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Indigenous Visionaries: The Vulnerabilities of Storytelling, Memoir Writing and Weaving

4/2/2021

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Dr. Christine Ami

NCAP Grant Manager and 2020/21 American Indian College Fund Indigenous Visionaries Mentor

March 31, 2021: I couldn't image a better last day of National Women's History Month than with a book discussion on I am Malala followed by a memoir writing workshop with none other than the president of the American Indian College Fund, Cheryl Crazy Bull! 
I must confess - since finishing graduate school - my reading selection has been dedicated to a rather closed range of topics:
- Animal Studies
- Indigenous Animal Studies
- Native Food Sovereignties
- Indigenous Research
Of course there is a wild sprinkling of celebrity tell alls (Jessica Simpson was the last I tackled). So when I found out that we would be reading I am Malala as a College Fund Indigenous Visionaries personal development activity,  I thought it would be a great break from my normal reading trends. It was!
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Throughout our Virtual Connection, we had the opportunity to hear from several of the other Indigenous Visionaries fellows from: Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and Salish Kootenai College. ​We touched upon some key points and personal connections with the text. I was particularly impacted by commentary from our own NCAP Visionary, Tammy Martin, who pointed out that she read the story of Malala, a young girl who was shot by the Taliban for advocating for eduction, through the eyes of young Nobel Peace Prize winner's parents.

Our discussion moved from takes on feminism to the power of writing for women. One of our College Fund facilitators brought forth a quote from the reading that highlights the act of writing as activism. Malala writes:
  • ​"I began to see that the pen and the words that come from it can be much more powerful than machine guns, tanks or helicopter. We were learning how to struggle. And we were learning how powerful we are when we speak" (157).
​As I listened to the discussion that ensued, I thought about Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and her influential piece "Can the Subaltern Speak?" While I do have major issues with the concept of post-colonialism, this was a pivotal piece for me as a graduate student as I learned about the periphery and the center and how gender and socioeconomic class create microcosmos in the larger fight of who can speak on behalf of the Other. 

​I know, I know - I am getting a bit jargony here - but hang with me for a sec or two...

Specifically, Spivak highlights: "Can the subalern speak? What must the elite do to watch out for the continuing construction of the subaltern? The question of 'woman' seems most problematics in this context" (90). Through her critical eye of Foucault and Deleuze, she concludes: "The subaltern cannot speak. There is no virtue in global laundry lists with 'woman' as a pious item. Representation has not withered away. The female intellectual as intellectual has a circumscribed task which she must not disown with a flourish" (104). So the question remains - h
ow does the intellectual, even the female intellectual, represent these voices without being condescending, without commoditizing their knowledges and their experiences, without engaging with epistemic violence of academia? For Malala the answer is clear, don't wait for the academic - write for ourselves.
Just as my mind started to wonder further into memories of literary theory and gender studies lectures, inquiries of what/who defines an "intellectual", and the complexities of my role as a Navajo woman with a Ph.D. in academia, our Indigenous Visionaries event flowed into a memoir writing workshop
​           - I see what you did there, College Fund people... read a memoir, workshop our own memoirs ;)
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Reading memoirs is a whole other species from writing memoirs. And as we shifted into workshop activities, Cheryl asked a vital question: "what do we feel when we are writing about ourselves?" I was shocked at the almost unison responses - vulnerability, cultural gatekeeping, cultural oversharing ... Holy moly! - These are the feelings that have kept me from publishing many of my articles. 
You see, I write in stories - a highly controversial form of data delivery in the academic realm - second reader responses typically echo: where is the hypothesis?; is this the introduction?; why can't you just get to the point?; is this creative writing?, is it theory?, is this even research?  My introductions are usually snapshots of when the perplexities of the study have culminated in a personal setting and my conclusions are usually finalized with my traditional introduction, reaffirmations of who I am as a Navajo woman. In between are hypotheses, data, theory and research.

