Woven lives, weavers' voices: A family of Dine weaversspeak about Dine textiles

Abstract

This research documents and discusses the reactions of a family of Dine (Navajo) weavers who were asked to examine selected Dine textiles in the Arizona State Museum's collection. Although the ways Dine weavers perceive their creations is not the focus of many studies, this research explores their aesthetics to gain a greater understanding of the weaving tradition. Building on cross-cultural interviewing techniques that originally used photographs, this study uses a selection of museum textiles to explore Dine aesthetics. The results address Dine weavers' views of the meanings and changes in Dine textile designs, the significance of the process of weaving, and the motivational forces that fuel this tradition.