The Bruce Museum of Arts and Science
Education Department Presents:
Educator Guide
Third Phase Chief’s Blanket
c. 1890- 1910
75.25” x 54.375”
Bruce Museum Collection
68.25.05
The Bruce Museum of Arts and Science Education Department develops Educator Guides to
provide detailed information on field trip planning, alignment with Connecticut State Goals and
Learning Standards, as well as suggested hands-on classroom activities to do before, during, and
after your visit to the Museum.
Teacher Notes:
Navajo Textiles from
the Bruce Museum
This educator’s guide is separated into five parts:
• Background Information
• Exhibition guide
• Curriculum Connections
• Bibliography
• How to schedule your Museum visits
• Education Staff List
For more than 300 years Navajo women have created textiles that combine both traditional
techniques and influences from the changing world around them. The earliest Navajo weavings
took the form of utilitarian Wearing Blankets and other items of clothing and were usually
decorated with simple bands of stripes. More complex designs- crosses, diamonds, and zigzag
borders – also appeared during this Classic Period (1650 – 1865). In the late 1800’s Navajo
culture experienced a rapid transformation as U.S. policy forced changes in living conditions,
language, clothing, and many other aspects of life. During the Transitional Period (1865- 1895)
weaving was increasingly aimed at outside markets and production becomes focused on creating
rugs rather than blankets. In addition, newly available commercial dyes become popular and
yielded a variety of vividly colored textile. Beginning in the late 19th century, Euro-Americanowned trading posts on the Navajo reservation played an important role in the development of
Navajo weavings. The Rug Period (1895 – present) has been typified by distinctive regional
designs that employ specific color schemes and patterns, each associated with a different trading
post. Navajo weavers have continued to be sensitive to the desires of the Western art market,
responding to the popularity of the reds of the Ganado rugs, the black, white and brown of Two
Gray Hills and the muted earth tones of the Crystal weavings. An increase in the variety of
pictorial patterns aided in transitioning Navajo weaving into its current phase that includes the
creation of purely decorative wall hangings. Unique in their individual style and intention,
collectively theses Navajo weavings offer an example of the seamless merging of aesthetic
consideration and function in an enduring art form.
This exhibition is generously underwritten by Theobald Foundation and the Charles M. and
Deborah G. Royce Exhibition Fund.
Before you visit the exhibition, spend some time viewing the information on the Museum’s
website at www.brucemuseum.org. We also recommend using some of our quick fun facts and
pre-activities to introduce your students to the complexities of the exhibition and focus on one or
two sections within the exhibition to study in depth.
School programs are inquiry based and promote critical thinking, written, and oral expression.
They feature hands-on-learning activities using objects from Museum collections and
exhibitions. Many are interdisciplinary and address various learning styles.
Bruce Museum •Educator’s Guide • Content
Page 1
Background Information
Navajo Textiles from
the Bruce Museum
Navajo history for kids - from the European invasion to modern times
Navajo History after 1500 AD
Navajo people moved south into the south-west part of North America from their home in
Canada about 1400 AD. So when the Spanish invaders came in the 1500's, the Navajo
(Dine is what they call themselves) were themselves pretty new to the area.
When the Navajo arrived, they had been nomads, who lived mainly by raiding the Pueblo
people. But they soon began to learn new ways from the Pueblo people and began to
settle down to farm corn and beans like them. Still, when the Spanish settlers brought
sheep to North America for the first time, the Navajo were happy to give up farming and
instead, in the 1600's, they began to herd sheep and goats. They learned how to shear the
sheep and weave the wool into blankets and rugs and clothes, and they were able to trade
their lamb and mutton and their blankets and rugs and clothes to Pueblo people and to the
Spanish settlers for the corn and beans that they didn't grow themselves.
