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| Navajo Women on Navajoland Photo courtesy of Internet |
Though this historical photograph is a bit grainy, it is a wonderful depiction of 20th century southwestern Navajo women 'adornment.'
The two Navajo women featured in this photograph are contrasted against some desert rock formations somewhere on the Navajo lands either in Arizona or perhaps in New Mexico. As many are aware of, the Navajo reservation concerns a vast land mass which encompasses three southwestern states: Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Although many Navajo communities have a plethora of unique distinctions, one cannot decipher via garment 'adornment.' But, it can be stated via their style of dress that this picture probably dates to the 1930s-1940s era of America.
Growing up in a matrilineal home full of the Manyhogans clan women, I have been blessed to see first-hand the diversity in styles of Navajo women's garments. When I mention 'matrilineal' I am speaking about the Navajo cultural way of kinship that is based on the bloodline of the mother, and all female line.
Because my maternal grandmother was gifted a Brownie camera as a young girl, she was able to document the lives of Navajos (her family) living in the 1930s era to the present. Alot of what she photographed are scenes such like this photograph featured here. The women on the left in the red velvet shirt looks to be of a younger age than the other woman, and her clothing style highly reflects that. How is it that I can see this? Well, we can see that her shirt is more highly 'adorned' with silver. Her velvet shirt was a common style during this era of Navajo life, and many of the women used American money via coins to 'adorn' or decorate their shirts. Many times the women would commission a Navajo silversmith, usually a family member, to make silver dimes or quarters into buttons.
According to the women's personal style she would make her own clothing style and then add her own unique outer design with her silver coins. It should be said to that Navajo women always didn't use money, but used silver ornaments specially made for clothing 'adornment.'
Both women are wearing tiered-cotton skirts and are 'adorned' with both silver and turquoise jewelry via their necklaces. I really adore this photograph and I hope you can see the wonderment of it too.
Blessings.
