Fiber Arts The Navajo People. The Navajo are a group of Native Americans who live in the American Southwest.

Fiber ArtsFiber ArtsFiber ArtsFiber ArtsThe Navajo PeopleThe Navajo People

The Navajo PeopleThe Navajo are a group of Native Americans who live in the American

Southwest.

Where is the Southwest?

History of the Navajo• The Navajo call themselves Diné,

which means “the People”.• According to archeologists, they

were travelers who decided to settle in the Southwest near the Pueblo Indians in the 1500s.

Time Line

17761500s

2000

20061492

Along came a spider…• The Navajo believe

they were created by the Spider Woman when the world was created.

• The Spider Woman started with the sky, and wove the earth, the rivers, and everything else into it.

• She taught the first women to weave, and they taught their daughters.

Women in Charge

• The Navajo respect their women very much

• Traditionally, women owned the house, land, and animals

Animal TalesNature is an important part of the lives

and beliefs of the Navajo People.

They even believe that beavers and coyotes helped the first people build the first Hogan, which is their home.

Why do you think Nature is important to the Navajo?

Hard Times

• The Navajo have had many battles with their neighbors such as the Pueblo, the Mexicans, and the Spanish colonists

• The women and children were kidnapped and sold into slavery

Hard Times

They were even kicked out of their homes and off their land, as they were forced to march

300 miles by Americans in 1864

Tough People• They never gave up on who they

were• They made friends with their

neighbors as they learned to trade goods

• The Americans gave them back their land

Today

Many Navajo people live on their land called Reservations and create art to sell such

as jewelry, pottery and Fiber Art

What is Fiber Arts?

It’s art that is made of fibers

What is Fiber?• Fiber is

material like cotton or grass that is turned into yarn or thread

• The Navajo commonly use wool from their sheep

Kinds of Fiber ArtWeaving is one

kind where you can make objects such as blankets, rugs, or baskets.

Why do you think weaving is important to the Navajo people?

Kinds of Fiber Arts

• Embroidery is another kind of Fiber Art where you sew to make pictures.

• Do you think this was made by a Navajo?

Elements of Art• Fiber Art uses

– Texture– Shape– Color– Line

– Value

Fiber Art has Texture• Texture is something you feel with your hands• How would these feel?

Fiber Art has Shapes• Shape is a closed 2D area

Fiber Art has Color

Fiber Art has Lines• Line is a dot that moves from one

point to another

Fiber Art has ValueValue is light and dark

Principles of Design• Fiber Art uses

– Emphasis– Balance

– Repetition– Pattern

Fiber Art uses Emphasis

Emphasis is the strongest area

of the composition where all the

attention goes

Fiber Art uses Balance

Fiber Art uses Repetition

• Repetition is when you repeat an element

Fiber Art uses Pattern

ConclusionThe Navajo people created

wonderful Art that is important to us.

They thought about the Elements of Art and Principles of Design as

they made their work.