Woven by the Grandmothers: Twenty-Four Blankets Travel to the Navajo Nation

As collaboration with Native peoples is increasingly expected of museums that house indigenous cultural materials, it is imperative that collections become more accessible to Native communities. The National Museum of the American Indian sent a selection of 19th-century Navajo blankets to the Navajo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Institute for Conservation 1998, Vol.37 (3), p.334-345
Main Authors: Heald, Susan, Ash-Milby, Kathleen E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cultural institutions
Grandmothers
Museum administration
Museum exhibits
National museums
Native Americans
Special Section: Artist's Intent
Textiles
Travel
Treaty lands
Weaving
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Summary:As collaboration with Native peoples is increasingly expected of museums that house indigenous cultural materials, it is imperative that collections become more accessible to Native communities. The National Museum of the American Indian sent a selection of 19th-century Navajo blankets to the Navajo reservation in 1995 to develop an exhibition with community involvement and provide access for the community, especially weavers, to study the blankets. During the event, scheduled plans continually shifted due to unanticipated circumstances and, at times, mistaken assumptions. Ultimately, the success of the project-balancing access and preservation of the blankets-depended on the flexibility of museum staff to resolve issues as they arose.
ISSN:0197-1360
1945-2330
DOI:10.1179/019713698806082831