Passion and Prejudice

From across the counter, I faced the woman and pondered the question she posed. Shifting from one foot to the other, I attempted to formulate a response that would adequately describe how I feel. The problem was the question was far too broad to answer simply, and the emotional stake I have developed on the subject matter was too, well . . . emotional!


Multi-Stone Bisbee Turquoise Bracelet

The question was not all that complicated, "What is your favorite turquoise?" There I stood, however, confounded by a vast array of choices. I looked into the lady's big brown, inquisitive eyes and felt overwhelmed by the possibilities. I considered opting out of the discussion by claiming a disabilitating paralysis when it comes to such matters. I looked to Steve for help, but he quickly defaulted, as if he too were curious about my reply. I looked back to the attractive, fifty-something woman and came to the realization that I had choice angst!

The woman had entered the trading post an hour or so earlier and proceeded to put me through my paces. She wanted to know everything I knew about rugs, baskets, jewelry, folk art, Navajo moccasins and turquoise. The turquoise portion of my litany must have attracted her attention, because her eyes lit up and she grilled me on the subject until I simply ran out of information. She must have recognized my passion, because she honed right in on my weakness; ultimately asking the doom's day question.

I felt like the poor guy I had heard about while listening to NPR's Radio Lab. The man was an accountant for a large corporation; a smart, successful man living the American dream. It seems doctors found and successfully removed a tumor planted in the orbital frontal cortex, just behind his eyes. After the operation the guy seemed fine; no problems, he still scored in the 97th percentile on intelligence tests. Very smart!

Shorty after the surgery trouble surfaced when decisions needed to be made; he could not make them, not even to save himself. Eventually his life fell apart; his wife and children could not tolerate his new, indecisive nature, neither could his associates. Everything unraveled because the man became overly analytical. By removing the tumor, the doctors had cut him off from his emotional mind. The guy became Spock, a Vulcan; a man without emotion. It seems you gotta have "feelings" to balance rational and emotional thought and to enjoy a fully functional, balanced life. Emotion and logic working together, who knew?!

The difference between that guy and me is that I am often ruled solely by emotion. I struggle with exaggerated "feelings", especially when it comes to turquoise. Oh, all right! There are a few other things I am passionate about, but we will focus on turquoise for the time being. I wonder from what planet those of us with disproportionate emotional issues derive. I suspect even Mars might not claim me as a citizen.


Carico Lake Turquoise Cluster Bracelet

Never did I give the woman a definite answer. Instead, I spoke of marveling at the hardest and most matrix-free Sleeping Beauty and fawning over the electric color in classic Blue Gem turquoise. I discussed the spider web patterns of black matrix surrounding islands of deep blue color zones and the unusual purple cast of Lander Blue. I explained the difference between the soft gentle pastels associated with yellow limonite and the rare, deep-water blue and almost imperceptible black spider web patterns in old #8 turquoise.

Becoming overly exuberant, I spoke of Pilot Mountain, water web Kingman, Indian Mountain and pyrite encrusted Morenci. She took a step back when my eyes glazed over while I attempted to describe the exotic allure of Chinese, Tibetan and Persian stones. When I got around to the striking beauty of Carico Lake turquoise, with its contrasting zones of blue and green, the woman headed for the Kokopelli doors. I did not even realize she was gone until I finished up with the wild and crazy greens of Fox and Royston.

When I emerged from my turquoise trance, I looked around for my now absent audience and found only Steve looking at me with an abnormal, almost frightened, look on his face. He edged by me, grabbed a couple strands of ghost beads as he went past the display rack and disappeared into his office. He was worrying the beads and mumbling something imperceptible, as if trying to cast off undesirable spirits. I shook my head in exasperation, wondering why other people could not become so intimately involved with the power of turquoise. If only they could walk a mile in my Navajo moccasins, they might see the truth.

With Warm Regards,
Barry, Steve and the Team.

Copyright 2008 Twin Rocks Trading Post

Thoughts on Physics, Zebras and the Recent Presidential Election

Several months ago, Barry became extremely interested in string theory; the idea that the foundational elements of nature are invisible strands of pulsating energy. Barry got our buddy Art Moore involved, and together they threatened to turn Twin Rocks into a scientific laboratory. As part of their probe, Barry purchased a copy of the PBS series, The Elegant Universe.

Needing something to do while I exercise inside on these cold November mornings, I snatched the DVDs from Barry’s office and began watching. The series discusses the search for a formula that unifies Einstein’s general theory of relativity with the properties of quantum mechanics. Having gone through the program a few times, I have recently begun to postulate how the diverse elements of physics, the recent presidential election and Twin Rocks Trading Post are related.

