According to Diné (Navajo) beliefs, the art of weaving was taught to Navajo women by powerful spirit Spider Woman. After the Holy Ones saw her talent, they instructed Spider Man to construct her a loom consisting of cross poles made of sky and earth cords. The warp sticks consisted of the Sun’s rays. A Sun halo formed the batten, and the comb was made of white shell. When the loom was complete, the Holy Ones instructed Spider Woman to weave a map of the Universe, using geometric patterns to represent spiritual beings in the sky. 

The significance of Spider Woman doesn’t stop at the loom. She is the Matriarch of Navajo values and beliefs and tradition and of the spiritual path of balance and harmony; based on the teachings of the Holy Ones of respect, humility, and gratitude. She is also the symbol of female strength, often represented in ceremonies of girls entering womanhood. Navajo people believe that Spider Woman’s dwelling place is in Canyon de Chelly (in northeastern Arizona). In order for a young weaver to receive the gift of weaving, they must travel to the base of the Canyon de Chelly and must see a spider web that is sparkling in the morning sun.

Most Navajo art is an original concept, and you will not see a direct duplicate due to the fact that the Navajo weavers don’t use premade designs. The weaving of rugs has served as an integral part of commerce for the Navajo nation. Originally used for trade, today rugs depicts art that tells important stories. 

This is the case for “Storm Pattern” rug. Tsosie holds true to the traditions of using “Genado Red” color, most prominent in Navajo art. Since the Navajo people live in the desert, many art pieces display the importance of the life-giving element of water. Tsosie uses the zig-zag pattern to represent lightning, synonymous with storm clouds, which is where the “storm cloud” design received its title. 

The center fixture of this rug, according to Tsosie, represents the Diné or “The People,” referring to the Navajo Nation. The four corners surrounding the center rectangle are the four sacred mountains. Tsisnaasjini’/Dawn or White Shell Mountains in the northeast quadrant (north of Fort Garland, Colorado); Dibé Nitsaa/Big Sheep Mountain in the northwest quadrant (northwest of Durango, Colorado); Doko’oosliid/Abalone Shell Mountain in the southwest quadrant (north of Flagstaff, Arizona); Tsoodzil/Blue Bead or Turquoise Mountain in the southeast quadrant (northeast of Grants, New Mexico). This rug is a map of where Tsosie lives and paints a picture of its location. 

Watch a video of Diné weaver Ilene Naegele (and learn some weaving terms in Navajo!). 

Works Cited

Butterworth, Connor. “The Native American Story of Spider Woman: A Journey of Discovery.” Southwestern Rugs Depot, May 31, 2024, pp. 1-23. https://www.southwesternrugsdepot.com/native-american-story-spider-woman/

Hoffman, W.J. “Native American Blanket-Making.” The Monthly Illustrator, vol. 4., no. 12, April 1895, pp. 114-119. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/25582011.

Olson, Kent R. The Olson-Brandelle North American Indian Art Collection, Ed. Sherry C. Maurer, Augustana College, 2010, pp. 176-77.

Saville-Troike, Muriel. “Navajo Art and Education.” The Journal of Aesthetic Education, vol. 18, no. 2, Summer 1984, pp. 41-50. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/3332498.

“Weavings Blend Old and New: An Exhibition of Navajo Textiles Highlights Their Culture’s Interplay Between Tradition and Innovation.” The Christian Science Monitor, Sept. 4, 1992.