But through the 1700's the Navajo also continued to get some of their stuff by raiding
their neighbors - the Pueblo people, the Ute, and the Spanish settlers. Navajo raiders took
sheep, horses, corn and beans, silver jewelry and steel tools, and people to sell to the
Spanish as slaves. With horses, the Navajo were able to do a lot more raiding. This
raiding made the Navajo a lot of enemies.
In 1804, with more and more Spanish people living in New Mexico, the Spanish
government decided to stop the Navajo raiding. The Spanish army attacked the Navajo
and killed many of them with their new powerful rifles. In 1823, however, when Mexico
became independent of Spain, the new Mexican government had other things to worry
about and left the Navajo alone. So the Navajo went back to their raiding. In 1848, when
the United States government took Arizona and New Mexico away from the government
of Mexico, they still pretty much left the Navajo alone.
But now English settlers came to move into Arizona and New Mexico. When Navajo
raiders took their horses and their sheep, these new settlers complained to the United
States government.
Bruce Museum • Educator’s Guide • Exhibition Guide
Page 2
Background Information (continued)
Navajo Textiles from
the Bruce Museum
In 1863, in the middle of the Civil War, the United States government decided to stop
Navajo men from raiding European settlers in Arizona. They were also worried that the
Navajo, who were great fighters, might fight on the Confederate side. The army sent the
general Kit Carson to stop the Navajo. Carson brought many Spanish troops with him,
who hated the Navajo because of their raids, and he brought many Ute and Pueblo men,
who had also suffered from Navajo raids. Many Navajo men were killed, and their
houses, orchards, and crops were destroyed. Carson and his army killed or stole all the
sheep, and they often captured women and children to sell into slavery in Mexico. Soon
people were starving, and they had to surrender to Kit Carson, who forced all the people
who surrendered to walk to a camp in the desert at Bosque Redondo in 1864.
People call this the "Long Walk." Many Navajo people died on the way, and many more
died at Bosque Redondo of smallpox and of hunger. Finally in 1868 the Navajo chief
Barboncito managed to make a treaty with the United States government so that the
Navajo could go back to their own land if they promised they would never fight with
their neighbors again.
Finally the Navajo were back on their own land. The Navajo reservation is the biggest
one in the United States, with 140,000 people living on 16 million acres of land, mostly
in Arizona.
Bruce Museum • Educator’s Guide • Exhibition Guide
Page 3
Exhibition Guide
Navajo Textiles from
the Bruce Museum
http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/
Bruce Museum • Educator’s Guide • Exhibition Guide
Page 4
Exhibition Guide
Navajo Textiles from
the Bruce Museum
Third Phase Chief’s Blanket
c. 1890- 1910
75.25” x 54.375”
Bruce Museum Collection
68.25.05
Third Phase Chief’s blankets were woven between 1860 and 1890. Chief's blanket is something
of a misnomer, as the Navajo did not have "chiefs" within their social structure. The term came
to be used because only a relatively wealthy person (such as a chief in a Plains Indian tribe or the
Utes who especially liked and traded for these weavings) could afford the extravagance and cost
of these textiles.
Bruce Museum • Educator’s Guide • Exhibition Guide
Page 5
Exhibition Guide
Navajo Textiles from
the Bruce Museum
Ganado Rug
c. 1900-1920
Bruce Museum Collection
85.28.02
Gift of Avice Lea
By the 1880s, trading posts were well established on the Navajo Reservation, and traders
encouraged weaving of floor rugs and patterns using more muted colors, which they thought
would appeal to the non-Indian market. By 1920, many regional styles of Navajo weaving
developed around trading posts. These rugs are often known by the names of the trading posts in
a particular area. A red background characterizes the Ganado rug. Popularized by the trader J.
Lorenzo Hubbell in the late 19th century and widely distributed by the Fred Harvey Company,
this design is considered one of the most classic of Navajo weavings.