The election of Barack Obama as president of the United States has reminded me of the two zebras standing on the savanna discussing whether they are black on white or white on black. According to Wikipedia, president-elect Obama is the offspring of a Kenyan father and an American mother, and is therefore, essentially half black and half white, or conversely, half white and half black. He is, however, frequently billed as the, “first black president.”


Navajo Rug Weaver Ruby Coggeshell

This type of racial parsing has stumped me ever since I asked Native American flutist Douglas Spotted Eagle if he is Navajo. His somewhat anxious response was, “How much tribal blood do I need to be considered Navajo?” Holding up his pinky, he asked, “Is one drop enough?” Unfortunately, I did not have an response for him, since the answer seems to vary based upon the people and political interests involved. Neither did I mention to him the Kayenta tribal court decision my attorney friend Amy long ago directed me to. The judge in that case found an individual to be a tribal member based upon little more than his prior sexual relations with a Navajo woman. Since Douglas Spotted Eagle is married to a Navajo, presumably he would qualify under this legal reasoning.

In the almost 20 years I have been at the trading post, Mr. Spotted Eagle’s comments have frequently surfaced. This commonly occurs when I am talking with Navajo rug weavers like Ruby Coggeshell or basket weavers like Lorraine Black.

According to Ruby, her son Kevin, who travels the world in service of the U.S. Navy, is often asked whether he is Asian, Hispanic, Hawaiian or any number of other “tribes”. Ruby always chuckles when she tells the story, and I wonder whether it really matters. Kevin is a nice young man whom I have known since he was just a boy, and that is most important to me. For some reason, I have never considered the shape of his eyes, the tone of his hair and the color of his skin defining factors.

It was Lorraine Black, however, who finally allowed me to unify the seemingly irreconcilable elements of trading post, physics and the president-elect. Lorraine is the epitome of string theory; she is constantly jumping, pulsating and vibrating. Comprised of microscopic particles of energy that are completely unconfined and uncontrollable, Barry and I never know when she will arrive, or what will happen when she turns up.


Navajo Basket Weaver Lorraine Black

We do not view Lorraine as just Navajo. At the trading post she is an immense bundle of unrestrained fragments of energy that can cause chaos in our order and every once in a while order in our chaos. Laughing, joking, sad, nervous, quiet, happy, unpredictable, that is the essence of Lorraine. To us, she is not just a racial identity, she is . . . Lorraine; the sum of her particles. Searching for the unifying equation, I came upon an ancient and long forgotten formula originally developed by singer Kitty Wells, which goes like this, “Love, love is the answer.”

As it turns out, love, with equal parts of compassion and understanding, is the equation that unifies the people of the trading post and the various and distinct individuals of this nation, including its newly elected president. These are the elements that explain the unification of diverse groups, cultures and beliefs. As the zebras of the savanna ultimately determined, it really does not matter whether they are white on black or black on white, it is their individual character that defines them.

With Warm Regards,
Steve, Barry and the Team.

Copyright 2008 Twin Rocks Trading Post

Sky World

Navajo Fire Star Basket by Chris Johnson

The other morning I strode buoyantly homeward after my predawn workout. I was feeling refreshed and invigorated by the physical activity and the clean crispness of the air. As far back as high school, I have had a love-hate relationship with early morning exercise. I hate to drag myself out of a warm, comfortable bed to initiate an hour or so of (what I consider) strenuous activity, but I love the feeling of having fought off a more matronly figure one more day. I also enjoy witnessing the dawn of new beginnings on a regular basis.


Elsie Holiday Sun Bearer Basket

As I walked home, I glanced to the west and witnessed a spectacular show of light and color. The sky dome overhead was a dark and dreary gray. It looked as if a curved lens cap of high clouds fit snugly over the world. The exception was a horrific looking rift on the southwestern horizon. A ragged tear of incredibly bright orangy-red light split the earth and sky. I thought to myself that this must be how the first primordial dawn looked.


Navajo Wings Rug by Eleanor Yazzie

Stopping in my tracks, I watched in wonder as the rift widened until the sun sprang forth, igniting the earth one more time. The fiery orb lit up and blended with the blanketing cloud cover and cast an ominous glow upon the surrounding landscape. It was a simple, yet glorious, moment to witness. I wondered what ancient peoples might have thought of such events. The Sky World must have at once attracted and repelled them.


Navajo Great Owl Carving by Marvin Jim & Grace Begay

Working with local Native American artists has allowed Steve and me a deep and abiding interest in their creativity, and the myth and legend from which they draw inspiration. We have learned that the Sky World is of critical importance. Living in such close proximity to the natural world and her splendid wonders allows these artists a unique and exciting perspective that many of us can only imagine. To them, the sky alone implies a potent, thought-provoking reality.


