends and colleagues, @springcoyoteranch and @zefren_m in front of 2000+ lbs of raw, Diné shepherded wool, purchased by @rainbowfibercoop ready for shipment. Who would have known I'd come this far. I sure didn't and I'm sure Copper didn't either. What I do know is, is that my love for the sheep, my people, my friends, and my family has only grown in the past 20 years. And well, here is to 20 more! 🐑 💕 -- #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #taadibei #dibéditsozí #dibé #sheep #navajo #diné

I woke up extra early this morning to greet the sun and let the cool morning breeze breathe life into my latest piece. Seeing the lustrous yarn reflect the warm sunlight, set in feelings of awe and admiration. I sat amongst the rocks on the steep bluffs behind my house and as the sun kissed my cheeks, I took in a moment to appreciate all of the weavers that came before me. That's when I noticed pottery shards and handles to broken cups surrounded me and I couldn't help but wonder, "when was the last time these rocks and broken vessels have seen a weaving?" There are similarities in the designs on those shards and this piece. So I feel that those before me were skilled at their craft and perhaps recorded their favorite weaving and clan patterns on their pots, cups, and effigies. I also took a moment to think of the weaver who wove the original pattern and thought about what they must've felt when they finished. Because weaving this complex twill was no mean feat. -- This weaving measures about 30"x29" and is woven purely of Navajo-Churro weft of Corriedale warp. The grey is naturally colored and the red is acid dyed. I lost count at 84 different sheds, worked many times over, to get the pattern from the beginning to the mid point. This is truly a one of a kind piece, that will make its home with @cirilo.domine 🥰 -- The third photo was taken in the Hubbell Home at Hubbell Trading Post here in Ganado, Arizona. They are 3 Ancestral Pueblo pots with geometric designs. Designs that are similar to the designs on the shards I saw this morning. -- #navajoshepherd #navajoweaving #navajoweaver #twillweave #saddleblanket

"When my horse neighs, horses of many colors will follow. When my horse neighs, sheep of many colors will follow." An excerpt from one of my favorite traditional chants. A few years ago I was confronted with the assertion from a non-indigenous shepherd that Diné weavers did not have patterned sheep in their flocks and that a non-indigenous trader verified this person that Diné weavers did not raise the colored sheep themselves, but instead blended or dyed the wool to make the different colors that were needed for weaving. But as a Diné weaver and shepherd, who has many Diné shepherds and weavers as friends, we do in fact raise these colored sheep. We continue to tell their stories and recite their prayers to this day. The sheep in the photos below are from a flock of a colored sheep being raise by a world renowned master weaver in Oak Springs, AZ. He has shared with me many stories of his preference for naturally colored sheep and wool. 💕 P.S. @rainbowfibercoop has finished our annual sheep shearing and wool buy, please keep a look out on our official page for updates! -- #navajosheep #navajoshepherd #sheepislife

Ah, the calm before the storm. The lambing storm that is! The average gestation period for a ewe is about 147 days when exposed to a fertile ram. And well, that many days ago is when I put the ram in with the flock! This is your fair warning that photos of adorable newborn lambs will be posted! Stay tuned... 🐑 ♥️ -- #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #navajochurro #navajochurrosheep #sheep #lambs #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei #dibéyazhí #lambingseason #navajoland

T'áá dibé or the real sheep. We, the Diné, have ancestral memories of sheep and being a pastoral people. Revered in our prayers, in our sacred mountain tobacco, and in our ceremonial chants, the real sheep are unlike the commercial and hair breeds you see today. My great-grandmother once described a beautiful sheep, one with long, draping fleece that reflects the sunlight--sheep that even her own great grandmother had described--this is 'the real sheep' that lived with the people since the beginning of time. And today, these are the sheep that I strive to preserve. The sheep whose wool that I weave with, the sheep that I pray for, and the sheep that have raised me. 🐑💕 -- The ewe in the photo, Pistol Annie, has become the super model of the flock. Whenever I pull out my phone, she is front and center, ready to be photographed for the cover of 'Churro Magazine.' I can't help but whisper the lyrics to "Supermodel," by @rupaulofficial as I'm snapping away pic-after-pic of the flock. 🤓📸💃🏻 -- #navajosheep #navajoshepherd #navajochurro #sheep #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei #originalsheep #therealsheep #diné #navajo #navajoland #shanteyoustay #covergirl #werk

