| Summary: |
"As he photographs his mother teaching his 10-year-old daughter, Jaclyn, how to weave the Navajo way, Roessel does some fine weaving of his own. Roessel, more cultural emissary than passive observer, weaves bountiful insights regarding Navajo culture into his photo-essay, ranging from ancient stories about weaving to the current state of Navajo unemployment. Nali Ruth, Jaclyn's grandmother, lives on a reservation in Arizona and begins her teaching with a prayer "to the Sun and the Holy People so they will know you are learning the old ways." Shearing, carding, spinning, dyeing, and weaving--Nali Ruth takes Jaclyn step-by-step through the rug-making process, all the while sharing Navajo stories and perspectives. Both the process of weaving and the culture surrounding it are fascinating; the varied photographs communicate the culture's richness with equal aplomb." |
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