Native American Crafts
Exploring Navajo Native American Crafts - A
Little History
Navajo
Native American Crafts
Navajos are unsurpassed in their ability to create exquisite and multifaceted
arts.
Nowhere is this more true than in the beauty of their silversmithing.
Introduced by the Spaniards and Mexicans around the middle of the 19th
Century, silversmithing Navajos obtained metal by melting down United
States silver dollars or Mexican pesos.
Navajo lore teaches that when the Dineh came from the underworld, First
Man brought turquoise with him and directed shovels to be made of
turquoise to dig channels and drain much of the water that was present.
It's believed that Navajos began working with turquoise after returning
from Fort Sumner, New Mexico in 1863. Aside from its ornamental value,
turquoise is especially important to the Navajo people because of its
ceremonial significance.
Today, turquoise is used primarily for ornamentation, but Navajos
remember and wear it ceremonially as exemplified in the many rituals still
held today.
Navajo rugs, their unique silversmithing, and distinctive baskets are
recognized throughout the world. Everyone loves Indian art - particularly
Navajo art. Yet most guests visiting the Navajo Nation are not aware of
the history or significance of most artwork to the Navajo people. Nor do
most guests understand what constitutes "authentic" Navajo works
of art.
The squash blossom necklace is considered to be one of
the most traditional jewelry pieces of the Navajo.
Concho belts are commonly worn by both men and women
throughout Navajo lands as daily or ceremonial wear.
Rug weaving for the Navajo can lead to a successful way
of life, but most guests visiting the reservation enjoy choosing the right
rug for their purchase
While the art of basketmaking may seem minor, a basket has great symbolic
significance because it represents the well-being of an individual,
particularly the mind.
Navajo lore teaches that Holy People - First Man and First Woman - made
baskets when they lived in the underworld for ceremonial purposes. Each
part of a Navajo basket has a special significance. The core of the basket
represents the emergence of the Holy People into the present world - the
Fourth or Glittering World. The area surrounding the core represents the
earth. Traditional Navajo baskets have a first layer of black triangular
design, representing the four sacred mountains. That area immediately
adjacent to the black represents the sky; the red design represents the
clouds and darkness. The black triangular designs on the outside of the
basket represents the Holy People., including Yellow Corn and Dawn.
Finally, the outer edge of the basket represents the association with
others.
Apart from their ceremonial usage, Navajos also use baskets for
ornamentation.
Sandpaintings are another unique and symbolic art form originating with
the Holy People who lived in the underworld. Sandpaintings were, and still
are, primarily ceremonial.
Depicting the tools used by the Holy People, which were strictly
intended for ceremonial purposes, sandpaintings represent an array of
ceremonies and sacred songs. However, today many artists create pictures
of ceremonial figures for commercial purposes. Sandpainting in itself is
not forbidden as long as Holy people are not depicted. A spin-off of
ceremonial sandpaintings, are the popular sandpainting nameplates,
containers, vases, etc., decorated with figures other than ceremonial.
This allows the art form to be collected and enjoyed without compromising
sacred ceremonial values.
Tribal legend indicates that most Navajo arts prang from
roots that began with the Holy People. Virtually everything a Navajo says
or does is somehow linked with his cultural past, consequently they help
him set the course for the future. Navajo lands are, as they has always been, a
land in transition, a blending of the past and the present, reaching out
confidently to embrace the future.
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