“Navajo Children: Weaving the Future,” from our Traveling Exhibitions Program, is now on display on the fourth floor of the Utah State Capitol.
This collection, on loan from the Adopt-A-Native-Elder Program, showcases rugs and blankets weaved by talented Navajo children living in the Navajo Nation. While handmade rugs and blankets have always been an important part of Native American culture and economy — with weaving techniques and patterns being traditionally passed down from mothers and grandmothers to daughters — modern lifestyles have threatened this art form.
Tourism and economic development from the Adopt-A-Native-Elder Program have given this art form renewed interest. The Adopt-A-Native-Elder Program sponsors rug sales directly from the weavers, who get 100 percent of the profits.
This collection will remain on display at the Utah State Capitol through August 30, 2021.
Image: Goat Tracks by Anna Jean Begay, Diamond Double Weave by Garndreau Nez, Personal Design by Autumn Yazzie