In the arid southwest, two Native America tribes established themselves with their distinctive cultures and lifestyles: Pueblos and Navajos. The Pueblo’s were settled cliff-dwellers. The Navajo were essentially nomadic. Yet both tribes, both cultures, became known for their intricate and beautiful weaving traditions.

Originally native cotton and grasses were the primary components of these blankets. But after the Spaniards introduced the long-fibered, silky-fleeced “churro” sheep with its exquisite wool, the Navajo weavers found the art in their craft.

The Navajo weavers had long borrowed the designs and patterns from their Pueblo neighbors. But then the “T’aa dine” or “The People” as they called themselves, discovered that they did not need to pass the “weft” (horizontal threads) throug…