Rug(s) Of The Week - New Rugs From The Whitehair Sisters

by John Aldrich

The Whitehair family of Hardrock lives a traditional Navajo life. This includes weaving, of course. There are five children in the family all of whom either weave or are learning the skill. The income from their looms is a significant financial support for the family - this is traditional also.

Recently over twenty rugs were added to our catalog and several of them came from two of the Whitehair sisters. Miriam, in her early twenties, is the oldest, while Bobbi Jo is still in high school. Despite their young age, they are both skilled weavers.

As a family, the Whitehairs have developed a unique weaving style in recent years. It portrays a world that seems to hover somewhere between night and day, and in this world, all sorts of intriguing things reside. The designs may include references to real-life such as landscapes, horses, corn plants, hogans, etc., but they also incorporate spiritual icons. In the world of the Navajo there is great overlap between the two realms, so these rugs tend to have meanings on a variety of levels.

This photo, taken in 2009 at the Big Mountain food run, shows Bobbi Jo on the left next to Miriam. Their mother, Rena, is next to Marty, the middle sister, who is also a talented weaver.

 Here are three rugs from Bobbi Jo:

This rug is entitled Spirit Dawn Horse. It measures  16" x 21" and is priced at $160. The catalog listing is 7234.

The next is 7235, Dawn Over The Four Sacred Mountains, which measures 16" x 17" and is priced at $150.

Bobbi Jo's third rug is 7275, Sunrise Over The Four Sacred Mountains, measuring 15" x 21" and priced at $150.

Miriam is represented by the following rug:

Butterflies is 7273 in the catalog, measuring 14" x 17" and priced at $95.

Miriam and Bobbi Jo, along with Marty and another younger sister, Marklyn, have other rugs represented in the catalog as well as several rugs related to this year's rug show theme that are being held aside until the show.

The acquisition of any of these rugs would not only provide you with a beautiful and unique weaving but would help support a family living a simple life in the tradition of generations of their ancestors.