More importantly, these stories from my experiences, from my studies - both formal and informal - are how I learned to learn and how I learned to teach. From weaving to butchering, from graduate papers to my dissertation, from to my response to the Navajo Nation's president for silencing me to my current application for a National Endowment of the Humanities Grant - stories are where you will find my voice, my successes, my failures, my family - it is where you will find me. So vulnerability pretty much wraps up a lot of my anxieties about publishing.

Cheryl pushed those vulnerability buttons and had us practice some writing - "How does your story start?" What better time to test out the starting line to my article draft, entitled: "A Native Scholar Pushing Back: Epistemological Imperialism, Academic Gaslighting, and Credential Theft". What would people say? What would my peers think?  Despite the fact that the group I was writing with could not have been more supportive, vulnerability creeped in. Oh well... here I go:

In the stillness of my home before the sun rose, before my children, husband and animals awoke, I was trying to make sense of the theft of my Indigenous research credentials by a non-Native former colleague.

Heads nodding - That's a good zoom sign.  A voice reached out: "I would read that!" Another voice followed, "Yeah, I would too."  Followed by another, "Now, I want to know what happened!" Validation of my experience, of my voice, of not only others hearing me - but of others listening to me. It was only the first sentence and the story was still to come, but it was an opening line that epitomized a crucial moment in my life as an academic and a Native woman and which also interwove my experience in complex sociopolitical realities of the Native American Studies discipline.
After our workshop, I thought about what was shared and what it means for a Native American Woman to write down her stories. My fingers reached for one of the first Native women's anthology that I had ever read, Reinventing the Enemy's Language (1997). Julia Coates, Councilor for the Cherokee Nation's Legislative Branch, and my first Native Women's Literature professor at UC Davis, introduced me to this compilation of poems, songs, and essays that bring to life the "beautiful survival" of Native women, including all of the ugly as Joy Harjo declares: "We are still here, still telling stories, still singing whether it be in our native language or in the 'enemy' tongue" (31).
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As my mind returned to the issues brought forth by Spivak, these questions returned:  How can I write about Navajo women, from my position as an academic, and encapsulate their voice with mine?  And then I thought - why do I have to encapsulate ALL Navajo women and why do I have to write like a western academic?  What I write about is my experience as a Navajo woman and I write in stories. 
At that moment, my home office chair spun around as I felt for a binder with articles I had written for Dr. Ines Hernandez Avila's Native Women's Literature seminar class - I pulled out my paper about the power of sensory narratives - the meta stories of weaving. In this paper, I write about the making of the medicine dress in Louise Erdrich’s (Anishinaabe) novel Four Souls and my nálí, Ida Mae McCabe’s (Diné) weaving “Storm Pattern”. The meta narrative is what is most important to me - not the visual end product of a dress or rug. It is all of the stories told during the creation process which are sewn and woven into the totality of the piece. The theory and praxis of telling with a needle and/or weaving comb mediate a sensory creative process, which in itself is a demonstration of survivance. 
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These sensory textile narratives constitute creative acts of writing, complicate constructions of Indigenous feminisms, and promote cultural sovereignty through means other than the enemy’s language.​

And as I thought of those words and my place in academia, I thought of my grandmother. I thought of how she told me stories - it was through weaving. Weaving is our memoir - In the warp are stories of her survival and mine. Each line is a recap of my day, smooth hooks retell my successes, each section unwoven is not only the presentation of one of my failures but also my reattempt at troubleshooting the problem at hand. Inside my weavings are my thoughts - my family - my research - my vulnerabilities. Inside my weavings are told, unseen stories.

I haven't woven a complete piece in years - work and life have kept my loom covered. I tried to look  at my weaving tools that were my nálí's who passed away from COVID complications in July. But I just wasn't ready.

But today - today is different. Today I picked up my spindle. The warp, my hand, my thigh became one instrument. My spit used to mat and settle the warping mixed with the wood of the spindle and in return that taste of wood brought forth the memory of the feel of my nálí's velveteen skirt - coated with a slight tinge of mutton grease. The sound of my spindle on the floor joined the sound of her spindle in my memory.