#Repost @navajoshepherd with @use.repost ・・・ Go to the post to read the legend, IG don’t want me to paste it all. -- #navajoweaving #navajoweaver #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #navajo #diné #dibé #coyotestories #btgweavers #britishtapestrygroup #tapisserie #tapeçaria #tapiz #gobeläng #billedvev #gobelin #tapestryweaversofintagram #tapestryweaving

Part 4 of 4 part art panel “Canyon de Chelly Rescue” © 2020 Lantern Light Workshop Ink, Watercolor and Corrective Fluid on Paper #originalartwork #artpanel #fourpartseries #lanternlightworkshop #inkandwatercoloronpaper #newmexico #canyondechelly #navajonation #ghostdog #navajoshepherd

Let me share with you my favorite Diné story before winter is up... During the creation of Earth and Sky, Ma'ii or Coyote came upon the deity we call Hashch'éé zhiní or Black God, who was carefully placing the stars in the night sky. Ma'ii was amazed and wanted to help, so he pestered Hashch'éé zhiní until he gave in. The first star that Ma'ii placed was far in the southern horizon, which he named after himself, Ma’ii Bisǫ' or Coyote's Star. Coyote's star is Canopus, which is the second-brightest star in the night sky. The remaining stars were laid out on a blanket as Hashch'éé zhiní, mindfully arranged them in the sky. Ma'ii was eager to place them all, so he sneakily took grip of the blanket and in a swift movement, whipped the stars into the night sky. The snap of the blanket made a trail of stars--the Milky Way. The constellations are the stars that Hashch'éé zhiní mindfully placed. The scattered stars are the ones shaken off the blanket by Ma'ii after his initial act. And all of the dim stars are those that Hashch'éé zhiní had no time to fully ignite. 🌌 -- In Diné folklore, Hashch'éé zhiní or Black God is the God of Fire. He was birthed from a comet and fathered by fire. Hashch'éé zhiní has a crescent moon on his forehead, which trails down to a full moon around his mouth. The constellation Pleiades is on his left temple. Pleiades is said to regulate the planting and harvesting of corn, so it is an important cluster of stars to the Diné. -- Navajo weaving is quite innovative as shown in this textile. The shape is formed by manipulating the warp into a circle. This complex twill uses an alternation of 44 sheds to create the pattern from its base to the midsection. This twill reminds me of Ma'ii and the stars. Each diamond is like a star on the blanket and the outer lines are the expansion of the stars as they were flung into the night by Ma'ii. This special weaving measures a little over 14" in diameter and is woven of natural colored and Jacquard dyed Navajo-Churro yarn woven on Corriedale wool warp. This textile is available, message me for details. *SOLD* -- #navajoweaving #navajoweaver #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #navajo #diné #dibé #coyotestories

This beautiful photo is by Nikyle Begay, the Navajo Shepherd ,of the Churro sheep shepherded by the Diné people. This beautiful breed is almost extinct. I have learned so much about these sheep and the people who care for them @navajoshepherd , I encourage you to give them a follow. -- #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #navajochurro #taadibei #dibéditsozí #dibé #sheep #navajo #diné

Growing up, I was always captivated by colored sheep. Whenever we'd visit my great grandma, I'd follow her to the corral and when we got there, I'd work up the courage to ask her if I could have all of the black lambs. She'd giggle each time and began calling me, "dibé łizhiní," which means black sheep. She'd also tell me, you'll know a weaver when you look at their flock. Unlike the traders, who push commercial white sheep, weavers value their colored sheep and wool. My great grandmother was an amazing weaver, favoring natural black and gray in her large blankets and Klagetoh style rugs. 💕 -- It was my grandfather who would tell me about the rarity of the brown sheep. How it was seen as a blessing from the Holy People when a brown lamb was born. After years of studying sheep color genetics and working with friends to test breed color within our flocks, I find the traditional story of brown sheep fascinating. Because we now know that brown is the most recessive base color and the stories of my ancestors knew this. I can't help but look at the brown sheep in my flock and appreciate them. Of the many possible pairs the base color alleles could make, brown sheep are truly a blessing from the Holy People. 🐑 🌈 -- #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #navajochurro #navajochurrosheep #taadibei #dibéditsozí #dibé #dibe #sheep #coloredsheep #weaver #navajoweaver #navajo #diné