Bruce Museum • Educator’s Guide • Exhibition Guide
Page 6
Exhibition Guide
Navajo Textiles from
the Bruce Museum
This blanket style of fancy serapes
flourished due to two important influences:
the importation of Hispanic weavings—
particularly the colorful saltillo style
serapes, and the importation of pre-dyed,
factory-made yarns in a wide array of
brilliant colors, beginning in the 1850s.
This blanket differs from its predecessors
in the greater complexity of patterns and
color palette. Many of the best weavers of
the late 19th century drew inspiration from
saltillo style weaving to create highly
elaborate patterns of serrated diamonds and
zigzags.
Banded Shoulder Blanket-Serape
c. 1890
Bruce Museum Collection
20973
Gift of Margaret Cranford
Bruce Museum • Educator’s Guide • Exhibition Guide
Page 7
CT Curriculum Tracemap Connections
Navajo Textiles from
the Bruce Museum
Use of the materials in this Educator Guide in combination with a field trip to view Navajo
Textiles from the Bruce Museum will help you link learning experiences to the following
Connecticut Learning Standards. Teachers will need to identify specific goals to map to
individual lesson plans or larger units of study. This exhibition is suitable for all students
regardless of grade level or learning style.
CT Curriculum Tracemap Connections
Numbers in parentheses correlate with Connecticut Framework-Curriculum Trace Maps
Art:
Kindergarten
• Identifies a work of art by media, techniques and processes (*1a)
• Verbalizes and differentiates vocabulary related to media, techniques, processes, tools, and
equipment (e.g. paint with a brush and draw with a pencil) (*1a, 1b)
• Describes how an art medium can serve as a source of inspiration (*1b, 1c)
1st Grade
• Identifies the elements of art: line, shape, color, in works of art (*2a, 2c, 6b)
• Identifies a personal preference for a specific work of art from works discussed (*5d)
• Discusses why others might prefer different works of art (*5c)
• Believes that attending an art exhibit is an enjoyable way to spend leisure time (e.g. art galleries,
school exhibit, museums) (*6d)
2nd Grade
• Applies vocabulary related to media, techniques, processes, tools and equipment (*1c)
• Students discuss how geometric shapes and patterns are used by artist in structuring a
composition (2.2.2)
• Students examine the elements in fabric design from various cultures and create a fabric pattern
using a personal design to be stamped (6.2.1)
• Appreciates that art reflects different cultures and people (*4b, 5c)
• Respects the artistic tastes and preferences of classmates (*5c)
3rd Grade
• Evaluates why an artist would choose a specific art medium for a work of art (*5c)
• Appreciates the role that art has played in past civilizations (*6d)
• Identifies places in the community where the arts can be viewed or performed (e.g. Bruce
Museum of Arts and Sciences)(*6a Aesthetic Appreciation)
• Appreciates the lasting influence of master artists
4th Grade
• Analyzes and decodes selected works of art and artifacts using appropriate art vocabulary (*5b)
• Compares and contrasts reasons for a preference of specific works of art or art styles (*5c, 5d)
• Students compare and contrast a variety of functional items to investigate how art elements were
applied (2.4.5)
• Enjoys visiting museums (*6d)
• Visits local and regional galleries and museums to observe and discuss original works of art (*2a,
2b)
Bruce Museum • Educator’s Guide • Curriculum Connections
Page 8
CT Curriculum Tracemap Connections (Continued)
Navajo Textiles from
the Bruce Museum
5th Grade
• Describes how different media, techniques and processes cause different effects (*1b)
• Visits local and regional galleries and museums to observe and discuss original works of art (*2a,
2b)
• Students work in small group to examine an image/artifact, brainstorm to analyze and describe
how culture, purpose and materials that influence the meaning of the artwork (4.8.2)
6th Grade
• Observes and discusses styles and themes in a variety of works within the period studied (*4c)
• Discusses a work of art influenced by the history and social studies curriculum (e.g. Early Man,
Egyptian, Greece) (*6b)
• Recognizes and discusses line, shape, color, balance, and space used in different cultures (e.g.