Dennis Hathale Memory Aid

The sky is infinite, remote, inconceivably immense, inaccessible and eternal. From this upper realm, as with numerous cultures around the world, the Navajo derived their first notion of the divine. Native artists are inspired by thunder bolts, eclipses, storms, meteors, falling stars, phases of the moon, sunsets and rainbows. The sky was (and is) an endlessly active dimension with a life all its own.


Navajo Mitten Basket by Joann Johnson

Although the Sky World was basically effected by human beings, it affected and motivated them tremendously. From this elevated realm evolved cultural and faith-based inspiration that developed into elements that were essential to their spiritually inspired, artistic lives. These, now iconic, images are projected through rug weaving, basketry, jewelry and folk craft.


Zuni Knife Wing Buckle

The images include the Bearer of the Sun, who carries the light disk across the sky and can represent youth, endurance, virility and strength, and the Moon, a more settled personality associated with knowledge, wisdom, compassion and understanding. These two inseparable characters combine to present a harmonious, balanced persona. Big Thunder, Star People and those beings with dual citizenship to earth and sky such as the raptors and small birds are now common to Native American art forms.


Morning Sun Katsina by Wilford Begay

All of these images are instrumental and beneficial in explaining creation, existence and relationships. The art allows us to experience a mystical unity with people of a unique perspective derived from the ancient past and the natural world. This grants us a glimpse at primitive richness common to the land in which we dwell and the people with which we associate. Look to the skies, there is beauty and enlightenment there.

With Warm Regards,
Barry, Steve and the Team.

Copyright 2008 Twin Rocks Trading Post

Art is the Spark/Creating the Environment

Serena Supplee

As I left the sprawling metropolis of Salt Lake City late last week, I decided to check my messages before entering the no-man’s land of cell signals. Having punched the correct sequence of numbers into the telephone, I was treated to the slightly smoky voice of Serena Supplee spilling out of the handset. Serena informed me that Terry Tempest Williams, noted Southwest writer, was doing a reading in Moab, and suggested I attend. Serena, Barry and I have been talking with Terry about the history of Twin Rocks Modern weavings and Serena felt I should check in.

By the time I retrieved the message, it was late in the afternoon and I still had to swing by Home Depot to buy paint for Grange’s newly constructed bat house. With a little luck from the freeway Gods I might make it on time. Traffic is an unknown commodity in Bluff, so I am not competent when it comes to predicting metropolitan travel times. Fortune smiled on me that afternoon, however, so I managed to avoid the crush of homeward bound commuters.

When I arrived at Star Hall in Moab, the reading had already commenced, so I quietly took a seat near the back of the auditorium and settled in for stories about Rwanda, prairie dogs and the influence of art on our daily lives.

During her presentation, Terry blended unbelievable tragedy with extraordinary hope, courage and forgiveness. Art, it seems, was the glue that helped bridge the gulf between the pain of ethnic and environmental cleansing and compassion. Mosaic was the metaphor for her experiences. As Terry pointed out, art is a universal language.


Navajo Zig Zag Twin Rocks Modern Rug by Eleanor Yazzie

During her concluding remarks, Terry said, “Art is the spark.” The comment reminded me of a conversation I had with Bruce Hucko, well-known photographer and art coach to the children of southeastern Utah. Bruce has spent decades encouraging artistic creativity among the youth of the Colorado Plateau, with stunning results. His children’s book A Rainbow at Night is one of my favorites.

During a discussion about Navajo folk artist Charlie Willeto, Bruce had recently said, “You have to create the environment.” He was referring specifically to Jim Mauzy, trader from Mauzy’s Trading Post at Lybrook, New Mexico, and others who recognize that the Indian trader’s fundamental role is to build and nurture an environment where people freely express themselves.

When no one else would, Mauzy supported Charlie; buying his work for a sack of flour or a bag of canned goods, even though Mauzy had no idea what to do with the carvings. Surely Mauzy could not begin to conceive that Charlie’s sculpture would come to be known internationally, or that he would be mentioned in connection with twentieth-century self-taught luminaries like William Edmondson, Bill Traylor and Martin Ramirez.


Navajo Coyote Skinwalker by Robin Wellito

As Bruce pointed out, it is all about building an environment that sets the creative landslide in motion. It is, however, often difficult to know which rock to dislodge to start the tumult. Barry and I have done things we were sure would result in striking success, only to find we could not be more wrong. On the other hand, we have seen movements result in beautiful rugs, baskets, folk art or jewelry when we thought they were doomed to failure.

Maybe creating the right environment is a little like chemistry lab when I was in school; under the right conditions, one strike was all it took to ignite Mr. Guymon’s classroom. Surely art is the spark, but a little combustible material never hurts. Barry and I keep looking for just the right mixture.

With Warm Regards,
Steve, Barry and the Team.

Copyright 2008 Twin Rocks Trading Post