Weaving is an integral part of my life---a part of "iina",my being, that includes family, home, animals, livelihood, and fate.
There is an enduring history in our family behind weaving. My great-great-grandmother taught my mother to weave, and I began learning from my mother when I was 7 or 8 years old.
For a Navajo, weaving is part of our history and identity. It is a form of ceremony. Weaving was taught to our ancestors by the Holy Ones. And within this tradition male weavers have always held an important place. Spiderman first gave the tools of weaving to spiderwoman, and in turn, I received my weaving tools from my father.
I see myself as an artist. I am proud to continue the weaving legacy of my people. It is generally thought that only women weave. Throughout our history there have been male weavers. I weave, not only because it is part of our history, but more importantly I weave because of my desire to express my creativity through weaving. I started weaving as a way of generating funds. It is not easy living on the reservation, especially in a remote area. I realized that I had a gift of weaving and chose to develope that gift. I think that is the story of all weavers, both male and female.
My inspiration for weaving comes from everything in nature. Individual weavers bring new designs, thoughts, and emotions, integrating and adapting, to produce a unique textile. I'm always thinking about new combinations of colors and patterns.