French Impressionism, Japanese printmaking, African artifact) (*2b)
• Students discuss the use of patterns taken from nature in historical art and craft forms and the
related symbolism of those patterns (2.6.3)
• Students evaluate a piece of artwork to understand and list how factors of context shape a work
(4.6.4)
• Students compare and contrast two works of art with similar media and content created by a
culture in two different eras (4.6.5)
7th Grade
• Discusses the use of color and its impact on a work of art (*3b)
• Identifies style and themes in a variety of works in historical and cultural context (*5d)
• Enjoys examining the visual arts of other cultures as a way to appreciate their artistic
accomplishments (*4a, 6b)
8th Grade
• Discusses the purpose and intent of an artist’s work relative to culture, time and history (*5a)
• Appreciates that art can be an important and useful way to communicate ideas (*1c, 6d)
• Respects and appreciates art created by both peers and people of other eras and cultures (*5c)
• Students discuss the role of culture as a context for art (4.8.5)
9-12th Grade
• Students focus on significant characteristics of a medium, and why this medium was preferred to
other media to express content in a historical period with attention to the design concepts and
content. (1.10.1)
• Students correct usage of visual terminology when evaluating their work and that of others
(2.10.1)
• Students analytically study organization principles and elements of art. (2.12.2)
Social Studies:
K-2 Grade
• Recognize that people develop traditions that transmit their beliefs and ideals (3.K – 2.1)
• Examine family life and cultures of different peoples at different times in history (3.K-2.2)
• Be active learners at cultural institutions, such as museums and historical exhibitions (4.K –2.2.)
• Explain how communities and nations interact with one another (8.K – 2.1)
•
Identify situations in which humans use and interact with the environment (12.K – 2.2)
Bruce Museum • Educator’s Guide • Curriculum Connections
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CT Curriculum Tracemap Connections (Continued)
Navajo Textiles from
the Bruce Museum
3-4th Grade
• Exhibit curiosity and pose questions about the past when presented with artifacts (4.3 –4.1)
• Identify ways different cultures record their histories, compare past and present situations and
events, and present findings in appropriate oral, written and visual ways. (1.3 –4.5)
• Describe sources of historical information (1.3 – 4.3)
• Describe ways in which communities and nations influence each other (8.3 – 4.1)
• Understand the elements of culture and how they change (11.3 – 4.3)
5-8th Grade
• Interpret historical data in historical maps, artworks and artifacts (1.7 –8.3)
• Initiate questions and hypotheses about historic events being studied (4.7 – 8.1)
• Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of major events and trends of United States history (2.5 –
6.1)
• Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of major events and trends in local history (2.5-6.3)
• Explain how economic factors influenced historical events in the United States (3.7 – 8.4)
• Describe examples of how societies throughout history have used the visual art to express their
beliefs, sense of identity and philosophical ideas (3.5-6.3)
Bruce Museum • Educator’s Guide • Curriculum Connections
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Glossary
Navajo Textiles from
the Bruce Museum
Adapt: To change with a new situation.
Aniline: A commercial chemical dye used to color fibers and textiles.
Balance: In art, the organization of design elements to create a sense of stability, or evenness.
Batten; A straight, smooth sword-like wooden tool used to separate warp threads on a loom.
Bayeta:A Spanish term for flannel-like wool cloth ("baize" in English). Historically, Navajo
weavers unraveled bayeta fibers and re-wove them into their blankets and rugs.
Carders: A pair of weaving tools with handles and bent wire teeth for brushing ("carding") the
wool to clean and straighten it.
Comb: A weaving tool shaped like a fork and used to beat the weft threads tightly into the warp
threads.
Cochineal: A scale insect that lives on prickly pear cactus. Female cochineal are full of red
carminic acid, so they are collected, dried and crushed to create red dyes that were highly prized
by the early European textile industry and still used today.