I've often wondered, "why am I so drawn to the sheep, drawn to the loom, and drawn to the land?" So I worked up the courage to ask my grandmother... "My mother, her aunts, my grandmother, and my aunts, they all had sheep, they all used weave," she said, "and when you were a newborn, I was given the task of placing your umbilical cord in a safe, sacred place." "So I took it to the heart of the sheep corral and placed it gently on the ground and swept the dirt and sheep poop over it, while I offered up a prayer." At this point her eyes welled with tears as she held my hand, "I prayed that no matter where you are in the world, your mind, your body, and your soul will always find the sheep and you will be drawn back to them." Then my eyes welled with tears as she hugged me and said, "I feel that my prayer was answered." 🐑💕 -- Every so often, claims circulate that the sheep of my people aren’t “real,” that they have been “adulterated,” basically invalidating our history, our stories, and the plight of my people that spans hundreds of years up to the present moment. Minimizing the labor and love put into every lambing, shearing, weaving, and movements with our flocks across the land. I wish I could say I’ve learned to not let these statements bother me. But sometimes it’s really hard to sit silently, without fighting back in some way, without countering narratives that are just as harmful as government imposed relocations and stock reductions. So know that Diné shepherds and more than 150 Navajo sheep are here, living the prayers of our ancestors. 🐑 💕 -- #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #navajochurro #taadibei #dibéditsozí #dibé #sheep #navajo #diné

In Diné culture we believe that it was Spider Woman who taught us to weave. She felt pity for the primitive person, so she shared with them her art of survival. After constructing the loom, she ran her silk up and down, starting from the left and going to the right, she created the warp. She then ran more of her silk through the warp, creating the woven weft. Weaving is a gift that harnesses our creativity. We weave for rain, survival, discipline, and the sheep. So with each weft that is laid, there is a prayer of perseverance and giving of thanks. 🕷️ -- I greeted the morning sun, presenting them with a completed twill textile. As the morning rays kissed my cheeks, my prayers were carried into the universe by the condensation expelled by my every word. 🕷️ -- This piece is a one-of-kind saddle blanket, with large and small diamond variations throughout the bands. The twill pattern was woven using 8 heddles and 3 natural colors of handspun Navajo-Churro yarn. -- #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #navajoweaving #navajoweaver #saddleblanket #twill #wool #handspunyarn #navajo #diné

Until you withstand the extremes with the flock--rain, snow, and shine--that is when the sheep are truly yours. A teaching many of us Navajo grew up with, passed down to us from our grandparents and parents. It's days like this, when the air is still but snow is lightly falling, that I like to reflect and appreciate the wisdom taught to me by my own and the many elders I have met. -- Listening to the sheep crunch on the brush and feeling the snowflakes melt on my face, I couldn't help but shed a few tears and smile. Because I know that this is exactly where I am supposed to be. 💕 -- #navajosheep #navajoshepherd #navajochurro #sheep #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei #navajochurrosheep #snow #snowfall

#Repost @navajoshepherd with @use.repost ・・・ I became intrigued with twill weaving as a child, I’d sit next to my grandmother and watch her build dazzling diamonds using more than two sheds. She explained to me how the warp counts worked with the weft to build up the design she was working on. She showed me her “teacher loom,” that held 10 different twill patterns. And for each pattern she had a story, one count an aunt taught her in trade for a sheep, another count was difficult to execute. She looked at me and said, “when you know the simplest one, you know them all.” — A few weeks ago, the twill piece in photo 3 went viral amongst Navajo weavers. It’s an amazing twill piece woven around 1890 using Germantown yarns. Many of my friends sent to me the original post, asking how many heddles or sheds would be needed to create the pattern. Curiosity struck, so I strung up four heddles on a sampler sized warp to create the large diamonds and rather than adding a heddle for each shed needed to create the bands of smaller diamonds, my friend and fellow twill weaver @zefren_m suggested I hand pick each intricacy. This was genius! — My re-creation measures 19” x 22 1/2” and was woven using Navajo-Churro wool yarn in both natural gray and black, as well as acid dyed red. To create the twill pattern to the midpoint, I picked about 64 sheds. When it was finished, my heart filled with love and respect for the original weaver… My re-creation piece is available. — Photo 3, was photographed by Joshua Baer, Santa Fe. And you can see his collection at www.navajoblanketappraisals.com — #navajoshepherd #navajoweaver #btgweavers #britishtapestrygroup #tapisserie #tapeçaria #tapiz #gobeläng #billedvev #gobelin #tapestryweaversofintagram #tapestryweaving

