OUR Loom: 2019 Spring Community Loom

Tamerra Martin

NCAC Emerging Artisan 2018/19 (Weaver) ​

​Weaving Day, the very first day of Navajo Cultural Arts Week at Diné College, was going to be the kick off to a full week of workshops.  I took it as a show and tell of what we as students have learned through the course of the program.  I was even more excited because I volunteered to set up the “Community Loom”, a loom that would be set up during the week so that people could add a few wefts or even inches.  I guess it was a loom that could bring weavers, from beginners to the very well experienced, together into one weaving.  How exciting! 

​Personally, I took it as a true test to see how confident I was in setting up a loom.  The very first part of the process was to start with the warping.  What would be an adequate size for a community loom?  Enough that it could get finished within a week?  I was taking into consideration to many things….on the day of setting up the loom, I packed what I thought we needed.  Surprise!  Of course, the zip ties I brought weren’t long enough, so now to look for wire.  The words of our weaving instructor came to mind, “Make sure you have everything on hand, you don’t want to say ‘I don’t have it’ and put off weaving”.  Should have packed the wire!  Eventually, it was set up and ready to be created.  I sat to the loom first; we were taught that the first couple of wefts are the foundation of your creation.  You think positive thoughts about the weaving, the process it takes to complete and the journey upon completion.  My thoughts were that whomever took the time to add a few or even more wefts would find themselves in complete peace and contentment.   There is so much going on in the world and in our own lives today that sometime we forget to think about the present, “the here and now”. 

​If you have had the chance to sit down to the community loom to weave or even just to admire it, I hope that you had a moment of tranquility.  I encourage you to make a visit to the museum exhibit, have a seat and add a few lines.  You will not walk away disappointed.