Other Navajo creations - part 1 of 2

Living today when we can conveniently purchase almost everything we need - food, clothing, utensils, etc. - we tend to forget what life was like before stores were so plentiful and people had money with which to buy things. Few of us would survive if suddenly transported back to those times. Our ancestors, however, had to make everything they used.  In this posting and the next you will find examples of the Navajo skills that remain to this day.  Of course, not everything is currently made by hand, but enough people retain the skills that we outsiders get to appreciate their talents and the beauty of their creations.

Clothing, of course, had to be able to withstand the extreme heat of the summer and the cold nights in the desert, and the rough environment in which they existed.  In the next two pictures are examples of traditional outfits.  The first shows  samples of women’s dresses and blouses plus men’s jackets and vests.

The second shows a small poncho, a garment that is wrapped around one’s upper body like a coat in order to keep warm.

Household items also needed to be created.  What is always amazing to me is that these early items were not only functional but often extremely beautiful.  Examples of this beauty are shown below:

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