As many people have explained to me over the years, and as the trading post has taught me first hand, the edge can be a very exciting place to work. Being this close to the edge might distress most people, but Barry and I have found a way to keep the wolf from our door; we simply invited him to become our partner.
Navajo Rug Weaver Carmelita Sagg, at Twin Rocks Trading Post
A week ago last Friday evening, I was sitting with my nose in the computer, getting ready to pick up my cap and go home, when Carmelita Sagg brought a rug into the trading post. When I saw her truck roll up, I sat back down and waited for the bargaining to begin. Her latest creation was an asymmetrical Ganado pattern weaving. As I was to quickly learn, Carmelita was extremely fond of that rug, so the negotiations went round and round. I had fallen in love with the weaving, so there was no letting her get out the door with it.
Since the Navajo people strive for balance in their lives, a concept they refer to a "Hozho," any unbalanced artwork is unusual and therefore desirable. Barry is unbalanced and unusual, but not very desirable. That may be because he is not Navajo and, although he is a piece of work, he is certainly not artwork.
I remember a time several years ago that Evelyn Cly brought in a completely abstract black and white basket. Barry and I were shocked to see it; partly because Evelyn is a tightly controlled, mostly traditional weaver, and partly because we had never had anything quite like it come into the trading post. We naturally purchased it, and I believe the basket ultimately became part of the Wheelwright Museum collection.
After my negotiations with Carmelita were complete and the transaction properly documented, Carmelita mentioned that her mother was in the truck. Her mom, Eleanor, always collaborates with Carmelita, and together they make a great team. Since we have developed a fondness for Eleanor, I had to go out and say hello. When I tapped on the window, I noticed Eleanor making beaded necklaces. She put down her work, and we said our greetings; she in broken English, and I in hopeless Navajo.
Seeing Eleanor bead the necklaces made me question whether she and the other Navajo artists with whom we work create their art as a means of preservation, or because they have a passion for the art. The answer must be that both factors enter into the equation.
Like most traditional crafts, the price of a Navajo rug often does not appropriately reflect the time spent creating it. I have often found myself talking to someone who undoubtedly earns a lot of money, trying to explain why a certain rug or basket merits the stated price. Although I am sure it varies significantly from weaver to weaver, it seems that the rate of return in most cases does not exceeds a few dollars an hour.When you are speaking with professionals who may earn hundreds of dollars an hour, the conversations can seem a little surreal. Earlier today, Ed, my ranger friend from Ganado Trading Post, and I were discussing this subject and not finding any good solutions. I guess that's not extraordinary, since the issue has confounded much better minds than ours.
So, it would seem that finances are not the primary factor that keeps Navajo rug weaving alive. San Juan County, Utah, and the Navajo Reservation are, however, two of the most economically backward regions in the United States, so the people here are extremely resourceful. While most weavers cannot survive on their weaving income alone, it can provide a nice supplement to the now meager social programs available to tribal members. So, the weavers continue to weave, make necklaces and do almost any other thing necessary to pay the bills.
On the other hand, when you ask the weavers why they weave in spite of the meager returns, they will tell you stories about how their grandmothers put spider webs on their hands when they were young, to ensure they become accomplished weavers; about how they sat next to their grandmothers and watched as beautiful tapestries were created; and about how they wove their first rug at an early age and sold it at the trading post. The way their eyes sparkle and their mouths curve up as they tell these stories reassures me that there is passion in the weavings; passion passed from generation to generation through patience, practice and persistence.
In an area where any income is welcome and pride runs generations deep, rug weaving has continued because the weavers love creating the art, and because it helps support their families. How long these factors will be able to sustain the tradition is an open question. Almost everyone in this region is living on the edge, and that makes it an exciting place to be.
Copyright©2004 Twin Rocks Trading Post
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