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​Just like that - My grandmother, Cheryl, Gayatri, Julia, Joy, Inés, and I, we started a new piece - In this warp is the outline for my next memoir - this one includes the stories of the Visionary fellows and how they got their mentor to weave once more. It is filled with the vulnerabilities we discussed in our workshop, power that is associated with learning to write ones story, and continuation of our ways of knowing with a weaving comb in hand.
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Indigenous Visionaries: Applying to the 2021 Heard's Indian Market

3/18/2021

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Sue V. Begay

Weaving BFA Student, American Indian College Fund Indigenous Visionaries Winter 2021 Fellow

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My online profile as part of the Heard's virtual market.
As part of the College Fund Indigenous Visionaries Program, we were challenged to try new endeavors, such as submitting to enter the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market 2021 Virtual Fair. 

I had attended the Market in 2017 as part of the NCA136 Navajo Cultural Arts Business Systems class. We were touring cultural arts markets on and off of the Navajo Nation. One of our stops was the Heard Market. The experience was overwhelming to say the least. So many brilliant artist at one place. At the time, I must admit, I was not familiar with them but later, as I started to really work with weavers from all over, I began to recognize their work. 


Never once did I think that one day I would be amongst them as an artist. ​Well, it happened this year.
With the encouragement from the Navajo Cultural Arts Program, my Visionaries' mentor, and one of my weaving mentors, Tahnibaa Nataanii, I completed the Heard Guild and Indian Market's application and submitted it. The application process was pretty simple – to be considered I submitted my art descriptions, pictures and paid an application fee. The hard part was waiting to hear if my art was accepted. The anticipation to receive word back as to whether or not I was accepted, waitlisted or rejected was almost too much...I didn't know if I would get it. It takes artists YEARs to get it.... but it came! I was accepted!

​Sue V. Begay from Dennehotso, Arizona got a spot at the Heard Museum!


​After I accepted and paid my booth fee, my thoughts were on how exciting and honored it was going to be placed among the super famous artists. Seriously though – Tahnibaa Nataanii, Lynda Pete, Barbara Teller Ornelas – they are my teachers, my friends and I was going to have our work shown next to theirs! I was happy to be amongst them even though it was a virtual experience.

I took off for Phoenix to drop off my juried items. The customer service and all-around hospitality of everyone working to ensure that pieces were collected respectfully made a huge impact on my experience. The person who accepted my art told me which pieces he thought were going to sell and assisted me with the pricing – I had never sold in an arena like this before so I really appreciated all of their guidance and suggestions.  My lucky stars were aligned.

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My weavings waiting to be priced and submitted!
I was elated to sell two of my three weaving pieces. The personal experience is self-achieving with lots of support and encouragement from your peers. If it were not for the support of Diné College programs I would not have had the opportunity to shine with the superstars.

​I look forward to submitting again next year. I'll have to apply again and I am sure it will be an entirely unique experience to be selling there in person.

A few pieces of advice that I have for my fellow emerging Navajo artists about entering into shows like the Heard Indian Market is:
  • ​Ask questions: If you need help or need guidance, contact the organization or friends who have experience in that show.
  • Tell them it is your first art show: Don't be embarrassed that this is your first show. They will be proud of you and more than willing to help - accept the help when you can get it!
  • Be positive: Just as you create your work with positivity, enter your pieces with positivity. Even if you don't get in - stay positive.
  • Have faith in your art: Your art has faith in you so you keep your faith in your art. It will take care of you if you do.
  • Be proud of your creativity: Keep those creative juices flowing - your ideas may be game changers.