I became intrigued with twill weaving as a child, I’d sit next to my grandmother and watch her build dazzling diamonds using more than two sheds. She explained to me how the warp counts worked with the weft to build up the design she was working on. She showed me her “teacher loom,” that held 10 different twill patterns. And for each pattern she had a story, one count an aunt taught her in trade for a sheep, another count was difficult to execute. She looked at me and said, “when you know the simplest one, you know them all.” — A few weeks ago, the twill piece in photo 3 went viral amongst Navajo weavers. It’s an amazing twill piece woven around 1890 using Germantown yarns. Many of my friends sent to me the original post, asking how many heddles or sheds would be needed to create the pattern. Curiosity struck, so I strung up four heddles on a sampler sized warp to create the large diamonds and rather than adding a heddle for each shed needed to create the bands of smaller diamonds, my friend and fellow twill weaver @zefren_m suggested I hand pick each intricacy. This was genius! — My re-creation measures 19” x 22 1/2” and was woven using Navajo-Churro wool yarn in both natural gray and black, as well as acid dyed red. To create the twill pattern to the midpoint, I picked about 64 sheds. When it was finished, my heart filled with love and respect for the original weaver… *SOLD* — Photo 3, was photographed by Joshua Baer, Santa Fe. And you can see his collection at www.navajoblanketappraisals.com — #navajoshepherd #navajoweaver

Having an affinity for complex twill patterns is something I gained as a child. Whenever my family visited shinalí asdzaa, my paternal grandmother, I’d sit next to her at the loom and watch as she pulled heddle after heddle, opening the different sheds to create eye dazzling diamonds. My love for twills continues with this darling woven clutch. The diamond pattern is inspired from a similar sampler, in the second photo, that was probably woven sometime between 1890-1930. This intricate pattern uses 8 heddles or sheds and 3 colors of weft to execute. I can imagine the original weaver had the same love for twills as I do. 🕷️ — The clutch is woven of 100% Navajo-Churro wool yarn and measures 8”x5” It opens up enough to hold an iPhone 14 pro max and a credit card holder. It has a silver button with a wrap around closure. This one-of-kind clutch is available for purchase, message me for details. *SOLD* — #navajowoven #navajoweaving #navajo #diné #weaving #twill #twillweave #clutch #navajochurrowool #wool #woolart #fiberart #navajoshepherd

Today’s featured artist for Indigenous Heritage month is Shepherd and Weaver, Nikyle of @navajoshepherd Nikyle is co-owners of the yarn shop, @rainbowfibercoop and also works as a weaver at CS textiles. In addition to working with fiber, Nikyle is also a wonderful story teller! I’ve really enjoyed reading the accounts of what it was like for them growing up Navajo. Some accounts are from community members, some are personal, some parts are heart breaking, others are tender and sweet! You can check out more from this artist on their page, and don’t forget to give them a follow to support them on their journey! Taken from one of the photos, Nikyle writes, “These are the sheep my grandmother raised, so it’s important to me and my family that we hold onto them,” and “before I’d sell our wool to the trader and have almost enough to buy a cup of coffee, sometimes I’d have to add the spare change I have in my pockets.” These are a stories that were told to us by shepherds as we weighed and purchase their wool last week. Their stories and love for the sheep is a commonality between each other. I am very proud of what @rainbowfibercoop has become, because we have been working hard! These past couple of weeks we’ve cleaned, sorted, packed, and delivered to the mill over 1600 lbs of Navajo shepherd Navajo-Churro wool! I am very thankful for all of you coming together in our early days to help us form. A huge thank you to our grantors, @fibershed_ and @longthreadmedia for standing beside us. I am also grateful for our wonderful team, @springcoyoteranch @zefren_m @jaybegay @ilenenaegle and @erinliiv thank you! Friends, in closing I’d like to tell you that we still have blanket and rug weight yarn available on our website. Your purchases help us continue to pay Navajo shepherds for their work, so please visit the link in my bio for the link to our yarn store. Axéhéé! 🐑🌈 “ — #sheepislife #navajosheep #navajoshepherd #navajochurro #navajochurrosheep #navajo #diné #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei #wool #fiber #yarn #rainbowfibercoop #coop

