Spider Rock : Home of Spider Woman

Sacred Spider Rock, Canyon De Chelly,  Navajo Nation

Spider Woman and Spider Rock 

According to Navajo legend, Spider Woman lives at Spider Rock in Canyon De Chelly.  She was first to weave the web of the universe. She taught the Navajo how to weave, how to create beauty in their own life and to spread the "Beauty Way" teaching of balance within the mind, body & soul. On the other hand Spider Woman has a bit of a dark side. But let's start off with the bright.

In the Navajo creation story, the first world was small and pitch black. There were four seas and an island. In the very middle of the island was a single pine tree. Ants, dragonflies, locusts and beetles lived there and made up the Air-Spirit People of the first world.

The second world was known as blue, where life was given to Spider Woman & Spider Man. Only their inner spirits or souls were made. Their physical bodies were made later to contain their spirits when they evolved into future worlds.

In the third world the holy ones advised Spider Woman that she had the capabilities of weaving a map of the universe and the geometrical patterns of the spirit beings in the night sky.  At first she did not know what they meant, and was not told how it could be done. Curiosity became her energy and driving force to learn to weave as the holy ones instructed.

On a beautiful day when she was out on the land, exploring and gathering food, she came upon a small young tree. She touched it with her right hand and wrapped her fingers around one of its branches. As she was letting go, a string streamed out the center of her palm and wrapped around the tree branch. She was not quite sure what the string was. At first she shook her hand to release the string, but it would not break free. She thought if she kept wrapping the string around the branch it might let go.  

Spider Woman started maneuvering and manipulating the string into various shapes. At this particular moment, she knew this was the weaving the holy people instructed her to do. Immediately she broke the string with her left hand without hesitation. She sat and thought carefully about how to use her new gift. For the rest of the day she sat close to the tree and wrapped the string into various patterns on other branches of the small tree.

The holy ones heard about Spider Woman's new talent and came to visit her. During the visit the holy ones instructed Spider Man to construct a weaving loom and also create the tools used in the various processes of weaving. At this time Spider Woman began to sing the weaving songs, given to her by the holy ones. The songs empower the weavings and the weaving tools.

Dine (Navajo) of today live in the fourth world, known as the "Glittering World". Young weavers are instructed to find a spider web in the early morning, glistening with sunlight and sparkles. They are told to place the palm of their right hand upon the spider's webbing without destroying or damaging the web. At that moment Spider Woman's gift of weaving enters the young weaver's spirit, where it lives forever. 

Spider Woman's dark side.  Navajo elders warn young children that Spider Woman is always on the look out for mischievous and disobedient children. When she finds them, she spins them tight with her web and takes them to the top of Spider Rock. There she boils and eats them. Their left over bones melt in the sun which create the white bands at the very top of Spider Rock. Yikes. Kids, be on your best behavior!   

Cara Gorman,  Master Navajo Weaver, close enough to Spider Rock to see the white bands 

Elsie Bia,  Master Navajo Weaver, near Spider Rock

Nizhoni Ranch Gallery Master Weavers, near Spider Rock

Navajo Textiles Across the Pond

One of our favorite clients in the UK decorated a room using Farrow & Ball Paint Company colors and a weaving from the Getzwiller Navajo Churro Collection.  He submitted the photo to Farrow and Ball and they published it in one of their color collections!  Thanks for sharing Douglas!

Weaving a Navajo Rug - Beginning to End

Elsie Bia preparing her loom for her next weaving - 2019.  Times have changed - but over all Navajo weaving has remained the same.  We don't know yet what style she will weave - but sure it will be fabulous!  Go Elsie!

Navajo weaving never ceases to amaze us - even after all these years!!! 

We often think about the early weavers and how incredible it is that they created magnificent art under the harshest of conditions with the simplest of materials. Tree limbs for looms,  their sheep for the wool, hand carved tools to spin and weave and natural elements such as flowers and trees to dye the wool.  Organic from beginning to end.   

Many clients ask if weavers follow a pattern - and if not how in the world do they create such beautifully complex designs that are a perfect mirror image?  Our answer is simple:  Spider Woman.  She taught the Navajo how to weave, how to create beauty in their own life and to spread the "Beauty Way" teaching of balance within the mind, body & soul.  The gift of Spider Woman lives in every Navajo weaver.  

How do weavers come up with their designs?  Some weavers we work with tell us they were inspired by a photo,  others say the design lives in their mind and a few say the designs come to them in their dreams.  

For the last several years Elsie Bia has come to Nizhoni Ranch for special events and to weave live in person for our clients and visitors. To see Navajo weaving in person is extremely rare.  We are appreciate that Elsie shares her gift with us. 

Elsie preparing her loom for the opening of the Nizhoni Ranch Woven Holy People Exhibit 2016

Live weaving at Nizhoni Ranch Gallery

Elsie's weaving close to completion

 
Elsie's final product - Hero Twin Yei, with Spider Rock, home of Spider Woman in the background. (Sorry - this one has gone to a new home)

 Click here to view available weavings by Elsie Bia!

Beach Babies - great things come in Threes

The Getzwiller's grandsons (three amigos) having a great day at the beach.  

Click on the photo below to see the video!  

Three reasons Gail has been out of the gallery lately!

Take a Virtual Tour of Nizhoni Ranch Gallery

 To take a tour of the Master Weavings of the Navajo Churro Collection Exhibit click on the image above.  Thanks to Steve Miller for this great video!

  Teec Nos Gallery Show 2020

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!  We hope it is filled with happiness, peace and love.

Steve, Gail, Robin and Beth

Heard Hits It Out of the Park!