Dye: A chemical mixture that adds color to fibers, yarns and cloth. Dyes can be made from
plants, insects, minerals and chemicals.
Diné: (dee-NEH) Navajos refer to themselves as Diné, which means The People.
Fiber:A long, thin thread of material like wool or cotton.
Hogan: Traditional Navajo house. Hogans are six or eight-sided homes with a door facing east
to greet the rising sun.
Horizontal: Flat and parallel to the ground (the horizon).
Innovate: To introduce new ideas or practices.
Long Walk: The (Hweeldi in Navajo) The forced march of the Navajo people in 1864 from their
homeland to incarceration at Ft. Sumner (Bosque Redondo) in eastern New Mexico.
Loom: A machine or frame used for weaving cloth. A loom holds the warp threads in place.
Bruce Museum • Educator’s Guide • Vocabulary
Page 11
Glossary
Navajo Textiles from
the Bruce Museum
Motif: A design element or theme in a work of art.
Pattern: A design or motif that is regularly repeated.
Regional: Having to do with a certain geographic area, or region.
Reservation: Land held in trust for Native Americans by the United States government.
Saltillo: A style of weaving with bold, zig-zag designs named after the weaving center of Saltillo
in northern Mexico.
Sarape: A wearing blanket worn wrapped around the shoulders.
Serrate or Serrated: A zig-zag design with sharp points.
Shears: Large scissors for clipping the wool from sheep.
Spider Woman: According to Navajo tradition, the holy person who taught the Navajos how to
weave.
Spin: To stretch, pull and twist wool into a string of yarn.
Stepped: A design that looks like steps, in cross-section, going up or down (at right angles).
Traditional: Customs, beliefs, practices and objects passed down from one generation to the
next.
Vertical: Upright, or straight up and down.
Warp: In weaving, the vertical threads held in place on a loom that form the foundation of a
fabric.
Weaving: To make cloth on a loom by passing weft threads over and under warp threads
Weft: In weaving, the threads that are passed over and under the foundation warp threads.
Yarn: Fibers such as wool, cotton or silk that have been twisted into long strands.
Bruce Museum • Educator’s Guide • Vocabulary
Page 12
Bibliography
Navajo Textiles from
the Bruce Museum
Bial, Raymond. (1998). The Navajo (Lifeways, Group 1). London and Paris: Marshall Cavendish Ltd.
• From Horn Book: Lavishly illustrated with archival images and contemporary
color photographs, the volumes explore the history and culture of four Native
peoples. Each book examines a group's way of life, both past and present, and
explains the traditional birth, marriage, and death ceremonies.
Chanin, Michael and Howard, Kim. (1997). The Chief's Blanket. (Illus.) H.J. Kramer. Tiburon, CA: H J
Kramer Starseed Press.
• Napra Review: "The author has taken great care with historical accuracy in this
tale, set in the 1800s in the Southwest. It's about a highly skilled Navajo weaver
named Mockingbird Song who teaches her art to her granddaughter, Flower After
the Rain. Mockingbird tells Flower about the chiefs of the north country.
Duncan, Lois. (1996). The Magic of Spider Woman. (Illus.) Shonto Begay. New York, NY: Scholastic,
Inc.
• This Navajo legend tells of a young shepherdess who shivers from the cold until
the mythic Spider Woman teaches her how to shear sheep, card and spin wool, and
weave blankets. Spider Woman warns the newly named Weaving Woman to
"walk the Middle Way," keeping her life in balance and not to do too much of one
thing. But Weaving Woman doesn’t listen...
O'Dell, Scott. (1970). Sing Down the Moon. New York, NY: Dell.
• Young Bright Morning dramatically and courageously tells the Navajo tribe’s
forced march from their homeland to Fort Sumner by white soldiers and settlers.
"The very simplicity of the writing, at times almost terse, makes more vivid the
tragedy of the eviction and the danger and triumph of the (Navajo)...”
