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Show U TA H ' S I N D I A N S U TA H ' S I N D I A N S 35 The clothes you are wear-ing right now are made of tiny threads woven or knitted to-gether. If you look very closely, you may be able to see the tiny threads. Your clothes were woven together by a ma-chine, but the Navajos in southern Utah weave beau-tiful blankets and rugs by hand. The Navajos say that Spider Woman taught them how to weave long ago. Ever since that time, Navajo mothers and grandmothers have taught their daugh-ters and granddaughters the art of weaving. Navajo weavers use a large standing loom that they work with wool thread. The Navajos make yarn from the wool of the sheep that they raise. The Spanish brought sheep to the Americas. The Navajos started to herd sheep and were very successful. The colors and patterns that Navajo weavers use have special meanings. Some rugs and blankets are made for family and friends. Some blankets and rugs are made to sell. Navajo Weaving Think about all the useful things in your kitchen. How many of them are made of plastic? Food is kept in plastic. Water is held in plastic. Even strainers and serving spoons can be made of plastic. When the Southern Paiutes traveled through southwestern Utah, they did not have plastic. They needed to prepare and store food, so they made the things they needed with the materials in their environment. The Paiutes used strips of wood and bark from the willow and cedar trees to make baskets to store food and water. They made baskets that helped them to harvest seeds and protect their favorite things. Sometimes the Paiutes wove soft wood strips into baskets. Other times they made baskets with coils of wood that were wound together. They made dif-ferent shapes of baskets for different jobs. They filled water jugs with heated tree sap that would dry on the inside so the jugs would not leak. The Southern Paiutes moved with the seasons to grow, find, and hunt the best food. Baskets are light and easy to move. They could carry food and water with them in baskets or store food in baskets in the ground and come back for it later. Paiute Basketry Navajo Weaver Navajos with Loom Paiute Basket by Leta Seegmiller Eleanor Tom with Basket |