Sacred Dancers: Ceremonial Navajo Weaving

In the early 1900s, many Anglo tourists were fascinated by Native American religion. Encouraged by traders capitalizing on this trend, Navajo weavers developed a new genre: ceremonial weaving.

Traditionally, depicting the Yeis, or the Navajo Holy People, in permanent form was considered downright dangerous. Oftentimes, weavers faced intense pressure from their communities to not depict holy beings in their textiles. Reconciling their reverence for their own religion with market demands, weavers wove creative rugs that were most often artistic interpretations of the sacred, rather than accurate replicas of religious imagery.

Featuring Yei, Yeibichai, and sandpainting textiles, Sacred Dancers tells the history of weavers, including medicine man Hosteen Klah, who boldly portrayed ceremonial imagery in their weavings.

From the Collection of Steve and Gail Getzwiller, Nizhoni Ranch Gallery