Roessel, Monty. (1995). Songs from the Loom: A Navajo Girl Learns to Weave (We Are Still Here:
Native Americans Today series). Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications Company.
• As he photographs his mother teaching his 10-year-old daughter, Jaclyn, how to
weave the Navajo way, Roessel does some fine weaving of his own. Roessel, more
cultural emissary than passive observer, weaves bountiful insights regarding
Navajo culture into his photo
Tapahonso, Luci. (1995). Navajo ABC: A Dine Alphabet Book. (Illus.) Eleanor Schick. New York, NY:
Macmillan Books for Young Readers.
• Beautiful illustrations of traditional Navajo lifestyles and items from everyday life
accompany each letter of the alphabet. Includes glossary and pronunciation guide.
Turner, Ann Warren. (1999). The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow: The Diary of Sarah Nita, a Navajo
Girl, New Mexico, 1864 (Dear America Series). New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
• From Horn Book: Separated from her family, Sarah Nita suffers cold, hunger, and
fear on the Long Walk, when soldiers force the Navajo to walk hundreds of miles
to imprisonment at Fort Sumner.
Bruce Museum • Educator’s Guide • Bibliography
Page 13
How to schedule your Museum visits
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Navajo Textiles from
the Bruce Museum
Adult and school groups of 8 or more require advance reservations and are subject to a special
group fee.
Museum-Based School programs are available Tuesday through Friday at 10:00 am, 11:15 am,
and 1:00 pm
After-School Museum-Based programs are available Tuesday through Friday, last one hour, and
start no later than 4:00 pm.
The Bruce Museum is accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Call Bruce Museum Reservations Manager, Anne Burns, at 203-869-6786 ext.338. You may
leave a voicemail message at this number at any time. Please leave a choice of times to return
your call.
Fees
A confirmation/invoice will be mailed four weeks prior to the program. Pre-payment is preferred,
however, Museum programs may be paid on day of visit. Payment is by check only, payable to
Bruce Museum, Inc.
Museum-Based Programs: $45 per program.
Scholarships
Thanks to the generosity of our corporate members and sponsors, scholarships are available under
special circumstances. Please contact the Museum for more information.
Cancellations
There is a $15 charge if cancellation is less than two weeks in advance of the scheduled program.
No Eating Facilities are available at the Museum
In case of bad weather, classes will be permitted to eat in the Education Workshop if they reserve
the room in advance.
Class Size
In order to maintain quality education, classes are limited to 25 students. Pre-school class size is
limited to 20 students.
Supervision: REQUIRED for all programs
Museum visit: 1 adult for every 5 children, to accompany the children at all times.
Self-guided tours: If you would like your class to tour the rest of the Museum before or after the
scheduled program, you must tell us when you make your reservation to avoid conflict with other
groups.
Nametags: Help to personalize program and enhance student behavior.
Conduct
In order to enhance everyone's enjoyment of the Museum, please go over these rules with your
students in advance:
o Please do not run in the Museum.
o Please talk in quiet voices.
o Please do not touch paintings or objects
Special requests or curriculum needs
All of the programs are flexible and can be adapted to audiences with special needs or to your curriculum
objectives. Please discuss with the Museum Education staff in advance.
Bruce Museum • Educator’s Guide • How to schedule your Museum visits Page 14
Navajo Textiles from
the Bruce Museum
Education Department Staff List
Robin Garr
Director of Education and Public Programs
(203)-869-6786 ext. 325
[email protected]
Jennifer Beradino
Manager of School Programs and Tour Services
(203)-869-6786 ext. 324
[email protected]
Jennifer Josef
Manager of Outreach Education
(203)-869-6786 ext. 323
[email protected]
Carol Ward
Museum Educator
(203)-869-6786 ext. 364
[email protected]
Anne Burns
Reservations Manager
(203)-869-6786 ext. 338
[email protected]
Bruce Museum • Educator’s Guide • Education Department Staff List
Page 15