I met Laverne Barber about 50 years ago. My father had worked with Lavern’s mother, Anna Mae Barber, a long time before that. Anna Mae was the oldest sister in what would become the family that created the Burnham Weaving Area.

Unlike many Navajo weavers of old, Nellie Begay is accomplished at creating multiple styles. She has been a fixture and a ribbon winner at the Santa Fe Indian Market, where she has sold most of her work in recent years.

One of my favorite times to be in the gallery in Durango is when a weaver comes in with a rug wrapped in a Blue Bird Flour sack. Older weavers seldom open up the package.  After we greet each other, they hand it to me, and I get the pleasure of unrolling it. It is just like opening an unexpected birthday present!

Over the years, 259 documented trading posts were on or adjacent to the Navajo Reservation. I bet nearly all these posts had at least one Name Rug!

Over the years, we have seen Navajo weaving evolve from wearing blankets to the transitional and Germantown weavings, the early floor rugs, and the regional styles. I’ve been thinking about where we are today and would like to share some thoughts.

Spider Woman is not a Navajo Deity. The Holy Ones created her and Spider Man to weave the fabric of the universe. Today, the Navajo live in the Fourth world, called the "Glittering World."

There was a time in Navajo weaving when bright, colorful dyes created many wonderful and exciting patterns. It was almost like an explosion of joy when Navajo weavers were provided with colorful commercial yarns and aniline dyes.

Most people who know about Navajo weaving know about the Teec Nos Pos weaving area. The post is just southwest of the Four Corners, where the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah meet.

Most people interested in Navajo weaving know that the different styles evolved around the trading posts on the reservation. Two GreyHills, Ganado, Teec Nos Pos, and about a dozen other posts have weaving styles named after them.

This past Sunday, I was giving a talk on Navajo Weavings at the Sorrel Sky Gallery in Santa Fe on the last day of the 100th Indian Market. It was a big week for Native American arts as the Gallup Ceremonial celebrated its 100th Anniversary!

All the best artists, musicians, singers, athletes, and anyone who reaches the top of their career have one thing in common: none of them had those skills when they started. It takes a lot of practice and a lot of work.

Back at the turn of the 1900s, Navajo weavers were moving away from making the wearing blankets known throughout the Southwest. The Navajo had worn these blankets for over 100 years and traded them to other Native tribes.