The pictorial raised edge with an eagle design pillow shown below is one of my items that sold at The Heard.
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Interviewing Indigenous Visionaries: A Navajo Weaver, Gloria Begay

2/26/2021

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Tammy Martin

Navajo Weaving BFA Student, American Indian College Fund Indigenous Visionaries Fellow

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​Gloria Begay was the first weaver I met who was more than willing to share her story and advice about weaving in two whole days. In Canyon De Chelly, she was raised by her mother, who she recalls as a very stern and disciplined woman. She is Dzil lah nii, born for Kinyaa’aanii.
As a child, Gloria remembers having to help with cleaning, carding and spinning wool, sometimes very late into the night hours. Through her years growing up, she was taught how to prepare wool for dying: learning how much wood, what kind of plants, and which basins to gather. She was taught how to warp for her own rugs. 
Gloria remembers selling her first finished piece, a 14 X 17 “Chinle design” rug, to Navajo Arts and Crafts for $20; which then was used to buy groceries. Her mother then took over her sales until one day at Many Farms High School a dorm staff questioned if she would be interested in selling her rug in Farmington. 
She was very happy with her sale because she got to keep the money. This money allowed her to buy graduation items she thought she wouldn’t be able to afford. She went on to attended Navajo Community College (now Diné College) and earned a certificate. She uprooted from her home area and moved to the Eastern Agency community of Crownpoint. It was here that she worked at Indian Health Services, the Navajo Nation Police Department,  the Office of Vital Statistics, and Crownpoint Community School.
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She had married, had a family and a place to call home. Weaving became therapy because she soon found herself a victim to domestic violence. Two years after filing for divorce, her oldest daughter became ill with leukemia and passed away in April. During these trying times weaving de-stressed her and provided an extra income. Five years later, she married Kenneth Begay, a big supporter of Gloria and his stepchildren.
One day when Gloria and her husband's curiosity and a rug sale led to a longtime friendship with Weaving In Beauty founder Mary Walker. After a couple of years, Mary asked Gloria if she would become an instructor at the week-long classes held in Gallup, New Mexico and Lake Tahoe. However, since this pandemic the classes have been held virtually.

​During the Fall of 2019 and Spring 2020, Gloria was teaching Weaving classes at the University of New Mexico-Gallup Branch. In her teaching experience, she told her students “What I am teaching you is what I was taught. Other weavers were taught differently. Learn to be open to what other weavers teach you.” In taking this into consideration, she accepted an apprenticeship with world known weaver, Tahnibaa Nataani and Native Arts and Culture Foundation. In this apprenticeship, she was taught the sheering, carding, and spinning of novelty yarn.
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​When teaching her students, she tells them to research other well known weavers and their textiles such as Roy Kady, sisters Barbara and Lynda Teller, Gilbert Nez-Begay, and Kevin Aspaas; they all have their own story for weaving, their styles are what makes them recognizable, even from a glance.  She says “the more you learn about other weavers, the more you know about yourself and you can create your own style”.


Learn your language, even if you know just a few words, you identify yourself as a Diné person; to learn that being Diné is unique.  “No one can take that identity from you”.  That is something that a lot of our youth are dealing with, they may feel embarrassed to speak it because they might get shamed for speaking; it should be that way, we should be encouraging all the youth to speak our language.   


The last is something that she recalls her mother sternly telling her “You have ten fingers, those ten fingers are given to you so that you can take care of yourself; work with your hands”.  This was not just a saying, it is the Diné philosophy of self determination or T’aa Awoli Bee.  I recall my own grandmother saying that whatever you want or desire is at the very tip of your fingers, it's up to you to make the rest of the hand, mind and body to work to earn it.  Sometimes, we take for granted how much work you put into something has its own rewards, or sense of accomplishment. 

We ended the interview encouraging one another to keep weaving, carding, spinning, and learning.  In Gloria’s words “Weaving is a non-stop learning process”.  