November 1st began “Native American Heritage Month,” and since then I haven’t been able to get Mae’s story and other stories out of my mind. A few nights ago, the power went out in our town, my friend and I had just made shrimp scampi and threw back a couple glasses of pinot grigio. The fireplace in his house became our light during the darkness, my friend had offered to light a kerosene lamp, I froze. I was reminded of a story that another shepherd had told me. I was 14 and she was at least 83, we spoke about the old Navajo Sheep, dibé ditsozi she called them, she remembered the sheep her grandmother raised and the great blankets she wove with their wool. She said that she was about 10 years old when “the police” came to her grandmother’s home, they asked to see the goats—her grandmother didn’t budge. She walked them over to the juniper trees where the goats took solace from the summer sun. By way of a Navajo interpreter, “the police” got her to corral the flock of sheep and goats, they tallied the animals and said that she was over the allotted amount. “Allotted amount?” Her grandmother asked them, trying to make sense of a language she didn’t understand. The agents asked the family to return to their summer arbor, where the interpreter explained that their livestock numbers had to be reduced. “Bang! Bang! My grandfather’s mules went down, twitching as blood rushed out their mouths,” she told me, “Then…buckets of gas [kerosene] was poured on the sheep and goats.” Tears began to stream from her eyes, “when I went to school, the dorm maids poured the same gas [kerosene] on our hair, they said it was for bugs, but I couldn’t help but cry. I cried out like the lambs and kids did to their mothers as they were set on fire in my grandma’s corral.” She had to take a moment to catch her breath, “I didn’t want to burn like our sheep, but I thought, ‘I will burn like our sheep.’” Put our designs on your NBA jerseys, change your profile photos to memes to stand in solidarity, but know that this is the heritage I know. It is why I continue to raise sheep, it is why I continue to weave. Happy Native American Heritage Month, I guess.

I woke up early to greet the morning sun, to bless my latest weaving with it’s warmth and light. ☀️ — #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #navajowool #navajoweaving #navajowoven #navajo #diné #dibé #dibéditsozí #taadibei #navajochurro #navajochurrowool #weaving #weaver #fiberart #saddleblanket #horses

There is a story that has stuck with me for nearly twenty years, a story so genuine, that I’ve guarded it close to my heart. Mae, as we’ll call her, was a Diné weaver. She’d raise her family on the humble income made from selling her textiles at the local trading posts. One day as my 14 year old self was herding the flock away from the highway, that is near our house, I watched an older built GMC slowly going by. I noticed a scarf wrapped face looking back at me and the flock from the passenger side of this truck and as I smiled back at the cute granny, the truck whipped around, pulling up beside me. I remember her face clearly, high rosy cheeks, that sweet twinkle in her eyes, and a smile so bright with her new set of teeth, all wrapped in a bright yellow scarf with floral print. Grandma began to introduce herself and her driver, I’m assuming was either her niece or granddaughter, began to translate word for word. I had to yell over the loud truck engine that I understood Mae clearly and began to listen. Mae had told me that she was curious about my colored sheep and wanted to know if I had any gray wool available. So I invited her over to my wool stash and welcomed her to as much of the fleeces she’d like.   Mae chose 3 like colored gray fleeces and told me that she uses the color for the background of her weavings. I offered to take her to the flock to introduce her to the sheep that grew the wool and she agreed. As I pointed out the three sheep, she stopped me from going further. She said, “my grandmother called those sheep ‘cousins of the bighorn’,” because like the bighorn sheep, they had the instincts to survive. I listened as she explained further that it was the sheep, especially the ones with the tan bellies, that saved her during a time when BIA Agents were actively taking Indigenous Children from their families and shipping them to boarding schools—a lot of times sealing their fate and never returning home...CONTINUED IN COMMENTS

