Spiderwoman’s Web: Celebrating the Weaving Tradition of the Navajo Nation

Description

Going Beyond, Exploring Deeply, and Learning More

Participation in this special class is by invitation only. We have offered our six-day signature weaving class and tour for 25 years. This new class offers our advanced students an opportunity to explore the weaving traditions of the Navajo Nation over a more diverse area and in greater depth. As the class develops, we may be able to offer to a broader audience. For now, it is a four-day study tour followed by a four-day boot camp. 

Tour Itinerary

• Day 1: Hitting the Trail
  • The historic Hubbell Trading Post
  • Shepherd Visit
  • The Hopi Mesas (tour)
  • Tuba City
  • Kayenta
• Day 2: Monument Valley
  • Monument Valley Tour
• Day 3: Bluff, Utah
  • Valley of the Gods
  • Twin Rocks Trading Post
  • Notah Dineh

Camp-Weave-A-Lot

• Loom warping
• Diagonal, interlock, dovetail joins, and advanced techniques
• Elements of design
• Problem-solving (limited to weaving-related problems)
• Carding and spinning
• Rug finishing
• Adaptation of Navajo techniques to non-traditional patterns
• Vegetal dye techniques

Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial

The Gallup Inter-tribal Ceremonial takes place during this class. Gallup will be busy with visitors from all over the world. 

Navajo-made looms and tools will be available for purchase. We encourage local weavers to visit us in class, and we adapt our itinerary to invitations and opportunities that arise during the week.  If someone is traveling with you, they can join us for field trips subject to the same health safeguards as our students.   

Navajo Weaving Techniques Class Tuition and Housing Costs

Tuition for the full web is $900. Camp Weave-A-Lot only tuition is $500. From January 1 to May 1, all students pay a non-refundable $300 deposit with the balance due 60 days before your class starts .  After May 1, all registrations must be paid in full unless you make other arrangements with us. 

All tuition must be paid before your class starts.  Deposits are non-refundable unless we cancel your class.  You can transfer your deposit to any other class that we offer.  Deposits cannot be used for store credit.  

The fee includes the use of a loom and tools for the week, so all you need to do is show up. You will also receive a digital download of our book and the right to print one copy if you wish.  

Tuition for Camp Weave-A-Lot includes a daily catered lunch.   Our student-to-teacher ratio is one to three compared with one to 10 or 12 students that you may experience in other venues.  Our teaching day extends from 9 AM to 7 PM, which is hours longer than the standard seven-hour teaching day for most other classes.  

Accommodations: 

On the road: Hotel reservations for the tour are booked on a single or double occupancy basis, and the cost of those accomodations is your responsibility. 

In Gallup: Numerous hotels and Airbnb accommodations (including a cool hostel in the vicinity) are available. The estimated cost of meals is around $30-40 per day. Breakfast is free (and edible) if you stay at the Best Western. For health reasons, we are not offering any room-sharing options at this time. 

Registration, cancellation, and refund policies

A deposit is required to hold a place in our Navajo weaving techniques class.  Deposits are non-refundable. If you can’t attend the session you’ve registered for, deposits may be transferred to another class as long as you pay any difference in tuition.  Tuition must be paid in full 60 days before your class begins.    If low enrollment forces a class cancellation, we will refund your deposit. We will make this determination six months before your class, and we will inform you immediately should we need to do so.  

Unpredictable conditions like weather, employment, pandemics, and medical emergencies may affect your ability to attend a class. We highly recommend purchasing trip insurance to cover portions of your trip that may not be refundable.

Getting to Gallup

Gallup is in northwestern New Mexico. It is about 135 miles west of Albuquerque, NM, and about 300 miles northeast of Phoenix, Arizona. 

Amtrak provides service to Gallup.  The train arrives from Flagstaff, AZ, and points west at about 9 AM and from Albuquerque at about 7 PM.  Advanced Air offers daily scheduled flights from Phoenix. 

We will gladly pick you up at the train station or the airport with notice.   If you are willing to provide a ride for another student from either Albuquerque or Phoenix, please let us know, and we’ll try to match you up with someone.

Vitally Relevant Details: You’re Not in Chicago Anymore

Some of our class activities take place on the Navajo Nation, a sovereign entity.  While on the Navajo Nation, we are subject to the laws of the Navajo Nation, and alcohol may not be purchased or consumed.  The elevation in Window Rock and Gallup is about 6500′ above sea level, and you may find that you need a day or so to adjust to the altitude. 

The climate is characterized as high desert, and temperatures can vary by as much as 40 degrees over 24 hours.  It is not unheard of for us to have snow during our May class; we’re getting used to it.  The average temperatures in May and October are 30-35 degrees at night and 60-65 degrees during the day.  In June, July, and August, nighttime temperatures range from 50 to 65 degrees, while daytime temperatures average 80-90 degrees.

Most of our field trips involve car rides of 50-75 miles in length. If you’re prone to motion sickness, we strongly suggest that one of our Boot Camp classes is a better choice for you.  If we have more than one person prone to motion sickness, those who register later will be responsible for their own field trip transportation.  Only one person can ride in the front seat at a time. 

We recognize that food sensitivities can be a concern.  There are several well-stocked grocery stores in Gallup, but there are fewer choices here than in a large metropolitan area.  If you have a particular concern, please contact us before you register.  

Your Camp Weave-A-Lotd Instructors

Jennie Slick

Jennie Slick is on the left in this picture.  She is born to the Coyote Pass people and born for the Bitter Water People.  She resides in the Querino Canyon area near Sanders, Arizona.  Jennie has been teaching for over 20 years.  She has taught all over the United States.  Jennie loves sharing her weaving knowledge because she says, “You’re not supposed to be stingy with it.”   

Jennie is a very patient teacher, so her students come back for more classes to increase their knowledge. She is fluent in Navajo and can teach in either Navajo or English.

 

 

Gloria Begay

Gloria is at the left in the picture.  Her maternal clan is Mountain Cove, and her paternal clan is Towering House.  She is the daughter of the famous weaver Nellie Joe.  Nellie schooled all of her daughters in her exacting techniques of weaving and design.  Gloria’s Chief Blanket and Burntwater designs are outstanding.  She experiments with design, and she loves natural dyes.  

Gloria is very encouraging, and so her students love her.  Her rugs and weavings are in collections all over the world.  She continually increases her weaving expertise and loves learning about new yarns and dyes.  Gloria strives to be a better weaver, so the chances are that you will be, too!

Gloria is fluent in Navajo and English and teaches students in both languages. 

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