Download the full recap of Tammy's interview with Gloria here:

indigenous_visionary_gloria_begay.pdf
File Size: 60 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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Ryan Dodson: "Flowing Creation" Blog

11/5/2020

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Greetings! My name is Ryan Dodson. I am Tachii’nii born for Tł’izíłaní. My area of emphasis is Silversmithing. During the summer of 2020, I made the decision to enroll in Dine College’s Navajo Cultural Arts Certificate Program. Not sure of what I was going to learn I drove to Tsaile, AZ to pick up my supplies. I met Dr. Ami and Crystal Littleben. They were both so welcoming and, in that moment, I was excited to see the shop and the new knowledge I was going to acquire.
There have been many activities that I have completed that have brought me such joy. My favorite activity was meeting Lyndon Tsosie, my Intro to Silversmithing I instructor. The first zoom call was enlightening. He reassured me that my untapped potential in creativity will “flow”. It sure has. Since the start of the class, I have created three pieces of jewelry! 
My buckle and two bracelets have unlocked a new area of thinking that I did not know existed! By learning the traditional techniques, I have also discovered that I only need a hammer and a few stamps to create beautiful pieces of jewelry.
In the second semester, I am excited to challenge myself to learn and create pieces of jewelry that speak to my understanding of Navajo Culture. In the meantime, I will continue to let my creativity “flow”.
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Willis Tsosie: "Its About the Journey" Blog

10/21/2020

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​A Crow Indian friend once told me, when I completed my bachelor degree program that the accomplishment was not only about completing the work, the money spent, or the amount of time needed.  It was about the journey.  A journey of learning something new every time you walked into a classroom.  A journey of meeting new people, sharing stories, learning together, and getting the work completed.  A journey that challenged your mind, your emotions, and your toughness.  And at the end, ask yourself, was it worth it?

Yá’át’ééh.  My name is Willis Tsosie.  Ta'chii'nii – nishli, Ta'neeszahnii – bashishchiin, Kiyaa'aanii – dashicheii, Totsohnii – dashinali.  I am from White Clay, near Sawmill.  I spent time in Montana where I raised a family, completed my higher education experiences, and learned some lessons about life from Crow elders, like the one I just shared with you. 
Considering myself a lifelong learner, I had an interest in learning Navajo silverwork when I returned home to Dine’, and learned the art at Dine’ College.  The learning experience was more than using tools and creating pieces, I also learned its cultural meanings, specific protocols, and how creation comes from within.  The experience inspired me to learn more about Navajo cultural arts, so I enrolled into the NCAP Certificate Program where I learned the art of moccasin making from a respected Navajo historian and artisan.
Mr. Walters would start class with a lecture on a Navajo origin story pertaining to Navajo moccasins.  With the lecture completed and students continuing with their current moccasin project, we would soon hear Mr. Walters turned on his favorite music recordings like Glen Campbell or 70s rock from a small cassette player he brought to class.  To me, knowing the music was there created an atmosphere of learning, concentration, and collaborating.  Similar to some of you who may remember waking up to your mom or grandma talking in the kitchen while making breakfast and listening to a Navajo radio station.   And between tapes Mr. Walters would provide a few more lessons on Navajo moccasin making. 
As a student working towards a certificate program I can explain to you the details involved in making a pair of Navajo moccasins, but as a student embarking on an educational journey, the moments that are captured, like Mr. Walters music will long be remembered and becomes a part of my journey.  I think that was what my Crow friend was explaining to me.
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Tristan Black: "Idea into Creation" Blog

