Indian Arts and Cultural Festival
We started with a seminar on Navajo weaving and rugs led by one of the Mesa Verde rangers. She seemed to know Navajo rugs well.
Explaining some of the finer points of Navajo rug weaving and what to look for in a rug.
Later
the Navajo rugs were auctioned off. It was interesting to watch the
auction process. The rugs went for prices ranging from several hundred
dollars to $7,500. It seemed to me that some of the people were not
individual collectors, but were buying rugs to resell in their shops.
This
artist decided to take up glass blowing, which is not known as a Navajo
art form. He also liked to talk, keeping up a continual chatter while
he worked.
The market area had a wide variety of Indian arts for sale.
A proud Navajo artist showing off his first place winner.
A Navajo woodcarver at work behind his sales counter.
A crowd gathered for the dance performance in the Mesa Verde amphitheater. The dancers were from the Jemex, New Mexico Pueblo.
This three-year-old boy was the first performer. He quickly won over the crowd. You couldn't help but like him.
Later
we found him sound asleep in his aunt's arms. They explained that it
was a long day for the little boy, since they had gotten up early
that morning to drive from Jemez to Mesa Verde.
Two teenage boys performing a dance depicting a spear duel between two warriors.
The
performance concluded with the Jemez dancers inviting the audience to
join them in a Friendship Dance. In the interest of cultural exchange,
it was good to see many Roadtrekkers join in.