Color Riot! How Color Changed Navajo Textiles
Through September 3, 2019

Color Riot! How Color Changed 

Navajo weavers’ individualism and flair for experimentation is vividly expressed in textiles from the last quarter of the 19^th century.  The textiles are rooted in ideas and events the weavers experienced between 1863 and 1868, the hard years of their imprisonment in the Bosque Redondo, and their subsequent return to a reservation.  During this time, weavers saw examples of the design system of Hispanic textiles and acquired new materials such as aniline dyes and Germantown yarns that touched off their experiments with color and design. Commercial products at trading posts sparked additional design ideas for weavers. This was a time when outside market influences were at a low point. The old indigenous trading networks had been disrupted, woven garments were being replaced with commercial cloth and traders had not yet developed design constraints of the rug market that developed in the early 1900s. During this time of great change, as the Navajo rebuilt their flocks and repaired the devastation of Bosque Redondo, weavers had an unprecedented freedom to experiment. 

Change has always been a hallmark of Navajo textile design, with the weavers’ individualism to a greater or lesser degree a continuing theme. Today, Navajo textiles are viewed as art with the singular vision of the weaver appreciated and applauded just as the vision of an artist working in the Euro-American artistic tradition has always been recognized.

 Click here to view our weavings that are part of this show

 

Congratulations to Dos Cabezas Wineworks!

Dos Cabezas Wineworks, one Sonoita's local wineries has won "Best of Show", "Best Red Wine" & "Best Non-Traditional Red Blend" for their 2015 Aguileon in the 2018 azcentral.com Arizona Wine Competition! 

Quite an honor, but frankly we are not surprised.  The small family run winery headed by Todd and Kelly Bostock have been making award winning wines for more than a decade.   Their 2015 Aguileon scored 93 points - JamesSuckling.Com.

Their tasting room is casual and welcoming.  A great way to start a day of wine tasting - or start of a wine tasting weekend!  In addition to fantastic wine,  Todd and Kelly offer accommodations conveniently located next door to their wine tasting room at 3248 Hwy 82, Sonoita AZ.

Make it a weekend of weavings and wine. Both Nizhoni Ranch Gallery and Dos Cabezas Wineworks are located in the heart of the Sonoita Wine Country, just 45 minutes South East of Tucson.  

Todd and Kelly Bostock of Dos Cabezas Wineworks in the high desert in Sonoita, Arizona. (Photo by Pat Shannahan)

Dye Master at Work!

Master weaver and dye artist Helen Bia was hard at work yesterday.  We had the rare opportunity to see her dye in real time.  

Step 1 - make the dye

Step 2 - add the wool and simmer

Step 3 - let the wool cool and sit to absorb the dye

Step 4 - check the color intensity

Step 5 - once the desired color is achieved, rinse the wool and let dry.

Making natural dyes and hand dying wool in incredibly time consuming.  Very few weavers today take the extra time and effort to hand dye their wool.  

It is a family tradition in certain weaving families along with "secret" family dye recipes. 

Thank you Helen for giving us a glimpse into a day in the life of a Master Navajo Weaver.

Below is the final product!

THREE TURKEY RUIN: VEGETAL DYED NAVAJO WEAVING :
GLORIA BIA : CHURRO 1597
$ 3,500

Thank You! Master Weavings of the Navajo Churro Collection Exhibit



Whirling Logs - Navajo Sacred Symbol

JB Moore Crystal with Whirling logs.  Circa 1910-1920.  GHT 2309

The swastika motif goes back thousands of years in human culture.  One of the oldest symbols made by humans, the swastika dates back some 6,000 years to rock and cave paintings. Scholars generally agree it originated in India. 

In the Navajo culture the swastika or Whirling Log, represents well being, good luck and protection.  It comes from tale of the Whirling Log.

 The Whirling Log

The hero of the story sets out on a long journey. At first the gods try to persuade him against going, but seeing his determination, help him hollow out a log in which he will travel down the river.

Along the way he has many misadventures which ultimately result in his gaining important ceremonial knowledge. In one such instance he and his craft are captured by the Water People who carry him down beneath the waters to the home of Water Monster. Black God threatens to set fire to Water Monster's home and the hero is released, but not before being taught by Frog how to cure the illnesses caused by the Water People.

When he finally reaches the lake that is his destination, the gods catch his log and help him to shore. Wandering about on land the hero comes upon a whirling cross with two yeis seated on each end. From them he learns the knowledge of farming and is given seeds. He then returns home to share these gifts with his people.  

Until the late 1800s, when J. Lorenzo Hubbell and J.B. Moore opened their trading posts in Arizona and New Mexico, Navajos portrayed the swastika solely in their religious ceremonies in the form of sand paintings. But by 1896, with prodding by Hubbell and Moore, the symbol proliferated on Navajo rugs.  

In 1940, in response to Hitler's regime, the Navajo, Papago, Apache and Hopi people signed a whirling log proclamation. It read, "Because the above ornament, which has been a symbol of friendship among our forefathers for many centuries, has been desecrated recently by another nation of peoples, therefore it is resolved that henceforth from this date on and forever more our tribes renounce the use of the emblem commonly known today as the swastika . . . on our blankets, baskets, art objects, sand paintings and clothing."

Opening Reception for "Master Weavings of the Navajo Churro Collection"

You are cordially invited to our special opening reception in celebration of our upcoming exhibit "Master Weavings of the Navajo Churro Collection".

When:  Saturday March 9th, 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Where: Nizhoni Ranch Gallery, 51 E Pinto Trail, Sonoita AZ

Reception event will include a walk and talk with Steve and opportunity to watch Master Navajo Weaver Elsie Bia working on her latest rug!

Please join us!  RSVP by March 7th: 520-455-5020