10/11/2020

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​Yá’át’ééh bił da’ííníshta’í ! Hadoone’é nishłínígíí Kinyaa’áaii nishłíͅ’, Tó’dích’íinii bashishchiin, Bit’ahnii dashicheii, dóó Tł’ízí’łání dashinálí. Tséhílíͅíͅdéͅéͅ’ naasha dóó Tsénínaajíhídi k’ehastiͅ’. Tséhílíͅíͅ hódahgo bidziilgo Diné bi’ólta’gi ííníshta’. Navajo Cultural Arts Program (NCAP) baa ííníshta’. Diné bikelchí dóó bina’nitin bóhoosh’aah. (Navajo language courses have come in handy) I like to think of this blog as a cornstalk… Our first class was planting our seeds in a way and throughout the 8-week course, we developed into a fully functional cornstalk that made special creations from within our thoughts and actions. Also I am an emerging Navajo artisan, emphasizing in moccasin-making.
My favorite NCAP activity was being able to make my first pair of moccasins, hands down! Coming into NCAP, I didn’t know what to expect or prepare myself for… especially during a global pandemic. I wondered how our classes were going to perform and how I would get the materials but thankfully the staff provided us with the necessary tools to get started. We got out first instructional video and I watched that I don’t know how many times! Our instructor shicheii Harry Walters gave us a step-by-step video and I kept practicing and practicing his every movement. I think by now I remember the video link by heart… that gave me the groundwork in the moccasin making process.
​After completing the left side of my first pair, I seen areas where I could improve and better myself for the right side. I took in shicheii Walter’s advice and began making the right side. After 2 hours, I finished shaping the sole and patiently waited for it to form. In the pictures you can see where I reevaluated my performance. After showing shimásání dóó shimá, it made me feel better seeing their facial expressions. Their amazed faces and encouragement stayed with me throughout the effort put in.

What do you look forward to as you start the second semester of the Navajo Cultural Arts Certificate Program?
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To gain more knowledge in traditional forms of processing the hide and tanning. We watched a video dating back to 1945 and I saw families gathering and processing the hide from the cow they butchered. I thought our Navajo people did amazing work and turning their ideas into a usable creation.

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Diné College at SWAIA 2020 Virtual Market

8/25/2020

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Christine M. Ami

NCAP Grant Manager

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COVID-19 has presented our cultural arts and fine arts organizations with the challenge of transitioning to online programs and events. The Santa Fe Indian Market (hosted by SWAIA) is no stranger to this challenge. Early this summer, the SWAIA decided to transition their world renowned market into an online format in order to continue their mission of "bringing Native arts to the world by inspiring artistic excellence, fostering education, and creating meaningful partnerships."

Several of our NCAP family members were juried into the in person event prior to its transition to a virtual format. These 4 individuals decided to take the leap with SWAIA into the realm of online sales. We wanted to give a tremendous shout out to our Diné College faculty and students who are now entering into their 4th week of this virtual market:

-Pottery Instructor: Jared Tso
-Wool Processing Instructor: Tahnibaa Naataanii
-BFA Silversmithing Student: Carlon P. Ami II
-BFA Silversmithing Student: Ephraim "Zefren" Anderson


Click on their names above and you will be routed directly to their SWAIA Artist Page. There you can learn more about them as artists and purchase directly from them via their online booths! While the Virtual Market ends August 31st, the artists' websites will be accessible for an entire year. So stop back in and check on the unique work being produced throughout the next year.

Crystal and I also had an opportunity to sit down and have zoom chats with Jared, Carlon, and Zefren about their experiences being accepted into the market and setting up their virtual SWAIA booths. Check out our conversations below!

Carlon P.  Ami II
Silversmith and 2-D Artist
Jared Tso
Potter
Ephraim "Zefren" Anderson
Silversmith/Weaver
We look forward to supporting our Diné College artists in their cultural and fine arts pursuits. If you are interested in joining the Diné College Bachelor of Fine Arts Programs, be sure to contact the following program coordinators for more information:

Shaina Nez, BFA Coordinator, shainez@dinecollege.edu
Crystal Littleben, Navajo Cultural Arts Program Coordinator, cclittleben@dinecollege.edu

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"What's On My Fire": Wool Dyeing with Cabbage, Berries and Bark