What a 📷 By Nikyle Begay -Navajo Shepherd @navajoshepherd not only will you find beautiful photos, and fiber arts, but also learn more about the Dine’ . “Water drips down the base of my horns, onto my nose and into my mouth..." A rough translation of an excerpt from a night chant sang during the Ye’i bi cheii ceremony—a winter ceremony. — #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #navajochurro #navajochurrosheep #taadibei #dibéditsozí #dibé #sheep #farm #sheep #farmlife #farmer #sheepfarm #farmasiüyelik #sheepfarmer #countrylife #bestofsheep #naturephotography #phototravel #natureloverys #zainfotoprodukpekalongan #farmlife #sheepfamily #sheepfam #shephard #diné #navajo #ghaaji #navajonewyear

"Water drips down the base of my horns, onto my nose and into my mouth..." A rough translation of an excerpt from a night chant sang during the Ye’i bi cheii ceremony—a winter ceremony. With the changing of the seasons, we are at what we Diné consider the start of a new year. Traditionally called Ghąąjį’ or “between,” meaning we are between what was a busy spring lambing, to a busier summer shearing, to fall’s releasing of the rams with the flock, to preparing for the foggier and cooler months, until the snow arrive. Ghąąjį’ is also a time that the Ye’i bi cheii and Mountain Way chants are sung, when coyote’s tale are told, and string games have begun. — As the season changes and we find ourselves in another trip around the sun, I reflect on the year that has passed, and leave with it the grief that was endured and take with me the joys that I felt. ♥️ — Modern Navajo celebrate the New Year in accordance to the Gregorian Calendar, marking October 1 as the beginning of Gháájí’. But growing up a shepherd, I’ve learned to mark the beginnings—of each month—with the new moon phases that come to pass. — #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #navajochurro #navajochurrosheep #taadibei #dibéditsozí #dibé #sheep #diné #navajo #ghaaji #navajonewyear

This morning was spent having a long chat with my grandma. We spoke about yesterday’s elections and tomorrows errands, but mostly we talked about the sheep. She asked me how the shearing season went this year and I told her all about it. When I told her that I didn’t meet my usual goal of 300+ hand shorn sheep, she chuckled and said that I remind her a lot of her mother. So she started off by saying that aside from my great grandmother having her own flock of sheep to shear, she’d also help other shepherds shear. They’d camp with them for days or even weeks at a time until every last sheep was shorn. One year, after a busy shearing season, the trader at the local trading post had organized a drawing for their loyal customers. The more money you spent with them, the more chances you had to win a prize—a brand new truck! Well my great grandma had children to feed and little money to spare, so she cut a deal with the trader, for every 10 sheep she sheared for him, her name would be added to the drawing and he agreed. My grandma said that her mom must’ve sheared hundreds of sheep, because by the time she finished, a good chunk of those names in the jar were her moms. She remembers that morning like it was yesterday, her mom saddled up the horse and told her that she’ll be back in the evening with a brand new truck, leaving my grandma with her younger siblings. It was getting late, the sun was setting and her mom, nor her horse were any where in sight. She was beginning to worry because it looked like rain was rolling in and her mom would have to pass through a couple large arroyos to get home, until, out in the distance she saw headlights approaching. As it came close she could see her mother in the driver seat! Her and her siblings could not believe what they were seeing and she remembers how excited they were! To this day, my grandma says it was the sheep that took care of them. It was sheep that brought them their first truck and that it’s the sheep that will always carry us through out life, like they did with her mother. 💕 — #navajoshepherd #navajosheep #sheepislife #taadibei #dibéditsozí #dibé #diné #navajo #navajochurro #navajochurrosheep

Beautiful 📷 by Navajo Shepherd. They sell beautiful yarn for blankets and outerwear, I’ve loved learning more about the sheep and tribe at @navajoshepherd “Táá dibé, the true sheep as we call them, are best acclimated for our climate and terrain. Navajo sheep are known to travel far and wide, through dry valleys and rocky cliffs in search for forage. Our sheep have both. In the spring, they’ll fan out over the valley, grazing on four wing salt brush and native grasses. In the fall and winter, they climb the steep cliffs on the ridge wall, in search for the plants that take refuge in the rocky crevices and the forage that remains untouched atop the mesa. “ #taadibei #sheepislife #navajosheep #navajochurro #navajochurrosheep #churrosheep #sheep #dibé #diné #navajoshepherd #navajoland #highdesert #mesa #arizona #navajo #nativeamerican #sheepphotography #yarn #shepherd #bestofsheep #naturephotography