BYU Video - Navajo Basket Weaving
BYU Video - Navajo Basket Weaving
27 minutes
$14.95
In the Navajo language there is neither a word for religion nor art.
The only word that could be used to describe both is "hozho" - beauty,
balance, order, and harmony. Navajo history is turbulent, and in order
to survive the Navajo had to adapt. Baskets are a part of this history,
changing throughout time and adapting with the people. They contribute
to the balance, harmony, and beauty of Navajo life. Initially purely
functional pieces, baskets gradually became integrated into various
ceremonies, elevating them to sacred and symbolic levels. Oppression,
trade, and technology eventually led to dwindling numbers of basket
weavers, but beginning in the 1970s Navajo basketry experienced a
renaissance led by a group of families in the Douglas Mesa region of
the Utah reservation. Secularized basketry is now a thriving part of
Navajo trade and traditional baskets continue to be an important part
of Navajo ceremonial life.
