Cultural Adoption of Sheep and Weaving
Historically, the Navajo's
adoption of domesticated sheep for food production, hides, wool production,
and textiles is associated with multicultural forces, the clash of cultures
in proximity to each other. One historical thread is related to the Pueblo Indians
who had learned how to produce cloth from cotton by the process of weaving.
Another historical thread is the arrival of the Spaniards in the Southwestern
location of the United States. During the sixteenth century, the Spaniards'
colonization of the Southwest was well under way. They brought with them herds
of Churro sheep for food and profit. The Spaniards observed that the Pueblo
Indians along the Rio Grande River were talented and competent weavers of cotton
products. The Spaniards aggressively intimidated the Pueblo Indians to produce
textile products from the sheep they brought with them; in order to further
their own economic ends.
The final thread relates to the Navajo's way-of-life and geographic proximity
to the Spaniards and Pueblos, and to the evolving events between the Spaniards
and the Pueblos. The Navajo, during much of their history, were a nomadic people.
Coinciding with the arrival of the Spaniards, the Navajo had already started
shifting into farming and other practices that required geographic settlement
and stability. However, they still acquired some of their material necessities
from raids on their neighbors. In fact, the Spaniards brought one particular
livestock item that made it far easier to raid their neighbors. The adoption
of the horse from the Spaniards made raids upon the Spaniards and the Pueblos
more effective. The sheep acquired from these raids were given to Navajo women
to husband. Rather than using sheep simply for food, they encouraged their flocks
to flourish. As a result, the Churro sheep became an important economic resource.
The action of Navajo men presenting the sheep to Navajo women was reflective of the central role of women in Navajo society. At some point in time, Navajo society evolved into a matrilineal society, with descent and inheritance determined through the mother. Navajo women have traditionally owned the bulk of resources and property, such as livestock. Getting the sheep was the first step. The second step was learning how to weave using the sheep's wool.
In the seventeenth century, the Pueblo rebelled against their Spanish conquerors, with the Navajo becoming allies in their rebellion. While sheltering and living in prolonged contact with their Pueblo neighbors, the Navaho acquired the knowledge and skills that would form the foundation for their own weaving traditions. Now, the stage was set for the evolution of Navajo weaving methods and styles. Wool and weaving would contribute to new forms of art, as well as material and social goods. Navajo religion embraced the complex web of change brought about with the introduction of sheepherding and weaving with story and ritual, insuring their sacred place in Navajo life.