Learning to Weave

Margaret Yazzie with rug
Margaret Yazzie with a newly completed rug, “in her younger days,” Two Grey Hills, New Mexico. Photo courtesy of Barbara Ornelas and family.

“My aunt, Margaret Yazzie, taught herself how to weave when she was really young. At that time people didn’t teach each other to weave—you just learned by watching. So, she used to ‘steal’ wool from her grandmother and take it out while she was herding sheep. She would set up a rug and teach herself how. She would find bits of wool stuck in the sage bushes and would spin them.

“Now, people come to see my aunt if they have problems with their rugs. Or she’ll say, ‘Oh, I have to go see so and so and finish a rug for them.’ She’s always helping people with their weaving. If I have a problem at my loom, she’ll help me troubleshoot.” —Barbara Ornelas

Mary Lee Begay with daughters learning to weave
Mary Lee Henderson Begay with her daughters Gloria and Lenah, learning to weave, Ganado Mesa, Arizona.

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Introduction