Arizona Highways: Navajo Blanket Edition--Bryan F.

As I rifled through my paper treasures I came upon my small collection of Arizona Highways magazine. My mind went immediately to the Navajo Nation here in the Southwest that is being decimated by Covid19. With little health care infrastructure, the disease has easily spread. Reservations have limited plumbing and running water to wash hands and poverty creates barriers for social distancing with multiple generations living in close quarters. It's easy to forget the continuing plight of most Native Americans as we see large Indian Casinos that only benefit a small number of Indians.

The Navajo Nation alone has more cases than thirteen other states combined. Systemic racism has kept most from prospering just like their African American cohorts.

So this post is intended to remind us of those that do not share the privilege that many of us take for granted. This post is dedicated to all who suffer under the heavy burden of systemic racism and prejudice.

Some of my earliest childhood memories include Southwest Native American Art. I was born in Tucson, Arizona, during my father's U.S. Airforce assignment at Davis Montham Airbase. My parents didn't have a lot of money then but managed to pick up a few items. My Mom had a
pair of genuine beaded moccasins that she wore around the house and I remember a couple of Indian blankets that got a lot of use. Soft in hues of blue and red I can no longer remember the exact pattern. Whenever I see beaded moccasins I am transported back to my childhood

I became familiar with Indian art and jewelry when my friend Cindy, back in 1974 brought me to a small Indian jewelry boutique in the neighboring town of Redlands near where we lived in San Bernardino, California. The name of the woman that owned it is on the tip of my tongue. Anyway, I fell in love with Native American art as a result and began to study it a bit. I purchased Arizona Highways magazines that featured Southwest jewelry and other Native artistry. I still have three of them and I will be sharing the one on Indian blankets in this post.

I will be following up with the other two next week. There are images of the other two below with a little tease to remind you to return next Monday.

The Blankets

July 1974 edition of Arizona Highways Magazine

Southwest topography is like no other place on earth.

The weaving districts.

Pueblo Indians were already weavers of cotton when Coronado drove sheep into what is now known as Arizona in 1540. The sheep offered a new medium for weaving.

As the Athapaskan later named Navajo by the Spaniards expanded westward and southward they learned to weave from the Pueblos.

(A summary of the above article.)