Weaving in Beauty the Navajo Way
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By Gary Parks t was a weeklong immersion into Navajo weaving held in Window Rock, Arizona, taught by three master weavers: Gloria Begay, Jeannie Slick, and Mary Walker of Weaving in Beauty. Included was an excursion to Mary’s shop and studio in Gallup, New Mexico. She inspired us with the history
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of the many Navajo rugs she displayed on her walls. We also visited several historic trading posts and Canyon de Chelly. Arriving in Window Rock, we witnessed a cannonade of thunder that echoed through the scattered Hogans and junipers across the valley. This dramatic arrival felt like a foreshadowing of the coming workshop. Our first night, we fell asleep listening to the rain drumming on the
roof and the wind chanting through the cottonwood trees. The next morning, the students and instructors gathered in a circle. We took turns holding the Talking Rug. It was an opportunity for introductions and sharing our wide range of weaving experiences. The workshop was open to locals and weavers abroad. Each described their own sense of a magnetic draw that brought them here.
Soon we were warping our traditional Navajo looms under the watchful eyes of our instructors. As we quietly began to weave, we heard in the distant background the recorded music of the Navajo flute player. It created an atmosphere of the primeval past that set the tone for delving deeply into the spirit of weaving. As we wove, our instructors spoke of the Spirit of the weaver being a part of the weaving. They
