The Navajos

• Many years ago, Navajo Indians settled in the Southwestern region of what is now know as the United States.

Navajos Raised Sheep

The Navajos met PuebloIndians, who taught theNavajos how to raisesheep.

The Navajo men wouldshear the sheep’s wool,and Navajo women wouldprepare the wool to makethread.

Carding the Wool

• Once the wool was sheared, the women would clean the wool.

• A special comb would be used to pull the wool.

• This process was called “carding.”

Spinning the Wool

• When the wool was clean, it was ready to be spun into yarn.

• A special tool called a spindle was used to spin the wool into yarn.

Coloring the Yarn

• To add color to the yarn, the Navajos would make dyes from plants and boil the yarn in the dye.

Weaving the Yarn

• To weave the yarn into blankets or rugs, Navajo women would use a hand loom.

Using the Hand Loom

Vertical columns of yarnwould be stationed on theloom.

Yarn would then be weavedin front of and behind thevertical yarn columns, andthe weaver would pressdown hard on the yarn tosecure the pattern.

The Finished Product

• When finished, the blankets were used as clothes to keep the Indians warm.

• The tight weave was virtually waterproof, which protected the Navajos from the rain.

Samples of Navajo Blankets

• This Navajo blanket was made in 1850.

• This Navajo rug was made in 1950.

Key Vocabulary

• Navajo A particular tribe of Indians

• weave To interlace yarn to form a fabric or material.

• loom A piece of equipment for weaving fabrics.

• spun Yarn that is made by twisting and winding the fibers.