7/22/2020

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Tamerra Martin

Navajo Weaving BFA Student: CA315 Wool Processing II

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​Since the last blog, I've grown a little more confident in experimenting with other types of plants.  In one of the experiments, I used Navajo Tea Flowers and this resulted with a light shade of yellow.  After this, I added Chamomile tea, and dried sunflower petals. That combination also turned to a shade of yellow.  Then I tried that combination again - this time with alum - and it turned a very bright orange/yellow color.
I figured - why stop here?! So I added Annatto Seeds, something I found at the grocery store in the spice section.  I didn’t know what to expect from this honestly.  After letting that boil, I added another skein and that came out even brighter. ​
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I was still on my quest to seek purple, so I tried a red (or purple) cabbage.  I peeled the cabbage one leaf at a time and soaked it overnight. When I was ready, I boiled the cabbage leaves. The dye bath was more of a blue color; but when the skeins were added, they turned a light blue-turquoise color. I added just a tad of alum to this because I remembered adding too much could make it dull like it did to the rose petals during one of my last dye workshops.  So I added just a little bit at a time, until I could notice a purple 
color.  I  immediately turned down the heat and added the skein of wool. I Waited for a bit and decided to let it set in a glass jar to see if the color would be better achieved that way.  After a couple of days, I took it out and it came out more of an indigo color.  It was not the color I was shooting for, but it is still an accomplishment because I’m learning the use of alum and how heat could also play a factor in getting the colors. ​
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I also tried berries; a mix of berries actually.  Strawberries, cherries and blueberries simmered for some time.  I wasn’t sure if I should add alum to this because the dye bath was already a light color and I didn’t want for it to lose its color; so I decided to let it simmer with the skein without alum.  This turned out a very light pink color.  There was still color in the berry dye bath so I added this to the flower dye bath; thinking that pink and yellow; I’m sure to get an orange color.  When the dye bath started to boil, I added alum and the skein of wool and it turned a brownish-gold color!
The last skein in the picture is one that I am very proud of.  It is made with what was left of the cabbage dye bath and what was left of the flower dye bath....I let one side of the skein in the cabbage dye bath and the other end in the flower dye bath.  I let it set this way overnight.  By morning it created this variegated skein.  ​
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I also read that tree bark could also provide a natural color.  So I picked bark from a pine tree; mainly because of the reddish-orange colors that are noticeable.  I soaked the bark pieces overnight; boiled it for a while.  Again, I wasn’t sure how much alum should be added; I only added a little bit, like I did for the cabbage leaves.  Let this simmer for sometime and let it sit in the dye bath overnight.  The color resembled the wild carrot with alum; similar but has a nice scent to it.
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There are more other plant dyes that I am very interested in experimenting with.  Thanks to our Professor Sarah Natani and her extensive knowledge in plant dying, I am confident in dying wool and experimenting more in the near future. ​
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"What's On My Fire": Wool Dying with Onions and Walnuts

7/5/2020

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Sue V. Begay

Navajo Weaving BFA Student, CA315 Wool Processing II

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Black Walnut
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Yellow Onion Skins
It was 4 AM when I started dyeing this morning with the Holy People. I had a pot of boiling black walnut and yellow onion skins and the Holy People showered me with early morning rain. "I must have done something right," I thought as I took in that freshly moistened dirt air.

I am at Diné College working on my BFA in Navajo Weaving. This summer I am learning the process of wool dyeing alongside my classmate Tammy Martin from Master Weaver, Sarah Naataanii. This week we were taught how to dye black walnut and yellow onion skins.

The process is a bit more extensive than just throwing some plants in a pot! Here is a quick glimpse into the process of dyeing black walnut and yellow onion skins.  


