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| Community Services in Action Navajo Textile Exhibit leads to Navajo and Maya Weavers Exchange in Guatemala May 2000—An exhibition of approximately forty rare-wearing blankets from the National Museum of the American Indian’s (NMAI) collection went on a fourteen-month tour of Latin America recently. The exhibit, Woven by the Grandmothers: Nineteenth-Century Navajo Textiles, started at the Museum of Anthropology in Montevideo, Uruguay, in March and continued its tour of Latin America by traveling to Guatemala City, Guatemala; La Paz, Bolivia; Lima, Peru; and Santiago, Chile, before ending in Mexico City, Mexico, in March 2001. Drawn from one of the world's largest collections of Navajo wearing blankets woven between 1825 and 1880, the forty objects presented in Woven by the Grandmothers include chief blankets, finely woven poncho sarapes, traditional two-piece dresses known as biil, women's shoulder blankets, mantas, shawls, and soft utility blankets, called diyogí. Visitors to the exhibition were able to learn about the construction, materials, dyes, design, and historical and cultural significance of these textiles. This exhibition also led to a unique opportunity for Q’eqchi Maya weavers in the Alta Verapaz region of Guatemala to meet and exchange techniques with two Navajo weavers from the United States. In May 2000 D.Y. Begay and Kalley Keams, co-curaters of the Woven by the Grandmothers exhibit,visited the city of Cobán, and the community of La Esperanza, Carchá. The five-day exchange was followed by a public program involving all of the weavers at the National Palace of Culture in Guatemala City. The exhibit and weaver’s exchange were supported by the Smithsonian Institution’s NMAI and Latino Initiatives Fund, and the U.S. Department of State. Guatemala Weavers Exchange Daily Activities Photos by Felipe Gonzales SATURDAY May 27 Cobán Q’eqchi weavers representing the communities of Chisón, Se’huub, Tampur, and La Esperanza presented their work, providing an explanation of the cultural significance of Mayan weavings. They discussed the design and style of both modern and traditional textiles with an emphasis on traditional designs among their communities. The Navajo weavers then conducted a demonstration of Navajo weaving by presenting a slide show. They explained the process for creating a Navajo weaving and demonstrated examples of different Navajo designs and techniques. The Q’eqchi weavers actively participated by using the Navajo loom to weave. Expositions and demonstrations were translated from Q’eqchi to Spanish and then from Spanish to English. According to Begay, “the language was never a barrier, we communicated through weaving.” SUNDAY May 28 La Esperanza, Municipality of Carchá "It was a beautiful village nestled high in the mountains. They met us with open hands, and we were welcomed. They presented a wonderful demonstration of the weaving process. We had a chance to weave on their backstrap looms," said Begay. The Navajo weavers strapped on the looms and wove Maya designs in the weaving. "It's very interesting what I'm seeing." said Kalley Keams. "The material they use is very traditional. Our looms are more modern, and prepared according to our needs." There was an interesting interchange of experiences and information regarding weaving and community life. Lunch followed, featuring traditional turkey soup (Kak ik) and a cocoa drink. Afterwards, the Q'eqchi weavers hosted a ceremony in which they expressed appreciation for the Navajo weaver's visit to their community and exchanged gifts. TUESDAY May 30 Guatemala City Navajo weavers D.Y. Begay and Kalley Keams, and Q'eqchi weavers Juana Bá and Irene Pop visited the exhibition, Woven by the Grandmothers: Nineteenth-Century Navajo Textiles at the National Palace of Culture. Begay and Keams explained the objectives of the exhibition and offered detailed explanations of the significance of the weavings, designs, and history of the Navajo Nation. WEDNESDAY May 31 Guatemala City |
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