​I prepared the black walnut skin with a pre-soaking. Pre-soaking is required because the black walnut is very hard. I had my black walnut soaking for one day and one night. I prepared the labels on the skein and wet the weft. For this project, I used heather gray and blanche white from Brown Sheep Company along side some of my hand spun wool. After my skeins and weft were labelled, I dipped them in the prepared boiling pots of water. The water I used is from the unconfined aquifer water from Narrow Canyon. All the dyeing is done with unconfined aquifer water. I repeated the same process for the yellow skin onions- although I did not have to pre-soak. 
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Wool Dyed with Black Walnut
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Wool Dyed with Yellow Onion Skins
For each dye, I made two groups: one set made with alum and another set without alum.
  • Black Walnut with alum
  • Black Walnut without alum
  • Yellow Onion Skins with alum
  • Yellow Onion Skins without alum
This is the part where your pre-labeling becomes very important. Alum is needed becomes to help set the color. Check out this article for more of the significance of alum and textiles. I did learn that adding alum to the heather grey weft while dyeing with yellow onions skins doesn’t necessarily make that big change, BUT I did see how black walnut dominated heather grey, making a deep chocolate color. 
​

My experience with dyeing with yellow onion skin and black walnut was very exciting. The colors of the weft are gorgeous with both yellow onion skin and black walnut. ​I learned about the slight various of natural plants as well as the differences using machine spun vs hand spun wool. Ultimately, what my major take away this week is that the beauty and gorgeous colors that comes from Mother Earth are treasures. Watching how the color comes alive.  ​
PictureUGG - My fault - Sorry, wool!
Here are some other practical take aways I learned this past week:
Lesson Learned: The wool is still very hot even after two baths.
Lesson Learned: Never mix a pre-dyed skein with your skein you wish to color.
Lesson Learned: Be patient and let the colors work.

BIG Lesson Learned: This is what not to do. I put in a white skein and put a sky-blue skein on top of it and the color transferred onto the white skein. I can still use this in my pictorial rug as a corn tassel or streaks in the skyline. One of a kind weft.
 
I am very honored to be in this class e
ven though we are distance learning.  It was absolute great day of hands on activities and I am looking forward to another great lesson. But for now...I saved some of my black walnut and I'll be testing it out with some Navajo churro raw wool.

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"What's On My Fire": Wool Dying with Navajo Tea

7/2/2020

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Tamerra Martin

Navajo Weaving BFA Student: CA315 Wool Processing II

Picture
Navajo Tea ready to boil!
Yá'át'éeh, Greetings!  I hope that you and yours are well and healthy during these challenging times. I am very excited to share my very first “What’s On My Fire” update that will fill you in on my progress of learning how to dye wool with Sarah Nataanii. Learning to dye with natural plants that have been utilized by Weavers from past to present is one of my dreams. We will also be learning how to dye wool with commercial dyes as well. 
In preparation of dying wool, I found it interesting that it was encouraged to recycle or repurpose materials.  There’s really no need to go and purchase everything new.  You just have to look around and see what you could use.  A metal basket with bailing wire could be turned into a strainer or empty water/milk jugs could be used to make tags to label your skeins.
Our first lesson was to dye with Navajo Tea.  My helpers, and myself, harvested Navajo Tea that was growing near home.  We looked for the batch that was ready for harvest; the ones that already had blossoms on them.  We picked a big batch!  Half was used for the dye and the other half was rolled and tied for tea.
Picture
My harvesting helpers :)
Once the tea was ready; we added the unbleached white wool and the heather gray wool...the colors that came from the first dye bath were very subdued.  The second dye bath, when the alum mordant was added, the colors was very bright!  The first dye lesson was a success! 
Picture
Wool dyed with Navajo tea
When seeing the colors that developed from this lesson, I couldn’t help but think about the many other plants on the land that serve a purpose.  Whether it was a natural remedy for an ailment, or an essential item for a ceremonial reason or a utilitarian item; these plants served a purpose.  I am very honored to be learning these ways and that I can share this with my helpers.  We are already looking forward to the next plant dye session.

If you are interested in joining the Navajo Weaving BFA program in the fall, be sure to get in contact with Christine Ami (cmami@dinecollege.edu) or Crystal Littleben (cclittleben@dinecollege.edu). It's a one of a kind program - only offered here at Diné College!    ​​​
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